MA in International Education SIT Graduate Institute

Learn how to meet the challenges facing international educators through this immersive, full-time program.

Please note that SIT will make every effort to maintain its programs as described. To respond to emergent situations, like COVID-19, however, SIT may have to change or cancel programs.

Why a Master's in International Education?

SIT developed its first master’s degree in international education in 2000. Building on that well-respected curriculum, this program offers an in-depth exploration of the historical, political, economic, and social contexts of education, crossing cultural divides and language barriers. The program utilizes a culturally immersive format so that you will learn about the field of international education administration while living it.

In this global master’s program format, you will examine three richly diverse educational systems — in the United States, Spain, and Vietnam — 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 Vietnamese through instruction tailored to your skill level.

Begin your program with orientation in Washington, DC, where you will meet your cohort, attend an intensive seminar with the program chair, and visit leading international associations to begin to understand the context in which international education issues and programs exist. After orientation, travel to Bilbao, Spain, known for its shift from an industrial city to a thriving arts and cultural center. 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 Ho Chi Minh City, a high-octane metropolis known for its extraordinary growth and socioeconomic change, you will learn about local educational practice and policy as well as program design. You will also travel to Hanoi, Vietnam’s seat of government, to learn about the inner workings of national education policy.

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 city or country in the 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 your Reflective Practice courses and will complete a capstone paper with original research to present during a virtual capstone seminar.

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.

Program Sites

Washington, D.C.

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.

Bilbao, Spain

Study in Bilbao, the largest city of the Basque country in the northeast of Spain and a region known for its history of differentiated national identity, its own language and traditions, and its transition to a more autonomous relationship with the Spanish government. In this culturally rich context, you will have traditional classes and weekly excursions in a city that has evolved from an old, polluted, industrial center to one that is becoming known for its art, food, culture, and architecture. You will continue your studies of communication, teamwork, and leadership, and learn about education policy and practice in Spain and the European region through a four-day excursion outside of Spain. This semester also includes conversational Spanish classes.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This world-class, cosmopolitan city is known for its vibrant culture and rich history. Here you will gain a deeper understanding of international education in a country still grappling with its postwar identity, but also fast becoming one of Asia’s strongest economies, ushering in fast-paced and sweeping change. Study educational practice and policy; curriculum design; program design, implementation, and evaluation; and conversational Vietnamese.

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.

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.

Semester One, Fall: Bilbao, 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 online 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, Vietnamese, 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: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (9 credits + language study, allows time for practicum research)

• Educational Practice and Policy in Vietnam (3 credits): This course explores the historical, social, political (post-war), and economic (communist) contexts of Vietnamese education. It includes field trips within Ho Chi Minh City to visit 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 on their intercultural experiences/learning. In the summer term, the curriculum is focused on helping students identify and secure a practicum.
• Vietnamese: Students will take a placement test at the start of the program to determine the appropriate placement level for a conversational Vietnamese 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 (tentatively planned to take place virtually; 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.

In the third and fourth semesters of the program, your advisor 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.

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

Knowledge

• Articulate a 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.

Career Paths

Students who have graduated with this degree work in careers such as the following, among others.

• Study abroad advisor
• Education consultant
• University professor, assistant, or associate
• U.S. embassy education specialist
• Program designer
• Exchange program manager
• Youth leadership program administrator
• Community educator
• Admissions director
• Country development officer
• Refugee resettlement officer
• International programs admissions