Program Overview
In today’s rapidly changing world, understanding education’s role in shaping global societies is more important than ever. Through critical reflection on current policies, practices and conditions, the International Education Policy (IEP) concentration empowers students to contribute to transformative educational and social change. This concentration will equip you with the knowledge and interdisciplinary skills needed to address global challenges such as equity, social justice, sustainable development through education and international peace.
You’ll analyze educational policies and practices in diverse settings—from local communities to global organizations, and explore the role of education in economic, political and social development in both developing and developed countries. You’ll also examine the complete education journey, from pre-school to higher education, as well as non-formal education, including adult and community-based learning.
As a student, you’ll have access to the extensive resources of the University of Maryland and neighboring universities, allowing you to customize your learning experience. Beyond the core courses, you can tailor your coursework to align with your interests and career goals. Choose a focus area or create your own specialization in fields such as:
- Education in Conflict and Emergencies
- Gender and Development
- Intercultural Education and International Student Exchange
- Peace and Environmental Education
- Political Economy of Education and Development
** Administratively, the International Education Policy concentration is housed in the Higher Education, Student Affairs and International Education Policy Program. We have a specific focus on international education issues and maintain a separate recruitment and admissions process.
Key Features
- Flexibility: Tailor your coursework to match your background, interests and career goals. We offer five specializations or you have the option to create your own.
- D.C. Advantage: Just a few miles from the nation's capital, our location provides unparalleled access to internships, employment opportunities, seminars, workshops, and renowned speakers. Through cooperative agreements with nearby universities American University and George Washington University, you can also take advantage of courses offered by other highly regarded programs in related disciplines.
Top 20
Best Education Policy Program by U.S. News & World Report
Faculty
Faculty
Our faculty are selected for their expertise and experience. They provide guidance and support to help foster your academic and professional success.
Our Students
Meet Our Students
One of our greatest strengths is our students. We are committed to building a community of students, faculty and development professionals who work together to promote cross-cultural and multicultural understanding and bridge the gap between research and real-world practice.
"Here at the IEP program at UMD, the education we get is top notch, critical, rich in diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and opinions from our IEP faculty members and fellow graduate students."
How to Apply
How to Apply
Information on admissions and application to this program can be found on the University Graduate Admissions website.Information on admissions and our application can be found on the University Graduate Admissions website.
Requirements
Program Requirements
The IEP concentration offers a flexible, personalized plan of study tailored to meet your academic needs. Your course of study will evolve as you progress through this concentration, allowing you to specialize in one or more areas.
Select two of the following courses and the Proseminar:
- EDHI 605—Comparative Education
- EDHI 606—Political Economy of Education in a Global Context
- EDHI 607—Culture and Education in a Global
- PROSEMINAR—Attendance required for first 2 years of program (0 credits)
- EDHI 672—Modes of Inquiry
- An introductory course to quantitative methods or qualitative methods
- An additional methods course if a master’s thesis option is selected
Select two to four of the following or equivalents:
- EDHI 680—Gender, Education and Development
- EDHI 681—Education for Global Peace
- EDHI 682—Ecological Ethics and Education
- EDHI 683—World Religions and Implications for Education
- EDHI 684—Alternative Education, Alternative Development
- EDHI 750—International Higher Education
- EDHI 788—Contemplative Inquiry and Holistic Education
- EDHI 788—Education in Conflict and Emergencies
- EDHI 788—Global Climate Change and Education
- EDHI 788—International Education and Cultural Exchange
- EDHI 788—International Investigations in Cuban Education
- EDHI 805––Seminar in Comparative Education
- EDPS 624––Culture in Education Policy and Practice
- EDHI 798––Special Problems in Education
Courses may be selected in the areas of public policy, communications, anthropology, economics, sociology, gender studies, higher education, early childhood education, or from other departments within the College of Education, the University of Maryland, or the Washington Consortium.
- EDHI889 — Internship in Education
Select one (registration required):
- EDHI679 — Master's Seminar
- EDHI799 — Master's Thesis Research
Specializations
All IEP students are expected to take both disciplinary courses and professional specialty courses. Disciplinary courses refer to those in the social sciences and humanities, such as anthropology, economics, or history. Professional specialty courses refer to those that develop expertise in areas relevant to working in education. For example, you may want to specialize in higher education, early childhood education, curriculum development, or distance education. Many colleges and departments across campus provide specializations in these areas.
The distinction between disciplinary and professional courses provides significant flexibility. Many areas of study, like gender studies, public policy, and Latin American studies, may not easily classify as one or the other. This distinction provides you with the opportunity to take courses that best suits your interests and goals.
While traditional graduate programs emphasize specialization, the field of comparative and international education comprises many researchers and practitioners who are generalists or have multiple areas of specialization. This is especially important in our field, and we will prepare you for diverse opportunities across different regions and roles throughout your career. The flexibility built into the IEP concentration is designed specifically to prepare you for this kind of diversity.
The IEP concentration offers five specializations, with the flexibility to design your own specialization based on your interests. Past students have developed specializations in professional areas such as early childhood education, special education, primary and secondary education, teacher education, education leadership, education policy, higher education and public health education. Others have explored specializations in social science disciplines and applied areas such as anthropology, economics, public policy, sociology and women’s studies.
As a student at the University of Maryland, you'll have access to many specializations across campus and beyond. In addition to courses within the IEP concentration, we encourage you to take additional courses in other departments, colleges, and even partner schools in the region.
This specialization examines educational issues in contexts of conflict and emergencies, including war, forced migration, epidemic and pandemic and climate disaster. You will gain familiarity with global humanitarian frameworks and interventions in education in emergencies, as well as national, local and school-based responses in different parts of the world. Through critical and reflective exploration of theoretical, conceptual and practical dimensions, you will work to advance your contributions to research, institutions and educational contexts.
Possible courses include:
- EDHI788J—Education in Conflict and Emergencies
- EDHI 681—Education for Global Peace
- EDHI788F—Global Climate Change and Education: Policy and Practice
While class, gender, race and ethnicity are topics incorporated throughout in the IEP concentration, you can develop a specialization in gender and development. This specialization focuses on understanding how gender shapes societal structures and influences educational outcomes. You will develop skills to draw policy implications and design concrete practices to reduce gender-related barriers and increase both individual and collective transformative actions.
Possible courses include:
- EDHI680—Gender, Development and Education
- WMST602—Approaches to Women’s Studies
- WMST698R—Gender and Development
In a world of rapidly increasing cross-cultural interactions, intercultural education is more important than ever. This specialization explores the fundamental issues that connect culture, education and development. These topics are gaining importance as universities respond to globalization through internationalization initiatives, programming and policy. In this specialization, you will examine the higher education context where these initiatives are taking place.
Possible courses include:
- EDHI607—Education and Culture in a Global Context
- EDHI750—International Higher Education
- EDHI788T—International Education and Cultural Exchange: Policies and Practices
- EDHI788X—International Investigations in Cuban Education
This specialization focuses on global and local conditions that lead to wars, conflicts, environmental destruction and climiate change. It also examines theories and practices in peace and sustainability education for peace building and preservation of nature, as well as political, economic, cultural, religious and educational contexts for peace and sustainability.
Peace is defined as a deep respect for each other as human beings and for nature with sustainable ecological ethics. It is achieved through both external efforts and internal endeavors to cultivate wisdom and equanimity. Through coursework, you'll study alternative and transformative paradigms and acquire practical knowledge for peace and sustainability education.
Possible courses include:
- EDHI681—Education for Global Peace
- EDHI683—World Religions and Implication for Education
- EDHI788F—Global Climate Change and Education: Policy and Practice
- EDHI788—Contemplative Inquiry and Holistic Education
The term “political economy” is often contested but generally refers to a broad and integrated understanding of the politics and economics of issues. This specialization will provide you with an understanding of the debates about the theory and practice of political economy, current educational policies and their relationship to development.
Possible courses include:
- EDHI606—Political Economy of Education and Development
- EDHI684—Alternative Education, Alternative Development
- EDHI788X—International Investigations in Cuban Education
Careers
Career Options
This concentration is designed for those starting their careers, professionals looking to advance and those planning to pursue further studies in the field.
Our graduates work for public and private international agencies, non-governmental organizations, think tanks and universities, both in the U.S. and abroad. Below is a sample of the positions held by IEP M.A. graduates.
- Associate Professor, University of Hawaii
- Consultant, World Bank
- Coordinator, International Rescue Committee, Baltimore
- Deputy Chief of Party, USAID, Senegal
- Director of Global Communities, University of Maryland
- Doctoral Student, Harvard University
- Executive Director, Center for World Music
- Founder, Amani Children’s Network
- International Student and Scholar Advisor, University of California Berkeley
- Senior Associate, American Federation of Teachers
- Senior Human Development Officer, African Development Bank
- Senior Program Manager, Institute of International Education
- Teacher, Montgomery Public School
- Vice President, World Learning
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