Curriculum: Online International Education Management

The MA in International Education Management (IEM) is an online 36-credit program. You can study full time to graduate in three semesters or part time for greater flexibility.

Start Dates Credits Practicum Program Chair
May, Sep, Jan 36 Required David Wick

Competencies

You will develop the following competencies through your coursework

  • International Education Theory, Strategy, and Action: articulate and critique trends and research, engage in current debates, apply ethical frameworks, analyze data, and implement standards of good practice for decision-making.
  • Intercultural Competence and Social Justice: work with, support, and include others in culturally, linguistically, and socially diverse environments so that all can thrive.
  • Program Design and Assessment: design, implement, and assess learner-centered international education programming.
  • Program Administration: lead effective and equitable program administration.
  • Sustainable Education: apply appropriate sustainability principles by engaging stakeholders and partners to support students, programs, organizations, and communities.

Learn more about the program competencies.

Requirements

Core coursework (21 credits)

Electives (12 credits)

Practicum (3 credits)

Core Coursework

21 credits

The interdisciplinary core coursework emphasizes the learning goals of the program. All courses are 3 credits.

Foundations of Leadership

Principles and Practices of International Education

Engage the fundamental principles of international education in program design, assessment, advising, partnerships, and social justice. You will explore career specializations in education abroad, international student services, admissions and recruitment, citizen diplomacy, youth programs, and more while interacting with practitioners and building your professional network.

Social Justice, and Change in Education

Explore the relationships between international education and power, privilege, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Investigate notions of oppression and transformation, and the conditions that facilitate and block social justice and change at the system, institution, program, and personal levels. Focus on how the select social topics intersect with international education: race and ethnicity; gender, sex, and gender identity; colonial and White settler identities; environmental sustainability and justice; and immigration and forced mobility, among others.

International Education Policy

Look into the role of global and national policies in shaping education. Examine national policies of education in the contexts of policy convergence, borrowing, and lending. Explore trends such as education as a form of soft power or trade, and aid for education.

Educational Design

International Education Program Design

Apply conceptual frameworks for program design, with an emphasis on utilizing logic models to guide program planning. Learn how to build and test program design ideas, identify models of good practice, and link to assessment for quality assurance. Examine human-centered approaches to program design, such as design thinking and universal design for learning. Practice iterative program development approaches individually and with peers to create a research-based program plan aligning activities with the desired impact. 

International Education Assessment

Assessment in the international education context prioritizes learning outcomes, with an emphasis on global and intercultural learning. Examine approaches to assessment, draft and evaluate learning outcomes, and write assessment plans. Critique existing assessment tools and practice creating new assessment tools. This course supports the development of essential assessment skills for practitioners.

Educational Management

International Education Marketing and Student Recruitment

Create a marketing and recruiting plan for an education organization eager for your advice. Learn how to define and segment your market, analyze the competition, build internal and external collaborations, and explore ethical dilemmas in recruitment.

Managing People and Resources in Cross-Cultural Contexts

Examine the complexities of staff and budget management in international and cross-cultural contexts. Specifically, you will learn about job description development, advertisement, inclusive selection processes, inclusivity and ethics, managing remote teams, theory and practice of budgeting, and cost analysis.

Electives

12 credits

Electives include all IEM courses, online intercultural competence courses, and the core coursework in the online TESOL program. 

Sample courses:

  • Education and Development
  • Education Abroad Management
  • International Student and Scholar Services
  • Global Education for the Future
  • Introduction to Language Program Administration
  • Introduction to Intercultural Competence
  • Power and Identities in Intercultural Contexts
  • Working Across Cultures

Practicum

3 credits

Gain professional experience through the practicum, working with study abroad programs, colleges and universities, youth exchange programs, ESL or language programs, and government agencies around the world.

Many students leverage the practicum for career advancement. Learn more.

Sample Course Schedule

IEM courses are taught over 7-week sessions that split the semester: the “A” session is the first seven weeks of the semester and the “B” session is the final seven weeks.

Term Course Credits
Fall (A) Social Justice and Change in Education 3
Fall (A) International Education Program Design 3
Fall (B) International Education Marketing and Student Recruitment 3
Fall (B) Elective 3
Spring (A) Principles and Practices of International Education 3
Spring (A) International Education Assessment  3
Spring (B) Managing People and Resources in Cross-Cultural Contexts 3
Spring (B) Elective 3
Summer (A) International Education Policy 3
Summer (A) Elective 3
Summer (B) Practicum 3
Summer (B) Elective 3
TOTAL   36

Projected Course Availability

This table outlines anticipated offerings for the coming academic year. Please note that the projected course availability may be subject to change at any time, and, depending on the circumstances, the Institute may not be able to provide advance notice of changes. 

Enrolled students should consult the Course Schedule for course dates, times, and locations for the current and upcoming semester. Degree maps for enrolled students are provided via Canvas through the “Front Desk” site.

  • Offered in:
    Spring 26
    offered in: Spring 26
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    This foundational course will introduce students to the breadth of the international education field. Course content will emphasize fundamental principles of international education through a focus on seminal literature in the field. Additionally, the course will emphasize exploration of career specializations through interactions with practitioners and individual course assignments. 
  • Offered in:
    Fall 26
    offered in: Spring 26 ()
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    Students apply conceptual frameworks for program design, with an emphasis on utilizing logic models to guide program planning. Learn how to build and test program design ideas, identify models of good practice, and link to assessment for quality assurance. Examine human-centered approaches to program design, such as design thinking and universal design for learning. Practice iterative program development approaches individually and with peers to create a research-based program plan aligning activities with desired impact. 
  • Offered in:
    Spring 26 Spring 27
    offered in: Spring 26
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27

    Course Description

    Assessment in the international education context prioritizes learning outcomes, with an emphasis on global and intercultural learning. Students examine approaches to assessment, draft and evaluate learning outcomes, and write assessment plans. You will critique existing assessment tools and practice creating new assessment tools. This course supports the development of essential assessment skills for practitioners. 
  • Offered in:
    Fall 26
    offered in: Spring 26 ()
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    This course introduces the fundamental essentials of marketing and recruiting as a managerial process. Students who complete the course will understand how to make decisions as managers in educational organizations responsible for defining and operating recruiting and marketing strategies according to their selected mission. This decision-making process includes understanding how to identify and evaluate target market opportunities, define and articulate a value proposition for an educational service, and develop a promotional strategy that takes into consideration competitors and price sensitivities of the target market. 
  • Offered in:
    Summer 26
    offered in: Spring 26 ()
    offered in: Summer 26
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    This course offers an introduction to the breadth of educational systems and structures around the world, and the cultural, historical, philosophical, and economic forces that shape these systems. Additional topics to be studied include the effects of globalization on education systems; the role of international organizations and NGOs in the provision of formal and non-formal education; and issues of diversity, access, and inclusion as they manifest internationally.
  • Offered in:
    Spring 27
    offered in: Spring 26 ()
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27

    Course Description

    The course aims to introduce students to perspectives and debates relevant to understanding the relationship between education and development (economic, political, social, etc.) and the politics of education development, with a focus on less developed countries. Students will examine international education initiatives (e.g., the Sustainable Development Goals, the Education for All goals, Poverty Reduction Strategies) and the work of multilateral (e.g., UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank), bilateral (e.g., USAID, DFID) and international non-governmental organizations (e.g., Save the Children, Plan International, others), including debates on aid modalities in education development. 
  • Offered in:
    Spring 26
    offered in: Spring 26
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    This course prepares students to manage people and financial resources in programs, departments, or projects of moderate size and complexity. Course activities examine the complexities of staff and budget management in international and cross-cultural contexts. Specifically, students will learn about job description development, advertisement, inclusive selection processes, inclusivity, and ethics, managing remote teams, theory and practice of budgeting, and cost analysis. To manage resources effectively, managers must be able to establish trust, motivate staff, make difficult decisions, and communicate across cultural and organizational contexts. These critical skills are emphasized in this course. 
  • Offered in:
    Summer 26
    offered in: Spring 26 ()
    offered in: Summer 26
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    This course examines the role of global and national policies in shaping education. Course topics include among others, the role international organizations play in the global governance of education. National polices of education are examined in the contexts of policy convergence, policy borrowing and lending. Trends in national policies related to education are also explored such as education as a form of soft power, education as a form of trade, and aid for education. The need to balance national policies with international demands and trends are explored 
  • Offered in:
    Summer 26
    offered in: Spring 26 ()
    offered in: Summer 26
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    Through reading of the literature and extensive interactions with practitioners, students will explore study abroad models, student advising, orientation programs, financial aid issues, challenges of academic credit transfer, benefits of study abroad, faculty-led programs, risk management strategies, institutional partnership establishment, and growth of the work/intern/volunteer abroad sector 
  • Offered in:
    Fall 26
    offered in: Spring 26 ()
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    Exploring the role of international student and school services (ISSS) offices in U.S. higher education, this course will explore the research and best practices in relation to orientation programs; academic and social integration of international students, scholars, and their families; ISSS office structures; U.S. visa types and immigrations regulations; restrictions on employment; and the role of the international student and scholar advisor. 
  • Offered in:
    Spring 27
    offered in: Spring 26 ()
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27

    Course Description

    TBD
  • Offered in:
    Spring 26
    offered in: Spring 26
    offered in: Summer 26 ()
    offered in: Fall 26 ()
    offered in: Spring 27 ()

    Course Description

    Viewing higher education administration through the lenses of campus business offices, student services, and academic programs, systems theory will be used to examine the impact of university culture upon higher education administration practices. This course also investigates how management and leadership styles have an impact on higher education administration practices.
  • Offered in:
    Spring 26 Summer 26 Fall 26 Spring 27
    offered in: Spring 26
    offered in: Summer 26
    offered in: Fall 26
    offered in: Spring 27

    Course Description

    While undertaking an approved professional practicum in the International Education Management field, students will be responsible for rigorous academic performance, equivalent in quantity and quality to the requirements for equivalent on-campus coursework. Students will demonstrate their application of theory to practice through completion of multiple deliverables.