University of Nottingham Ningbo China

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.

UNNC 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

Year 1

Globalisation, higher education and society

Internationalising higher education: institutional strategy and development

Enhancing student experience in international higher education

Shaping the future: An evidence-based approach to managing change in international higher education

The dissertation provides students with the opportunity to carry out an in-depth investigation of internationalisation within a particular function in a higher education institution. Development of the research skills students need to carry out this work are supported in various ways, building on their value for future professional practice.

Detailed module information can be found through the online module catalogue. Please enter the module title or code when searching. 

Careers and further study

Our students prove to be highly articulate and develop good writing, presentation, teamwork, negotiation, research and documentation skills. They were admitted to top 100 ranked institutions in the UK, Australia, China (Hong Kong) and the US. Destinations included University College of London and Imperial College London in the UK; University of Hong Kong in China (Hong Kong); University of Melbourne in Australia; and New York University in the US. Additionally, second (or third) language acquisition as part of their undergraduate degree enabled IC graduates to pursue further study in Spain, France and Japan.