International Education/Education Leadership PhD specialization

Congratulations to the inaugural class of the International Education/Education Leadership PhD specialization! This trailblazing group of educators and school administrators embraced a rigorous five-week schedule of courses and study. Classes lasted four to six hours with students cycling through reading, discussion, writing, and feedback every single day.

Dr. Shaklee, professor and co-leader of this program commented, "This was a highly committed, courageous, and motivated group who immersed themselves in their PhD studies and accomplished a great deal. My congratulations to all!" Students found the experience challenging and highly rewarding. Amber Guthrie said, "The collected talent and experience of our cohort coupled with fantastic faculty made for great discussions and learning. The small cohort provides a sense of togetherness while attending a large university."

The program began its online portion of the program with the start of the Fall 2018 semester, a model that made this PhD opportunity a reality for Derek Swanson. "The summer face-to-face time allowed for relationships to develop with the professors while having the online component during the school year was essential for my selection of the GMU program. It allowed me to continue my career while pursuing the degree."

Geared towards educators interested in international school leadership and research, the IE/EL program is designed to offer students chance to complete all course work over three summers at Mason and six semesters online during the fall and spring. Dissertation completion will follow coursework.

For more information about the innovative IE/EL program, click here. Applicants for the 2019 cohort can also write to either Dr. Beverly Shaklee or Dr. Supriya Baily for more information. Applications will open in October 2018 and will close early in 2019.