This cohort-based doctorate program option for international educators and those interested in leadership in international/intercultural contexts, is oriented toward working professionals and is specifically designed to meet the needs of leaders working in highly diverse organizational settings. It is possible to remain fully employed while studying for this advanced degree.
Students enrolled in the program spend three weeks on the U of MN-Twin cities campus for three summers (typically late June through mid-July) and complete courses offered online during the fall and spring semesters. Students also complete a 24 credit dissertation. This is often a dissertation thesis, the results of which, provide a contribution to their own organization as well as a related professional field.
Students are leaders and policy-makers working in international education, intercultural training and organizational development in diverse international/intercultural contexts. Our students themselves come from multicultural backgrounds, and bring a breadth of learning experiences to the classroom.
Doctoral students in Comparative and International Development Education gain the capacity to:
This program prepares students for a wide range of careers, including:
Professional socialization seminar
Research courses
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.
Take 6 credits; 2 credits in each of 3 semesters starting in the spring term of the first year.
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.
The deadline for the 2023 LIIE cohort cohort was November 1, 2022; the next cohort will begin in summer 2026, so the likely application deadline will be November 1, 2025.
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 until the next review date the following year. 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.
Online application and instructions
Note: be certain to select "Org Ldrship Policy Dev-Comparative Intl Dev Educ - PhD" in the online application system when applying for this program. The system does not allow applicants to specify "LIIE."
Degree: Master's degree or equivalent
GPA: Undergraduate 3.0; Graduate 3.5
TOEFL/IELTS Scores (Not required for U.S. students):
If a graduate student in an OLPD program has become inactive they must follow the readmission procedures.
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