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Disciplinary courses refer to those in the social sciences and humanities, like economics, anthropology, or history. While some courses in these areas are offered within the department, it is expected that students will take significant coursework outside the Department and College, especially at the doctoral level.

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. The flexibility built into the IEP program structure is designed specifically to allow 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.

Similarly, an M.A. student may also choose to focus on one or two areas or to become more of a generalist. For example, an M.A. student might be interested in and take courses specific to planning and evaluating special education programs However, even such a specific focus may result in a very broad course of study. For example, an interest in girls' education in developing countries might lead to taking courses on educational planning, research, and evaluation, gender issues, curriculum, and perhaps some economics or anthropology.

All students are required to have coursework in both qualitative and quantitative research methods (6 credits for M.A. students who do not do a thesis; 9 credits for M.A. students who do a thesis; and 15 credits for Ph.D. students). 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.

An initial program of study will be developed when a student begins the program, but the specifics often develop incrementally as a student's goals and interests become clearer. In this process, students are encouraged to consult with a variety of students and faculty, not only their advisor. Given that courses may be taken throughout the University, as well as in almost a dozen other universities in the area that form part of the Washington Consortium, there is a wide and ever-changing range of course possibilities to draw upon.

For a more detailed listing of possible courses for the Doctoral program requirements, you may wish to speak to your Academic Advisor.

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• Dennis Herschbach, Ph.D., University of Illinois.
  Research interests: program design, planning and evaluation; workforce preparation; vocational and technical education.
• Steven J. Klees, Ph.D., Stanford University.
  Research interests: political economy of education and development; educational policy, planning and evaluation; disadvantaged children; social movements.
• Jing Lin, Ed.D., University of Michigan.
  Research interests: education and social change in China and East Asia; philosophy and sociology of education; democracy and education; gender and education.
• Carol Anne Spreen, Ph.D., Teachers College, Columbia University.
  Research interests: systemic school reform initiatives, school improvement, curriculum planning, and program monitoring and evaluation.

Affiliated Faculty

• Barbara Finkelstein, Ed.D., Columbia University.
  Research interests: history of education; cross-cultural education policy; education in Japan; gender and education; childhood history and policy.
• Hanne Mawhinney, Ph.D., University of Ottawa.
  Research interests: educational leadership and policy; organizational development; critical feminist theory and practice; action research for school improvement.
• Steven Selden, Ed.D., Columbia University.
  Research interests: curriculum theory, history and evaluation; critical historical analysis of race and ideology; comparative studies of curriculum in China and the U.S.
• Judith Torney-Purta (Dept. of Human Development), Ph.D., University of Chicago.
  Research interests: civic education; cross-national test development; comparative analysis of international education achievement.

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