U.S. News and World Report on Feb. 7 put out its annual ratings of Best Online Programs, and UW–Madison’s School of Education is ranked fifth in the category of Best Online Master’s in Educational Administration and Supervision.
“As director of the Wisconsin Idea Principal Preparation (WIPP) master’s degree program, I am elated that our dedicated efforts to cultivate exceptional school leaders are honored with this distinguished recognition,” says Tina Salzman, a clinical faculty member with the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. “This achievement reflects the tireless commitment of our impassioned faculty, staff, and educational professionals to empower K-12 principals with the essential knowledge and skills to establish inclusive and supportive learning environments where every student can thrive”
This 15-month, fully online master’s degree program meets online on weekends and during the summer, empowering future school leaders to make a difference. WIPP, which is offered through the highly regarded Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, enrolls students in cohorts, with participants learning from leading scholars in the field.
“Tailored for working educators, WIPP affords easy access to a top-tier, reputable educational leadership program designed to equip aspiring leaders with the knowledge and skills to tackle the complex challenges in K-12 education,” says Salzman.
Upon graduation from WIPP, students earn the credentials to pursue a principal license in Wisconsin.
Another fully online master’s program from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis is dedicated to cultivating dynamic sports leaders. The Master’s in Sports Leadership (MSL) program draws from UW–Madison’s world-leading academic and athletic resources to prepare dynamic sports leaders for positions across diverse settings in K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and beyond.
“Our program is committed to developing exceptional leaders who shape the future of sports and education,” says Sara Jimenez Soffa, a clinical professor with MSL. “Our success is the reflection of faculty, coaches, and leaders who teach for us, share their coaching practices and leadership strategies with our students, and engage in cutting-edge sports research. MSL aims to impact the lives of athletes in youth, high school , college, community organizations, and professional sports. Our program strives to prepare leaders to lead for justice, to nurture inclusive environments for athletes, and to use research to guide their leadership practices.”
Peter Miller, the MSL program’s faculty director, underscores the importance of quality leadership in sports, as coaches often build relationships with students across their high school years.
“That can have a significant influence on a student,” he says. “The MSL is designed to produce effective sports leaders who can help to ensure that more people will have great and impactful experiences.”
In noting the methodology behind its specialty rankings in educational administration and supervision, U.S. News explains that these ratings “are based entirely on responses to the peer assessment survey.” Peer assessments were given to deans of education schools with online graduate programs, in addition to top distance-learning officials at those institutions. U.S. News explains that these “respondents evaluated the academic quality of the other online graduate education degree programs listed on the survey” and U.S. News then “aggregated peer assessment data collected in 2023 with data collected in 2022 and 2021” to ultimately calculate the peer score.
The UW–Madison School of Education ranked No. 10 in U.S. News’ overall Best Online Master’s in Education Programs Rankings. (Check out U.S. News’ methodology.)