best international education phd programs

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Master's Programs

You are here, international comparative education (ice).

The International Comparative Education (ICE) concentration is a multidisciplinary, international, cross-national program that places educational problems into a comparative framework.

The program

Master’s program.

This 12-month, full-time residential course of study combines an interdisciplinary overview of major issues in international and comparative education, development, and policy with specialized coursework in students’ areas of interest. The program’s two tracks—International Comparative Education (ICE) and International Education Policy Analysis (IEP)—focus on rigorous research, and culminate in a publishable-quality master’s paper. Flexibility and small cohort size are hallmarks of the program.

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Doctoral program

The concentration in International Comparative Education also offers a doctoral degree within the Social Sciences, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Policy Studies in Education (SHIPS) academic area. Students have the option of pursuing a concurrent master’s degree and/or a PhD minor. For general information on the doctoral specialization in ICE, visit this PhD program page . For ICE doctoral program requirements, visit the Doctoral Degree Handbook . 

International Comparative Education at Stanford

ICE at Stanford affords students the opportunity to explore broadly, build community, and connect with career resources.

Why Stanford?

Stanford is known for its interdisciplinarity. Both the ICE PhD and ICE and IEPA MA programs allow students the flexibility to take courses outside of the GSE, depending on their interests and research goals. ICE students take courses at the business, law, and engineering schools, as well as in humanities and sciences. Access to top-notch faculty, and the rigor of Stanford academics are also reasons students choose ICE.

ICE students come from around the U.S. and the world. They bring a wide variety of perspectives and experiences, but share a passion for education and a desire to improve quality and accessibility for all learners. ICE students are curious, ambitious, and independent, while also enjoying the collaborative nature of small cohort learning. 

Learn more about ICE students and alumni

After you graduate

Our graduates enjoy strong job placement opportunities, and go on to become leaders in a wide range of industries. As many as 30 percent of ICE and IEPA master’s graduates go on to pursue doctoral programs. Most PhD graduates pursue careers in academia. Stanford offers strong career support to students and alumni, both through GSE EdCareers and Stanford Career Education .  

Learn more about careers in ICE

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What you need to know

Admission requirements.

To learn more about requirements for admission, please visit the Application Requirements page .

Financing your education

To learn more about the cost of the program and options for financial support, please visit Financing Your Master’s Degree on the admissions website.

Contact admissions

For admissions webinars and to connect with the admission office, see our  Connect and Visit page .

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College of Education and Human Development

Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Comparative and international development education PhD

This comparative and international development education (CIDE) track program prepares you to conduct research and provide sophisticated consultation into how schools and educational systems across the world reflect varied cultural, economic, and political contexts, and how forces like globalization, internationalization, and intercultural and educational exchanges influence individual and community learning and experiences.

Your contributions to research will help policymakers, scholars, and school systems all over the world to understand more deeply how education can aid in the creation of equitable and just communities through the design of policies and programs that support authentic learning and development.

A unique feature of this program is its cohort approach to doctoral education. Students in both the on-campus program and in the blended Leadership in Intercultural and International Education (LIIE) cohort form life-long professional relationships with their peers through common courses designed to build community and establish supportive networks. Although the curriculum allows students to select many of their own classes, our graduates consistently note the beneficial nature of the common core courses for their professional development.

Doctoral students in Comparative and International Development Education gain the capacity to:

• Articulate and analyze historical and contemporary challenges in education across international and intercultural contexts.
• Design meaningful, relevant research projects; collect, analyze, and interpret qualitative and quantitative data; and provide clear and actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners.
• Develop and teach courses in comparative, international, and intercultural education; research methods; and allied fields (e.g., applied linguistics, inclusive education, leadership, and teacher education).
• Become faculty members in top internationally-oriented academic programs across the nation and globe who apply theory to practice and use practice to build theory in addressing some of our most challenging educational issues and problems.
• Become leaders in international development, international education, and intercultural education institutions who use their expertise to improve policy, school organization, classroom practices, and formal and informal learning in international and intercultural contexts.

Here are some career paths taken by recent PhD alumni:

• Professor in the areas of education, education policy, and sociology
• Associate provost for international programs
• Chief of party, US Agency for International Development
• Fellow in the Center for Universal Education at The Brookings Institution
• Grants manager at The Ford Foundation
• Reconceptualizing Social Capital Theory: Life Stories of Kazakhstani Youth from Rural or Lower Socioeconomic Backgrounds
• The Influence of Intercultural Sensitivity on the Adaptive Leadership of US Army Civil Affairs Officers Serving in International Post-Conflict Contexts
• Claiming Space: Older Adult Students’ Lived Experience and Sense of Belonging on an Age-Friendly University Campus
• Aspirational Meaning Making: A Qualitative Case Study of Education for Global Citizenship in U.S. Higher Education
• Intergenerational Identity, Poverty, and Maternal Voices of Color in a Breathing World Wrestling with Whiteness: Complexities and Contexts of White Educator Identities
• Contending Purposes of Pre-Kindergarten: A Comparative Case Study of Early Childhood Education Policy in Minnesota Predicting Fundraising Performance in International Schools
• Kneading our daughters: Pedagogies of nation-building and girls’ schooling in (post)colonial Bahrain
• “Stories as Theories”: Illuminating Human Rights Education Through the Narratives of Human Rights Educators
• (Dis)Covering Routes: Affective Turnover and Black American Teachers’ Transnational Migration to the United Arab Emirates
• Teach Me Too: The Educational Realities of Children with Disabilities in Morocco
• Higher Education Participation Inequities for Giay and Hmong Vietnamese Thirty Years after Doi Moi 
• International Internships: A Stepping Stone to Employment?
• Imagining and Navigating the Future: Educational Aspirations and Agency of Economically Disadvantaged Ethiopian Secondary School Students
• Chinese National Applicants’ Perceptions of the Fairness of Undergraduate Admission Methods Used by U.S. Higher Education Institutions

About our students

Quote from obafemi ogunleye.

In thinking of what it will take to develop African countries for the 21st century and beyond, the most effective solution, I see, is quality education. Specifically, quality higher education is key due to its ability to produce a pool of working professionals while supporting the development of growing industries. My role as a scholar is to observe and critically analyze how institutions might benefit, or be harmed, by the effects of an increasingly globalized higher education system. Obafemi Ogunleye

72 credits (48 coursework / 24 thesis) completed in 3-5 years for full time students. 

Departmental core (16 credits)

Professional socialization seminar

• OLPD 8011—Doctoral Research Seminar I (1 cr) [Take Fall term of first year]

Research courses

• OLPD 8015—Inquiry Strategies in Educational and Organizational Research (3 cr) [Take Spring term of first year]
• Quantitative methods course (3 cr inside or outside of department; with approval of advisor)
• Qualitative methods course (3 cr inside or outside of department; with approval of advisor)
• Additional methods course (6 cr; with approval of advisor)

Program core

Includes the OLPD 8121 series, specialization courses for one of the two CIDE specializations, and CIDE electives; courses not specifically listed below should have advisor approval.

Doctoral seminars in CIDE

Take 9 credits; 3 credits in each of 3 semesters starting in the spring term of the first year.

• OLPD 8121-section 002—Doctoral Seminar: CIDE I (3 cr)
• OLPD 8121-section 003—Doctoral Seminar: CIDE II (3 cr)
• OLPD 8121-section 004—Doctoral Seminar: CIDE III (3 cr)

Additional coursework (12 or more credits)

Minimum of 12 credits required. These credits can be used to meet the requirement that a minimum of 12 credits be taken outside the CIDE track or for a minor. Courses not specifically listed should have advisor approval.

Take at least 5 credits from the following list. Any specialization core course not being used as core class can become an elective.

• OLPD 5044—Introduction to the Economics of Education (3 cr)
• OLPD 5056—Case Studies for Policy Research (3 cr)
• OLPD 5061—Ethnographic Research Methods (3 cr)
• OLPD 5080—Special Topics [various]
• OLPD 5107—Gender, Education, and International Development (3 cr)
• OLPD 5128—Anthropology of Education (3 cr)
• OLPD 8022—Education and Globalization: Anthropological Perspectives (3 cr)
• OLPD 8087—Seminar [various topics]
• OLPD 8102-Dynamics of Intercultural Communication (3 cr)
• OLPD 8104—Innovative Systems Thinking in Education and Culture (3 cr)
• OLPD 8302—Educational Policy Perspectives (3 cr)

Specialization courses

Take 6 credits in a specialization; at least one course must be at 8xxx level.

Specialization: Comparative and International Development Education

• OLPD 5103—Comparative Education (3 cr)
• OLPD 5104—Strategies for International Development of Education Systems (3 cr)
• OLPD 5121—Educational Reform in International Context (3 cr)
• OLPD 5702-Global Higher Edcuation (3 cr)
• OLPD 8101—International Education and Development (3 cr)
• OLPD 8103—Comparative Education (3 cr)

Specialization: Intercultural/international education

• OLPD 5048—Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Leadership (3 cr)
• OLPD 5124—Critical Issues in International Education and Educational Exchange (3 cr)
• OLPD 5132—Intercultural Education and Training: Theory and Application (3 cr)

Thesis credits (24 credits)

All Ph.D. students are required to register for 24 semester thesis credits after completing the preliminary oral exam. The 24 credits must be taken over two or more terms.

• OLPD 8888—Thesis Credits: Doctoral

How to apply

Admission deadline.

Application deadline: December 1 for a Fall semester start.

Fall semester start only.

Applicants may only apply to one OLPD track.

Applications are not complete until ALL required materials and fees have been received. If anything is missing, your application may not be considered. It is strongly recommended to apply at least two weeks before any submission deadlines.

Applications are processed by the Graduate School. A decision for admission notice will be emailed to you once your application is carefully reviewed by the department's admission committee and your transcripts and any credentials (test reports, diploma copies, etc.) are authenticated by Graduate School officials.

Admission Requirements

Degree : Master's degree or equivalent

GPA : Undergraduate 3.0; Graduate 3.5

GRE : Applicants should not submit GRE scores, as they will not be considered in the review process.

TOEFL/IELTS Scores (Not required for U.S. students): 

TOEFL: Internet based = 79 or above (21 writing/19 reading) IELTS = 6.5

Tuition and funding

Tuition information: CEHD | OneStop

Financial aid: CEHD | OneStop

Readmission

If a graduate student in an OLPD program has become inactive they must follow the readmission procedures .

Whether you seek reactivation after accidentally being discontinued this term or want to return after a long absence these are the steps needed to re-apply.

• Complete the proper online readmission application . If you have been away from the program less than five years use the Express Readmission Application and email it to [email protected] . All others must submit the Online Application for Readmission  
• Once received, the department will forward your application to the appropriate admissions committee. Readmission decisions are normally determined by the program’s admissions committee, not any one individual faculty member. Readmission is never guaranteed. Decisions for readmission are based on a review of previous progress toward degree completion, the proposed timeline for completion, the availability of faculty resources, and/or any additional application materials they may request from you. Individual programs/tracks reserve the right to readmit students under the current graduate program requirements, rules, and guidelines. They may also request an applicant to provide additional information prior to making a decision.  
• Once the committee makes their recommendation, the department’s DGS will sign off on the decision and forward the result to the central Graduate Admissions Office for processing. Once processed, you will be notified of the decision.

Individual department programs and tracks reserve the right to require readmitted students to retake coursework if they deem it appropriate. Readmitted students are also required to abide by current time-to-degree policies as determined by the University, which may differ from the policy in place when they first started the degree program.

Individuals seeking readmission to the Ph.D., Ed.D., and M.A. program tracks in the former EDPA, WHRE, and WCFE majors can only reapply to the appropriate program track under the Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development (OLPD) major name.

Detailed application instructions

Click here to access the online application for admission.

Required fields in the application for admission are: Personal Information, Application Information, Educational Background, Languages, Awards & Activities, Employment/Residence Information, Financial Support, Applicant Statements #1 & #2, Recommendation Letters (limit 2), and  Resume or CV.  All other fields or application materials are optional , but will be taken into consideration if submitted.  

Fees:  Review information about application fees here.

Transcripts : Unofficial transcripts or academic records should be uploaded directly to the online application. Please do not mail in paper copies of your transcripts, there is no need for official transcripts or academic records for initial review. If you are admitted, the University will then request official copies of this material. Click here for more information about transcripts and credentials.

GRE scores are not only not required, they are not considered for applications to this program.

Statement #1, Personal Statement (required): Please provide a statement outlining your immediate educational and long-range career objectives in relation to your chosen field. If there is a particular faculty member with whom you wish to study, please give that person’s name and explain why you want to study with that person. You may also wish to include other information, such as any undergraduate research experience, internships, or other experiences you may have had to document your preparation for advanced study in your chosen field. If you are applying for the Ph.D.—CIDE/Leadership for Intercultural and International Education (LIIE) or the Ph.D—EPL/Executive cohort programs, indicate this in your statement as well. [Please do not exceed two pages.]

Statement #2, Diversity Statement (required): Enrolling and graduating a diverse student body is central to the University of Minnesota’s mission. Please write a statement that identifies the distinctive qualities, characteristics, and life experiences you would contribute to your graduate program and to the education of fellow students at the University of Minnesota. You may wish to include examples that address your contribution to the diversity of the student body and illustrate your motivation to succeed by setting high standards for accomplishing intellectual and other goals, overcoming obstacles to achievement, and/or helping others to gain access to the resources necessary for success. [Please do not exceed one page.] 

Statement #3: Extenuating Circumstances (optional): If your grades and/or test scores are not strong, and you would like to provide an explanation, please do so. [Limit 1200 characters.]

Two letters of recommendation (required). The strongest recommendations typically come from current or former professors who can assess your potential for graduate work. Other recommenders, such as employers, are also acceptable.

English Language Test Scores (TOEFL, IELTS, etc.) Click here for more information about TOEFL Scores . 

Common Ground Consortium Fellowship: If you wish to be considered for a Common Ground Consortium fellowship for African-American students indicate this by uploading your statement in the "Program Supplementary Information -Upload #1" section. The statement should briefly address the following: Given that the UMN is a public land grant institution, it is imperative that CGC scholars can both benefit personally from their membership in the program as well as further the university’s founding mission to contribute to scholarship that benefits the local and greater communities. Please describe how your participation as a CGC scholar would do the following: (a) enhance your graduate student experience, (b) prepare you for your chosen career, and (c) benefit the public.

We’re here to help. Simply complete this form and a member of our department will be in touch.