I decided to come to the GSE because I wanted to have rigorous social science methods training and an opportunity to conduct an independent research project. Knowing that I would apply for PhD programs after getting my Master’s degree, I was particularly attracted to how much the ICE/IEPA... Read more
I embarked on my academic journey at Stanford's School of Education fresh from my undergraduate studies. As an international student from China, my curiosity about education was primarily rooted in my home country's distinctive system. At Stanford, I found a place to nurture that curiosity,... Read more
I am pleased to reflect upon my distinctive journey as the first scholar from North Macedonia to pursue studies at the Stanford GSE. This achievement remains and will remain a source of great pride and honor.
From the very beginning of my academic journey, I’ve encountered various... Read more
I came to Stanford and chose this program because I wanted to better understand education policies, economics, and mechanisms underlying education programs and reforms, by comparing different systems across the globe. My ambition was to become an enlightened advocate for equity and access to... Read more
Right before applying to the GSE, I was working as a research and project coordinator at APTUS Chile. The focus of my job was studying practices related to initial and continuing teacher preparation, as well as the role of teacher educators in pre-service teacher education. Prior to that, I... Read more
As a policymaker focused on education at the state level in Brazil, I was always concerned about building educational policies that would be effective. I chose my career in the government and did my BA in Public Administration because I wanted to reduce inequalities and promote equity. However,... Read more
My interest in education came from volunteering in different national and international NGOs, where I tutored students from rural and urban public schools in Mexico. Volunteering widened my perspective on education and showed me the challenges to have quality education in my country. Therefore,... Read more
I decided to study in the ICE master’s program to achieve my goal of creating an equitable and inclusive learning environment where underrepresented women scholars can confidently learn. Leading a non-profit organization for advancing gender equity and teaching minority students, combined with... Read more
After studying sociology at undergraduate level (with a significant focus on education and education policy) at home in the UK, I gained two years of classroom experience in Hong Kong, first in a tutorial centre and then in a primary school. In pursuing a Master’s course, I sought an experience... Read more
The summer after college, I found myself puppeteering for preschoolers and young children. It was during this unlikely period of time that I witnessed the striking perceptiveness and porousness of young children—they possessed reservoirs of complex emotions, and were acutely impressionable. I... Read more
Although I have always had an interest in education, I started focusing on education issues while studying economic development and international political economy as an undergraduate at Georgetown University. Subsequently, I pursued an Ed.M. in international education policy from Harvard... Read more
Being a PhD at the Stanford GSE is a tremendous experience. The ICE program gives you the freedom to explore your individual interests, yet also specialized content knowledge, skills, and mentorship in the area of international and comparative education and development. In my time in the program... Read more
Prior to coming to Stanford, I worked on international affairs for the World Bank in Berlin, Germany. Earlier in my career, I taught English in France and worked on education projects in sub-Saharan Africa at the World Bank in Washington, D.C. My interest in understanding the role education... Read more
I’ve always been passionate about education and driven to support my community. I’m a native Californian and I completed my undergraduate degree in Politics and History at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Since then, I’ve had amazing opportunities to teach and work in social justice... Read more
Before coming to Stanford, I taught professionally for four years in Texas and Singapore, with additional volunteer teaching work in rural parts of Indonesia. My students ranged in age from pre-k to adult, and came from a variety of backgrounds: at-risk youth, vocational students, domestic... Read more
I first developed an interest in education and social transformation as an undergraduate at Boston College, where I worked on the University of the Middle East Project, and subsequently pursued an M.A. in higher education administration at Columbia University. After receiving the Zankel... Read more
I first developed an interest in education research as an undergraduate at Northwestern University and through a public policy degree at the University of Chicago. Subsequent opportunities to work in multiple countries strengthened my desire to understand how education policies can work to... Read more
I was transitioning from the private sector and had backpacked around Asia for a year prior to landing on the farm. I knew that I wanted to do research on human rights but was not sure about the disciplinary angle or program. The ICE program in the Stanford University School of Education turned... Read more
I benefited tremendously from Stanford’s ICE Ph.D. program. I took rigorous and engaging classes with world-renowned professors, received top-notch training in educational research methods, participated in research projects in the U.S. and abroad, and interacted daily with brilliant peers. After... Read more
I'm originally from Accra, the capital of Ghana, West Africa. After years spent bonding with a bunch of other guys at St. Peter's Secondary School, I spent two wonderful years teaching at Bishop Bowers School - the elementary school I had attended. I think it was there that my professional... Read more
To learn more about requirements for admission, please visit the Application Requirements page.
To learn more about the cost of the program and options for financial support, please visit Financing Your Master’s Degree on the admissions website.
For admissions webinars and to connect with the admission office, see our Connect and Visit page.