Discover what's at the heart of Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy. See how inquiry, innovation and involvement are the key ingredients in the School's way of "doing things differently," which encompasses learning beyond the classroom and throughout lives. [View video]
		Learning Today For Tomorrow "The School of Education and Social Policy doesn't just prepare teachers; its professors and researchers are studying and changing the way people learn at every stage of life." [Link to article appearing in the Northwestern, Spring 2006 issue. 654kb PDF]

Penelope L. Peterson, Eleanor R. Baldwin Professor of Education

SESP became a separate School of Education in 1926 after starting as a department in the College of Liberal Arts. In 1986 "Social Policy" was added to the School's name to reflect its mission of improving education and lives through studying and influencing policy. SESP is the smallest school at Northwestern University with 300 undergraduates, 300 graduate students and 23 faculty.

SESP consistently ranks among the top graduate  schools of education in the nation. The most recent ranking by U.S. News & World Report places SESP at 12th nationwide.

BS		Education and Social Policy
MA		Learning Sciences
MS		Education and Social Policy; Learning and Organizational Change
PhD		Learning Sciences; Human Development and Social Policy

Undergraduate Concentrations

Undergraduate students major in Human Development and Psychological Services; Learning and Organizational Change; Secondary Teaching; or Social Policy.

Faculty in the School of Education and Social Policy conduct research that investigates how people learn and develop over the course of the life span. Research themes focus on individual development, families and communities, pedagogical and technological innovations, teacher development and school improvement. The results of such research become powerful tools to shape education and social programs that make a difference in schools and communities and change the lives of children and families. Projects may be searched by title, keyword, program or principal investigator.

Research Affiliates

Institute for Policy Research
Center for Talent Development
Joint Center for Poverty Research

Faculty members pursue Interdisciplinary research, teaching and outreach; many have joint appointments in psychology and computer sciences. Annual faculty research awards total more than $10 million.

SESP draws its master's, doctoral and undergraduate students from many different schools within Northwestern and from many countries around the world, making for a very diverse population. As the smallest school at Northwestern, we emphasize closeness and community.

SESP alumni number over 10,000, with more than 4,000 in the Chicago area. While many are educators, others are heads of Fortune 500 companies, university presidents, government policy makers, mayors, ambassadors, lawyers and professional athletes.

SESP maintains a support staff of more than 100, drawn from academic and industry backgrounds.

Walter B. Annenberg Hall just west of Lake Michigan opened in 1993. It contains faculty offices, "smart" classrooms and the George W. and Edwina S. Tarry Center for Teaching and Learning, which includes two 1,500-square-foot classrooms equipped with extensive multimedia software systems.

Faculty research is supported by corporations and foundations, among them the Aon Corporation, The Foley Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Lucent Technologies Foundation, The MacArthur Foundation, The James S. McDonnell Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, The Quaker Oats Company, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and The Spencer Foundation