Advance intercultural learning and global exchange as a leader in international education with our flexible online degree.
Our online Master of Arts in International Education Management (IEM) is specifically designed for working professionals. You will deepen your real-world expertise and expand your professional networks, culminating in a semester-long research project or practicum working for an international education organization.
|
Start Term |
Credits |
Duration |
Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall or spring | 44 | 3 semesters full time (longer if part time) |
Asynchronous |
Our interactive approach to online learning provides a high level of engagement with your faculty, career advisor, classmates, and alumni. You will join a supportive community and build a vast, experienced professional network while taking advantage of our flexible course scheduling.
When Natalie Spencer discovered the growing professional field of international education, she looked to the Middlebury Institute to give her the specific skill set those employers valued.
My name is Natalie Spencer. I graduated from the International Education Management program. And I’m currently the program officer for recruitment and selection on the Critical Language Scholarship Program here at American Councils for International Education.
The Critical Language Scholarship Program is a study abroad program for U.S. students funded by the U.S. Department of State.
We send about 550 students abroad each summer to learn languages that are critical to national security, to U.S. economic prosperity and are really helping to build national competitiveness for American students to go out and be competitive in a more globalized workforce.
“So there’s talking points in this presentation from last year I realized.”
I think, like many students who studied abroad during undergraduate and also had other experiences overseas, I was really interested in trying to find a way to make a career out of that. So I started looking into what skills that might take and I realized that it really is a professionalized field that did need a special skillset and that the Middlebury Institute was a way for me to get that.
The International Education Management program and I think a lot of the programs at the Middlebury Institute are really focused on connecting theory to practice. It was really about getting to know the field, understanding the work and coming out with those solid skills that employers would see as valuable. And two days before I graduated, I applied for a job and was hired.
“It’s not just about diversity numbers. It’s not just about statistics for the organization. It is about providing access and being inclusive.”
The field of international education was pretty unknown to me when I decided to go to the Middlebury Institute.
All I knew is that I saw a job posting for a study abroad advisor. I read it, and it was the first time that I really connected with the job description.
We live in a globalized world, and I think the power of international education goes beyond students, goes beyond administrators. It really does have that capacity to change the world. Now I’m in this field and doing what I never knew I always wanted to do.
The international education job market is rapidly growing after the pandemic. Employers are actively hiring and contacting us to recruit our students and alumni. The online IEM program gives you the option to work while you earn your master’s degree and save on relocation costs.
We integrate your career and academic advising, making sure your coursework aligns with your career goals. The same advisor will guide you from course registration to preparing for interviews and negotiating new career opportunities.
You will conduct original research for a required thesis on an international education topic of your choosing. Alternatively, you may 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 thesis or practicum for career advancement.
The IEM program has a particular focus on community building. Our faculty, staff, and alumni are actively involved in mentoring current students and helping you develop as a leader.
Our graduates find meaningful careers in education abroad, international student and scholar services, language programs, citizen diplomacy programs, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and more. See how they are thriving in their careers.
One Year After Graduation
Throughout your studies at the Middlebury Institute, you will work closely with professors and international education organizations on real-world consulting projects, including marketing, recruiting, program design, and assessment.
Bridging cultural barriers is key to a successful career in international education, so you will take content intercultural competence courses.
Our faculty engage in critical anti-racist pedagogy in action and work toward interrogating and communicating our community values and beliefs. Through intentional course design, policy examination, and engaging the wider campus community to commit to equitable policies and actions beyond the classroom, we amplify voices that have been historically marginalized or excluded. Learn more about DEI efforts at the Middlebury Institute.
As the field of international education faces the rise of online instruction and the challenges of travel-dependent programs, we prepare you to manage sustainability in new ways. We integrate environmental justice with DEI efforts. We address global concerns such as the carbon footprint of international programs as well as financial sustainability, community sustainability, and personal sustainability. You will learn to responsibly leverage all of your resources—including technology, partnerships, funding, personnel, and personal—to adapt and evolve for the future, thinking globally and acting locally.
The program offers immersive learning opportunities to help you gain deeper perspectives of international education outside of the U.S. and to practice language and intercultural skills. In the past, our students have taken courses in countries including Spain, France, Rwanda, and Cuba. These international opportunities vary from year to year and are available to online students.
Our flexible curriculum gives you opportunities to customize your degree:
Check out the program details for all of your options.
If you’re interested in a professional career at the intersection of education, development, and international exchange, you can earn both an MPA and an IEM degree in four semesters.
Our faculty combine academic expertise with years of professional experience and a genuine commitment to your success. They are actively engaged in major international organizations, including NAFSA, the Forum on Education Abroad, Diversity Abroad, and the Comparative and International Education Society. Meet our faculty.
We have designed this program to allow you to continue working as you earn your online master’s. The degree can be part time with asynchronous options, so you can engage each lesson on your own schedule. You may also be able to take advantage of employer tuition benefits.
Scholarships and financial aid are available. Review tuition costs.
We take a holistic approach when considering your application, looking at your academic and professional background, international and multicultural experience, and career goals. We welcome applicants with or without experience working in education, and our program has numerous opportunities for you to gain or expand your professional experience before you graduate.
We do not require GRE or GMAT scores for our master’s programs, but competitive scores may strengthen your application and positively influence scholarship decisions. Learn how to apply.
| by Kathryn Petruccelli
When faculty in the International Education Management program sought to make their classes more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable, they turned to their students for advice, creating a process they hope others will replicate.
International Education Management graduate Juliana Struve shares how networking and being proactive helped her launch a career in higher education.
| by Angelique Stevens MAIEM ’15
International education management graduate Angelique Stevens shares how her coursework and networking efforts helped her launch a career in international student services.
Our graduates find international careers in multiple fields, including study abroad, ESL and intensive language programs, international student services, and government programs, such as Fulbright and Education USA.
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