International Educational Development

Administration

EdM Program in International Educational Development

Please note: There will be a moratorium on this program for the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 academic years. Therefore, no new students will be permitted to begin programs in this area during this time period.

The International Educational Development Program examines the place of education in national development in different cultural, political, and economic settings both internationally and in the United States. Emphasis is placed on education for different segments of the population, in school and nonschool settings. Educational systems are viewed as critical to development programs in health, agriculture, and manufacturing, among other sectors of social and economic life. The first courses in the program sequence may be taken by selected undergraduates with the consent of the faculty.

Course Open to Upper-Level Undergraduates with Consent of the Instructor

  • SED IE 591 Refugees, Education, and Human Rights

Please note: There will be a moratorium on this program for the 2011–2012 academic year. Therefore, no new students will be permitted to begin this program during the 2011–2012 academic year. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 617-353-4237 or sedeld@bu.edu with any questions.

The International Educational Development Program at Boston University is an intensive 40-credit program that prepares graduates to work with government and nongovernment agencies to design, implement, and evaluate programs at the local, regional, and national levels. This comprehensive graduate program reaches far beyond the classroom by helping people around the world, including in the U.S., develop new knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. Our students do more than examine problems from afar; they find solutions through extensive hands-on training. In addition to developing a broad understanding of education and training, our students gain insight into political, social, cultural, and organizational dynamics. Students who graduate with a Master of Education (EdM) in International Educational Development are well equipped with the technical skills and conceptual frameworks to develop and implement educational programs for cultural, social, and economic development in their own or other countries.

To date, approximately 58 percent of IEDP graduates have been international students; most students from the U.S. have had overseas or U.S. development experience. The program includes three semesters of study, including a fieldwork experience, writing a funding proposal, and a thesis. Generally, our students enter the program in September and complete their studies in three semesters, taking a core curriculum that examines the various perspectives (cultural, political, economic, epistemological, pedagogical) in education for development as well as fieldwork in an agency or institution. Depending on the thesis topic, some students request a fourth semester to defend their thesis.

The following courses are required:

  • SED IE 600 Perspectives on Education for Development
  • SED IE 601 Analysis of Education Policies and Practices for Development
  • SED IE 602 Practicum and Seminar: The Practice of Education for Development
  • SED IE 603 Project Analysis and Planning for Educational Development
  • SED IE 604 Project Seminar: Current Educational Development Issues
  • SED RS 600 Perspectives on Inquiry and

Twelve graduate-level credits from anywhere in the University or area universities in the student’s field of specialization