This study investigates policy work in educational leadership courses at universities. It analyses the types of engagement present in university teachers' policy work and in their interpretations and translations of policy intentions into teaching designs and practices. The study illustrates policy work as a phenomenon and draws on the theory of policy work; it examines one case from Norway and one from California. The data has been analysed through discourse analysis. Observational data and materials from teaching practices constituted the supporting data, while contextual interviews with university teachers formed the main data. In both cases, various types of engagement were identified, which reflected academic freedom and different policy contexts. The analysis also revealed that university lecturers use their professional discretion and experience when interpreting and translating policy intentions into teaching designs and practices. This has implications for higher education administration, especially for the achievement of coherence across programmes and courses.