Areas of Specialization

International Education Policy

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Program Philosophy

The International Education Policy (IEP) program offers M.A. and Ph.D.degrees designed to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of today's educational policy and practice. The focus is on the relation of education to economic, political, and social development in both developing and developed countries at local, national, regional, and global levels. The IEP program gives comprehensive attention to education, considering   both formal schooling, from pre-school to higher education, as well as non-formal, adult, and community-based education.

In the 21st century, marked by the rapid pace of global change, comparative and international education has become of paramount importance. Needed improvements in equity, social justice, and our ability to promote sustainable development and international peace at a global level require transforming our educational and social institutions. New actors in these processes have become important, such as non-governmental organizations and coalitions of civil society. By understanding and critically reflecting on current policies, practices, and conditions, the goal of the IEP program is to contribute to educational and social change.  The IEP program aims at creating a community of faculty, students, and development professionals that strives to further cross-cultural and multicultural understanding and bridge the gap between scholars and practitioners.  The IEP program is one of the top programs of its kind in the country.

IEP courses give students knowledge of the foundations of educational theory and practice, the nature of comparative and international education, and the application of cultural, economic, political, and sociological perspectives to understanding education and development. Beyond the core courses, an individually tailored program is designed for each student that uniquely reflects their background and career goals. Students are encouraged to draw upon the entire range of resources the University of Maryland has to offer and to choose courses appropriate to their interests in the social sciences, the humanities, cross-cutting areas (e.g., focusing on gender or race issues), professional educational specializations (e.g., early childhood, international exchange, or higher education), and regional emphases (e.g., Africa or Latin America).  The University of Maryland has made a specific and strong commitment to internationalization throughout its programs and policies.

Advantages of Washington, D.C.

The University of Maryland is located a few miles from the DC border, is a stop on Washington’s green metro line, and therefore we have easy access to everywhere in the District.  Our geographic proximity to Washington, D.C. offers unique advantages to the IEP program in terms of internships, employment possibilities, and access to seminars, workshops, and internationally renowned speakers. Cooperative arrangements with universities in the area, such as American University, George Mason University, and George Washington University, give students access to courses and seminars offered by other strong programs in related areas.

M.A. Program

The M.A. program in International Education Policy is looking for first-rate students with an interest in professional careers or further study in the field.  The M.A. program requires a minimum of 30 credits and usually takes two years to complete.  The program is distinguished by the development of a unique program of study to suit the needs of each student. Initial program plans are flexible and are usually revised throughout a student's graduate work as particular directions and their implications for coursework develop. The M.A. program allows a student to specialize in one or multiple areas, as will be illustrated below.

Core Courses
Two out of the following three courses are required:
Comparative Education (EDHI 605)
Education and Culture in a Global Context (EDHI 607)
Political Economy of Education in a Global Context (EDHI 606)

Beyond the Core
While graduate degrees have traditionally encouraged high levels of specialization, in the field of comparative and international education, many researchers and practitioners are generalists, or have multiple areas of specialization.  This is especially important in our field, as over a person’s career, she or he will likely work across considerable substantive and geographical diversity.  The flexibility built into the IEP program structure is designed specifically to allow for this kind of diversity.  All students get the foundational knowledge necessary to understanding multiple perspectives and issues.  Beyond core courses, students choose among multiple concentrations.  For example:

Gender and Development.  Though attention to class, gender, and ethnicity permeates the courses in the IEP program, students can develop a concentration on gender and development which seeks to enhance students’ theoretical and practical understanding of how gender operates in society and thus influences a variety of educational outcomes.  Students are prepared to draw policy implications and design concrete practices to diminish the impact of gender and to increase individual and collective action toward its transformation.  Courses might include:

Gender, Development and Education (EDHI 788)
Nonformal Education and Informal Learning (EDHI 788)
Approaches to Women’s Studies (WMST 602)
Gender and Development (WMST 698R)
Gender and Education (EDHI 604)

Intercultural Education and International Student Exchange.  Intercultural education is of paramount importance in today’s world where contact across cultures increases exponentially.  This concentration offers an examination of the fundamental issues that relate culture, education, and development.  These issues are especially important to universities these days as they increasingly offer opportunities for student exchange and study abroad.  This concentration offers an examination of the higher education context in which those initiatives take place.  Courses might include:

Education and Culture in a Global Context (EDHI 607)
Culture in Education Policy and Practice (EDPL 624)
International Higher Education (EDHI 750)
The College Experience (EDHI 664)

Peace Education.  This concentration provides students an understanding of conditions, global and local, that lead to wars, violence and conflicts.  It informs students of theories and practices in peace education for peace keeping, peace making and peace building. Also emphasized are understanding of political, economic, cultural, religious, and educational contexts for peace. Through course work, students study alternative and transformative paradigms and acquire practical knowledge for peace education and reconstruction during and after conflict and emergency situations.   Courses might include some of the following:

Education for Global Peace (EDHI 681)
World Religions and Implication for Education (EDHI 788)
Education in Conflict and Emergency Regions (EDHI 788)
Ecological and Environmental Education (EDHI 788E)
Action Research for Educational and Social Change (EDHI 788)

Political Economy of Education and Development.  The term “political economy” is a contested one but generally has to do with a broad and integrated understanding of the politics and economics of issues.  This concentration offers students an understanding of the debates about the theory and practice of political economy, current educational policies, and their relationship to development.  Courses might include some of the following:

Political Economy of Education and Development (EDHI 606)
Alternative Education, Alternative Development (EDHI 788D)
Globalization and Education (EDHI 788)
Globalization (SOCY 699X)

In addition to the above concentrations, others are possible.  For example, students have developed concentrations in professional education areas like Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Primary and Secondary Education, Teacher Education, Education Administration, Education Policy, Higher Education, or Public Health Education. 

Concentrations have also been developed in social science disciplines and applied areas like Anthropology, Economics, Public Policy, Sociology, and Women’s Studies.  The University of Maryland is a strong multiversity, offering many specializations, and we strongly encourage students to take courses outside of the IEP program from across the Department, College, University, and Region.  IEP students are generally welcomed in all these places. 

All M.A. students are required to have coursework in research methods.  Developing a critical understanding of research methods is extremely important in today's world, even if you never plan to do research yourself. Decisions about educational programs and policies are made drawing upon research findings. It is essential to be able to critically read and evaluate this research in order to not have to accept its results as given.  Two courses are required of all M.A. students (one more course is required for those who do a thesis):

Introduction to Statistics in Education (EDMS 645 or equivalent)
Modes of Inquiry (EDHI 672 or equivalent)

Finally, while it is not required, an internship can be an important part of an M.A. program by offering the student relevant professional career experience.  See the section on “Our Graduates” below that discusses career opportunities in the field.

 

Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program in International Education Policy (IEP) is looking for first-rate students with an interest in field of comparative and international education.  The Ph.D.  requires a minimum of 90 credits beyond the B.A.  Twenty-four credits are usually accepted for transfer from a previous M.A. degree, 12 credits are awarded for dissertation research, which means the degree requires 54 credits of coursework which can be completed in 21/2 to 3 years. The program is distinguished by the development of a unique program of study to suit the needs of each student. Initial program plans are flexible and are usually revised throughout a student's graduate work as particular directions and their implications for coursework develop. The Ph.D. program allows a student to specialize in one or multiple areas, as will be illustrated below.

Core Courses
There are five core courses for Ph.D. students, two of which the department requires of all students and three that are specific to the IEP program. 
Department-wide Courses:

            Currently Being Revised

International Education Policy (IEP) Courses:

            Comparative Education (EDHI 605)
            Education and Culture in a Global Context (EDHI 607)
            Political Economy of Education in a Global Context (EDHI 606)

Beyond the Core
All students will be expected to take both disciplinary courses and professional specialty courses.  Disciplinary courses refer to those in the social sciences and humanities, like anthropology, economics, or history. While some courses in these areas are offered within the Department, it is expected that doctoral students will take significant coursework outside the Department and College. Professional specialty courses refer to those that develop expertise in areas relevant to working in education. For example, students may want to specialize in higher education, early childhood education, curriculum development, or distance education. Courses in a variety of departments and colleges can provide a specialization in these areas.

This division between disciplinary and professional courses is not meant to be interpreted rigidly. Some of the areas in which students wish to develop expertise may not be easily classified as one or another, for example, feminist studies, public policy, Latin American studies, and others. The division above should therefore not be seen as a strait-jacket, but interpreted in a way that allows students to develop the best program of study for their needs.
While graduate degrees have traditionally encouraged high levels of specialization, in the field of comparative and international education, many researchers and practitioners are generalists or have multiple areas of specialization.  This is especially important in our field, as over a person’s career, she or he will likely work across considerable substantive and geographical diversity.  The flexibility built into the IEP program structure is designed specifically to prepare students for this kind of diversity. 

For example, a Ph.D. student could decide that they want to be a specialist in the economics of international higher education. As part of their Ph.D. program in IEP they could take substantial coursework in higher education and in the Department of Economics. If desirable they could even pursue M.A. degrees in one or both of these areas as part of their Ph.D. program in IEP.

A much more generalist approach is also possible. A Ph.D. student may want to have a primary focus on distance education in developing countries. While this could be combined with a disciplinary specialty it could also be combined with an interdisciplinary strength in issues of development, honed through coursework in anthropology, economics, and sociology. The student's interest in distance education might be focused on secondary and higher education with appropriate coursework in these areas.

Ph.D. students can enhance their generalist and specialist knowledge by choosing from among a variety of concentrations.  For example:

Gender and Development.  Though attention to class, gender, and ethnicity permeates the courses in the IEP program, students can develop a concentration on gender and development which seeks to enhance students’ understanding of how gender operates in society and thus influences a variety of educational outcomes.  Students are prepared to draw policy implications and design concrete practices to diminish the impact of gender and to increase individual and collective action toward its transformation.  Courses might include:

Gender, Development and Education (EDHI 788)
Nonformal Education and Informal Learning (EDHI 788)
Approaches to Women’s Studies (WMST 602)
Gender and Development (WMST 698R)
Gender and Education (EDHI 604)

Intercultural Education and International Student Exchange.  Intercultural education is of paramount importance in today’s world where contact across cultures increases exponentially.  This concentration offers an examination of the fundamental issues that relate culture, education, and development.  These issues are especially important to universities these days as they increasingly offer opportunities for student exchange and study abroad.  This concentration offers an examination of the higher education context in which those initiatives take place.  Courses might include:

Education and Culture in a Global Context (EDHI 607)
Culture in Education Policy and Practice (EDPS 624)
International Higher Education (EDHI 750)
The College Experience (EDHI 664)

Peace Education.  This concentration provides students an understanding of conditions, global and local, that lead to wars, violence and conflicts.  It informs students of theories and practices in peace education for peace keeping, peace making and peace building. Also emphasized are understanding of political, economic, cultural, religious, and educational contexts for peace. Through course work, students study alternative and transformative paradigms and acquire practical knowledge for peace education and reconstruction during and after conflict and emergency situations.   Courses might include some of the following:

Education for Global Peace (EDHI 681)
World Religions and Implication for Education (EDHI 788)
Education in Conflict and Emergency Regions (EDHI 788)
Ecological and Environmental Education (EDHI 788E)
Action Research for Educational and Social Change (EDHI 788)

Political Economy of Education and Development.  The term “political economy” is a contested one but generally has to do with a broad and integrated understanding of the politics and economics of issues.  This concentration offers students an understanding of the debates about the theory and practice of political economy, current educational policies, and their relationship to development.  Courses might include some of the following:

Political Economy of Education and Development (EDHI 606)
Alternative Education, Alternative Development (EDHI 788D)
Globalization and Education (EDHI 788)
Globalization (SOCY 699X)

In addition to the above concentrations, others are possible.  For example, students have developed concentrations in professional education areas like Early Childhood Education, Special Education, Primary and Secondary Education, Teacher Education, Education Administration, Education Policy, Higher Education or Public Health Education. 

Concentrations have also been developed in social science disciplines and applied areas like Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, and Women’s Studies.  The University of Maryland is a strong multiversity, offering many specializations, and we strongly encourage students to take courses outside of the IEP program from across the Department, College, University, and Region.  IEP students are generally welcomed in all these places. 

All Ph.D. students are required to have coursework in both qualitative and quantitative research methods (a minimum of 15 credits). Developing a critical understanding of research methods is extremely important in today's world, even if you never plan to do research yourself. Decisions about educational programs and policies are made drawing upon research findings. It is essential to be able to critically read and evaluate this research in order to not have to accept its results as given. Doctoral students often will take more than 15 credits of methods courses given the need to have some in-depth understanding of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Research methods courses are not necessarily taken in the College of Education. For example, if a student is taking considerable coursework in anthropology or sociology, it may be useful to take some methods courses there.

 

Financial Aid

Limited fellowships are available for Ph.D. students. Graduate assistantships may be available for M.A. and Ph.D. students. Once an applicant is accepted we help them apply for assistantships throughout the university. IEP students have been quite competitive in receiving assistantships.

 

Our Faculty

Core faculty:

 

Affiliate Faculty:

 

Visiting Professors/Scholars:

  • Mark Ginsburg
  • Carlos Manduley

 

Our Graduates

The field of comparative and international education is increasingly becoming of central importance in the 21st century and, with that, job prospects in the field are multiplying.  The IEP program is designed to prepare individuals to be outstanding education leaders for this future who are capable of conducting policy-oriented research and evaluation, critically analyzing existing practice and research findings, and developing improved educational programs and policies. Graduates serve in a wide variety of settings in developing and developed countries, such as: universities; national, regional, and local governmental education agencies; bilateral and multilateral aid agencies; philanthropic foundations; private consulting organizations; research and evaluation institutes and think tanks; non-governmental organizations; and community-based development groups.

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