Alum and Student Receive 2022 Projects for Peace Grants
| by Jessie Raymond
A 2021 alum and a current student will use their $10,000 awards for peacebuilding projects in the U.S. and the Middle East, respectively.
Online Master of Arts in International Education Management
Advance your career as a leader in international education with our flexible online degree. Enhance global learning and intercultural exchange.
Our online Master of Arts in International Education Management (IEM) is specifically designed to give you real-world experience before you graduate, culminating in a semesterlong research project or practicum working for an international education organization.
|
Start Term |
Credits |
Duration |
Online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall or Spring | 48 | 3 semesters full time (longer if part time) |
Asynchronous |
Find out if Online IEM is right for you
Choose Your Learning Format
In addition to our online program, we offer an in-person IEM program. The faculty, curriculum, and per-credit cost are the same for both versions of the program, so you will have the flexibility to study online or in person, or easily switch between the two experiences as your personal and professional needs allow.
Our unique approach to online learning provides a high level of engagement with your faculty and classmates and offers asynchronous activities. You will have the option to participate in live sessions.
Why Middlebury Institute: Shaping the international career you always wanted
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.
Transcript
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.
Advance Your Career
Career and Academic Advising
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.
Practicum or Thesis
In your final semester, you will gain professional experience through a four- to six-month practicum, which can be a paid internship in the U.S. or abroad. Alternatively, you may conduct original research for a thesis on an international education topic of your choosing. Many students leverage these opportunities for career advancement. Learn more about your practicum.
Rebounding from the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on international education, but our students and graduates are still in high demand from employers. Our recent cohorts continue to secure meaningful and career-related positions. We also prepare you for careers in international education beyond study abroad.
Community
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.
Careers
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.
Curriculum
Practical Experience
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.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
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.
Sustainability
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.
International Opportunities
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.
Language Studies and Intercultural Competence
Bridging cultural and linguistic barriers is key to a successful career in international education, so you will take content courses in a second language and/or courses in intercultural competence.
Customize Your Degree
Our flexible curriculum gives you opportunities to customize your degree through switching between in-person and online options, taking part-time or full-time course loads, studying career-related topics in a second language, taking intercultural competence courses, and being able to choose optional specializations, a professional practicum, and joint degrees. Check out the program details for all of your options.
Joint MPA/MA in International Education Management
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.
Faculty: Professors and Practitioners
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.
Financing Your Education
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.
How to Apply
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.
Admission requirements for our online IEM program are the same as for the in-person IEM program. 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.
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International Education Management Students Apply Skills through Practicum Projects
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In fall of 2021, 19 students applied their International Education Management training to tackle challenging, semesterlong practicum projects.