Global Master of Arts in
International Education (Full-Time)

Through this immersive program you will experience diverse cultures and educational systems as you develop the skills you need to build your career as a socially minded international educator.

At a Glance

For programs beginning in 2024

Credits

38

Format

Full-Time
(Semesters 1 and 2);
Part-Time
(Semesters 3 and 4)

Application Deadline for U.S. & permanent residents

January 31, rolling thereafter until May 15

International students*

January 31, no rolling admission

Duration

1.5 Years

Instructional Sites

United States*, Spain, Nepal

Critical Global Issue of Study

Education & Social Change

Education & Social Change Icon



*International Students are required to secure an F-1 visa to attend the residencies.

Please note that SIT will make every effort to maintain its programs as described. To respond to emergent situations, however, SIT may have to change or cancel programs.

WHY A MASTER'S IN INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION?

International educators work in formal and nonformal systems to promote students’ and participants’ learning. Experience diverse cultures and educational systems as you gain the necessary skills in intercultural communication, leadership, program design and implementation, evaluation, policy analysis, research, and educational practice to build a successful career as a socially minded international educator. Learn how to meet the challenges facing international educators through this immersive program.

In this global master’s program format, you will examine three richly diverse educational systems — in the United States, Spain, and Nepal — to attain professional expertise in comparative global studies; program and curricula development; research skills; and intercultural learning. You also will learn and practice conversational Spanish and Nepali through instruction tailored to your skill level.

Begin your program with one week of orientation in Washington, DC, where you will meet your cohort, attend an intensive seminar with the program chair, and visit leading international education associations to begin to understand the context in which international education issues and programs exist. After orientation, travel to Seville, capital of Andalucía and a vibrant mixture of history, culture, arts, and architecture. There you will study educational practice and policy in Spain and the European region; learn to conduct ethical research; learn about theories of education as they apply to today’s global context; and observe a variety of educational models.

During your second semester in Kathmandu, home to diverse religious and cultural communities as well as multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites, you will learn about local educational practice and policy as well as program design. You will also travel to Chitwan and Lumbini to learn about the nation’s history, environment, and rural culture.

Both semesters will feature weekly field trips to educational programs, nongovernmental associations, schools, labor unions, and government ministries to see how what is explored in the classroom is applied and experienced. Each semester also will feature a four-day excursion to another region so that you can continue to broaden your understanding of the field.

In your third and fourth semesters, you will undertake an independent practicum to gain on-the-job skills in a role and location of your choice. You will receive personalized guidance throughout in your Reflective Practice courses and will complete a capstone paper with original research to present during a virtual capstone seminar. Students are registered as part-time during these semesters, although many are engaged full-time in their work.

Designed for aspiring professionals, this unique master’s degree—one of SIT’s cornerstone offerings—will show you how to meet the immense challenges of the international educator, positioning you for rapid advancement in the field.

Career Paths

Read more about SIT Graduate Institute alumni careers through the SIT blog. Students who have graduated with this degree work in careers such as the following, among others.

  • Exchange program manager

  • Study abroad advisor

  • Education consultant

  • University professor, assistant, or associate

  • U.S. embassy education specialist

  • Program designer

  • Youth leadership program administrator

  • Community educator

  • Admissions director

  • Country development officer

  • Refugee resettlement officer

  • International programs admissions

Program Sites

Washington, DC

Begin your program with one week in Washington, DC, where you will begin to get to know your classmates, the International Education program, and SIT through time with your cohort and visits to local educational associations. You also will begin your studies of intercultural communication, multicultural team management, and organizational leadership.

Seville, Spain

Study in Seville, capital of Andalucia, the largest autonomous community in the south of Spain and a city with impressive architecture that reflects the history of the multiple civilizations that lived and shaped the city. These include the Alcazar Palace and Gardens built during the Muslim rule and the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe, and the Archive of the Indies, a historical building with centuries of documentation of the relations between Spain and America.

Seville is a vibrant and modern city with art, culture, music, and universities hosting students from around the world who come to learn Spanish in one of the most beautiful cities in Spain.

You will continue your studies of communication, teamwork, and leadership, and learn about educational policy and practice in Spain and the European region through a four-day excursion. This semester also includes conversational Spanish classes.

Kathmandu, Nepal

Located 4,000 feet in the Himalayas, Kathmandu is a milieu of culture, religions, and peoples. Here you will gain a deeper understanding of international education in a country with a unique history and geography that also beckons to the international community due to that diversity, beauty, and culture. Study educational practice and policy, curriculum design, program design, implementation, and evaluation, and conversational Nepali.

Click here for a description of the SIT center in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Practicum in Location of Choice

Complete your two-semester practicum in any location around the world in which you can obtain legal authorization. During this time, students also take related courses online and receive individualized support from their advisers. (Please note that students hold part-time status during these two semesters.)

Capstone Presentation Online

At the conclusion of your program, you will participate in a week-long seminar with students from various SIT MA programs to share your research, learn about global issues as they connect to education, and celebrate the completion of your MA degree.

Please note that in order to take advantage of dynamic learning opportunities, program excursions may occasionally vary.

Academics

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

Knowledge

  • Articulate critical understanding of education systems around the world with emphases on social justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of influential theories in the international education field.
  • Understand the perspectives, relationships, roles, and influences of the stakeholders in the international education field.
  • Articulate how power, privilege, and oppression mediate educational practices around the world.
  • Articulate how international education policy is developed and implemented at the institutional, local, state, regional, national, and international levels.

Skills

  • Apply fundamental research skills including conceptualizing, designing, conducting, and presenting original research in the International Education field.
  • Design, deliver, and evaluate international education programs (including proposal preparation, needs assessment, curriculum design, budgeting, human resource management, health and safety, crisis management, marketing, recruitment, and evaluation).
  • Create and implement international education-related content through writing, facilitation, and public speaking.

Attitudes

  • Promote equity, inclusion, diversity, and social justice in education.
  • Uphold high ethical standards and critical reflexivity in all aspects of one’s professional work.
  • Value reciprocity in knowledge- and skills-sharing.

Read more about Program Learning Outcomes.



Coursework

International education professionals are most effective when they understand the context, issues, skills, and possible paths forward in their field. SIT’s Global Master’s in International Education helps you learn the importance of intercultural partnerships and understanding necessary to facilitate quality international education programs through personal experience when you move to a new location, interact with partners and study their culture, history, and systems; and live with and learn from them.

This program requires completion of the Language and Culture Proficiency Requirement for graduation. Details can be found in the Catalog.


Please expand the sections below to see detailed course information.


This is SIT

  • We value active togetherness, reciprocity, and respect as the essential ingredients for building a sustainable community.
  • With open minds, empathy, and courage, we facilitate intercultural understanding and respect for the commonalities and differences between people.
  • We champion social inclusion & justice in all that we are and all that we do, from ensuring our community and our programs amplify the voices, agency, and dignity of all people to deliberately instilling the principles and practices of inclusion in all of our work.
  • We are committed to human and environmental well-being through sustainability and contributing to a better world for all living and future generations.

Semester One, Fall: Seville, Spain
(13 credits + language study)

  • Foundations in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management (3 credits): This course introduces students to intercultural communication, effective multicultural team management, and organizational leadership and change. The course begins with a one-week, face-to-face intensive seminar just after orientation and will continue on-line for an additional eight weeks.
  • Theory and Practice in International Education (3 credits): This course introduces students to educational theories including neo-Marxist and conflict theories, communist theory, structural functionalism, human capital theory, post-colonialism, and feminist theory; why they are important; and how they are used to frame learning and work in the field. The course also explores advocacy and citizen/public diplomacy within the Spanish and U.S. contexts.
  • Practitioner Inquiry (3 credits): This course introduces principles of qualitative research methods for ethical research and inquiry.
  • Educational Practice and Policy in Spain (3 credits): This course explores the historical, social, political (post-conflict), and economic (neoliberal) contexts of Spanish education. It includes field trips to visit educational programs and associations.
  • Reflective Practice 1 (1 credit): This course provides the academic frame for ongoing orientation, student learning plans, and reflections about their intercultural experiences/learning. In the summer term, the curriculum is focused on helping students identify and secure a practicum.
  • Spanish: Students will take a placement test at the start of the program to determine the appropriate placement level for a conversational Spanish course. Note: Undergraduate credit does not count toward the master’s degree.

Semester Two, Spring: Kathmandu, Nepal
(9 credits + language study, allows time for practicum research)

  • Educational Practice & Policy in Nepal (3 credits): This course explores the historical, social, political, religious, and economic contexts of Nepali education. It includes field trips within Kathmandu to visit various educational programs and associations.
  • IE Program Planning & Design (5 credits): This course walks students through the program development and implementation process. Topics include proposal writing, needs assessment and evaluation, curriculum development, student learning/development theory, internationalization, marketing and recruitment, logistics and staffing, budget preparation, risk assessment, health and safety, and crisis management.
  • Reflective Practice 2 (1 credit): This course provides the academic frame for ongoing orientation, student learning plans, and reflections about their intercultural experiences/learning. In the summer term, the curriculum is focused on helping students identify and secure a practicum.
  • Nepali: Students will take a placement test at the start of the program to determine the appropriate placement level for a conversational Nepali course. Note: Undergraduate credit does not count toward the master’s degree.

Semester Three, Summer: Practicum and Capstone Research in Location of Student’s Choice
(8 Credits)

Reflective Practice includes:

  • 12-week practicum (minimum of 25 hours/week = 300 contact hours)
  • 2 Reflective Practice Question essays (15 hours)
  • Capstone proposal (25 hours)
  • Human Subjects Review (HSR) application (20 hours)

Semester Four, Fall: Practicum and Capstone Research in Location of Student’s Choice; Capstone Seminar
(8 Credits)

Reflective Practice includes:

  • 10-week practicum (minimum of 25 hours/week = 250 contact hours)
  • 2 Reflective Practice Question essays (15 hours)
  • Capstone paper (60 hours)
  • Capstone seminar (virtual; 35 hours)

Professional Practicum

Pivotal to SIT Global Master’s in International Education is the practicum. This will allow you to apply learning from the classroom directly to real-world settings while getting hands-on, professional experience you can put to immediate use after you graduate.

To prepare for the third and fourth semesters, the program will support you in finding an approved, independent practicum while you complete your capstone paper.

You may elect to remain in Vietnam, return to Spain, or complete your practicum in another location of your choice. A practicum may consist of up to 40 hours a week of work; however, the number of credits earned will not fluctuate.

During the practicum phase, you’ll remain engaged with faculty and other students and receive course credit for documenting the integration of your knowledge and skills while working in a professional context. The practicum experience also will give you the opportunity to expand your professional network.

Faculty & Staff

International Education (Full-Time)

Sora Friedman, PhD
Chair and Professor, MA in International Education • Professor, Doctorate in Global Education
Victor Tricot, PhD
Associate Chair, Spain, MA in International Education
Melissa Whatley, PhD
Assistant Professor, Doctorate in Global Education • Assistant Professor, MA in International Education
Alla Korzh, EdD
Chair and Associate Professor, Doctorate in Global Education • Associate Professor, MA in International Education
Francisco Rodríguez-Jiménez, PhD
Affiliated faculty, MA in International Education

Accommodations

Accomodations

Students are responsible for finding their own accommodations (if not in a homestay). You will be supported by SIT staff in each location during the process and while abroad. Stay in an apartment (shared or private); a guesthouse (these are simple, inexpensive and quite clean, and may even include food). In Kathmandu only, you may ask to be placed with a homestay family where you will be immersed in local culture and customs. Please note that homestays are less expensive but also offer less independence.

Discover the Possibilities