Leadership for intercultural and international education cohort based PhD

in Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development

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.

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Benefits

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.

Coursework

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 course (3 cr inside or outside of department; with approval of advisor)
Qualitative course (3 cr inside or outside of department; with approval of advisor)
Additional methods course (6 cr; with approval of advisor)

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

Program core (20 credits)

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 6 credits; 2 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)

Specialization courses: Intercultural/international education (6 credits)

OLPD 5048–Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Leadership (3 cr)
OLPD 8087–Seminar: OLPD (3 cr) [Take course topic approved by LIIE cohort advisor]

Additional Coursework (12 credits)

OLPD 8002–Critical Issues in Contemporary Education (3 cr)
OLPD 8602–Advanced Organizational Development (3 cr)
OLPD 5044–Introduction to the Economics of Education (3 cr)
Transfer Class (3 cr)

Electives (8 credits)

OLPD 5103–Comparative Education (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)

How to apply

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

Application deadline

Admission Deadline

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.

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."

Admission requirements

Tuition and funding

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 olpd@umn.edu. 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.

Application instructions

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. The University of Minnesota Graduate School does not offer application fee waivers, reductions, or refunds.

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.

Questions?

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