MA International Higher Education

Key information

Degree

Types of study

Full time

Duration

12 months full-time

Start date

September 2024

Faculty

Education and English / Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Entry requirements

Course Requirements: Open to graduates of any subjects. This master programme requires students to have a bachelors degree (or international equivalent) from a recognised institution at the same standard as UK university's 2:1 (upper second class honours degree or international equivalent).

English Language Requirements: Applicants whose first language is not English, and who do not have a degree from a UK institution, are required to have the following English language qualifications before they can register on an academic programme:

IELTS: 6.5 (with no less than 6.0 in any element) or
PTE Academic: 71 (minimum 65) or
TOEFL (IBT): 90 (minimum 19 in Writing and Listening, 20 in Reading and 22 in Speaking)

Interview Arrangements: All applicants must also complete an interview with the course admissions tutor. To qualify for an interview, students must ordinarily fully meet the IELTS entry requirement at their point of application. However, potential students applying to the MA IHE may be considered for an interview, if their total IELTS score is no less than 0.5 band below the stipulated entry level. In these cases, depending on their interview outcome, such students may be offered a conditional offer based on their successful completion of an English Language pre-sessional programme.

Please check interview rubric before you attend interview.

Course overview

It is designed to meet the needs of those who are:

planning a career in international higher education, in any capacity
teaching or researching in this field, or plan to do so in the future
working in higher education administration and want to advance their knowledge and understanding of internationalisation and its implications

In countries and institutions across the world, internationalisation has emerged as a central feature of contemporary Higher Education policy and practice. It takes a variety of forms but its impact and significance can be observed across all aspects and functions of university life – teaching, research, management and administration.

The MA International Higher Education is a unique and innovative programme that addresses this diversity of form and impact in a way that is informed by research and theory but is also firmly focussed on practice. It draws on the University of Nottingham’s experience at the forefront of innovation in this field, on its leading academic reputation, and on the expertise of its staff with extensive knowledge and experience in international and transnational higher education.

The programme is designed to:

enhance your professional competencies in academic, managerial and administrative roles
develop your critical and theoretical understanding of the key issues in international higher education
enable you to transform future practice for yourself, for individuals and for institutions
expand your career opportunities

The objectives of the programme are that you will:

be aware and understand the major themes, issues and debates in international and transnational higher education
have explored the interface between policy, scholarly research and practice in relation to international and transnational higher education
understand the continuities and discontinuities between policy, practice and research
be prepared to develop, challenge and question policies, strategies, practice and research
be confident in constructing arguments about international and transnational higher education based on evidence and theory
be able to formulate and investigate significant research questions about international and transnational higher education

This programme is professionally and intellectually valuable in its own right but is also ideal preparation for a PhD in Higher Education.

We begin by exploring the broad context of higher education in an era of globalisation and how this is driving diverse forms of internationalisation in higher education. We then look at strategies and managerial demands of different models of internationalisation, followed by a specific focus on the core activity of enhancing student experiences in an internationalising institution.

The programme concludes with an opportunity for in-depth investigation of internationalisation within a particular function in a higher education institution – chosen by the student. This will enhance personal capacity in strategic analysis for informed decision-making in future professional practice. The programme, therefore, moves from context to strategy and from strategy to practice, so that reflection on practice is situated and contextualised.

Course structure

The programme comprises four 30-credit modules and a 60-credit dissertation.

The modules currently offered are:

Module 1: Globalisation, higher education and society
Module 2: Internationalising higher education: institutional strategy and development
Module 3: Enhancing student experience in international higher education
Module 4: Shaping the future: An evidence-based approach to managing change in international higher education

Careers and further study

Our Careers Development Service will work with you to explore your options. They will invite you to attend recruitment events featuring potential employers, and will suggest further opportunities, such as relevant work experience placements and skills workshops.