The programme runs over four semesters. The overall focus is, as the title of the programme indicates, international and comparative. Particular emphasis is put on enhancing students understanding of how key issues in the field manifest themselves in different contexts and at different times and why this is so. In order to achieve this overall purpose, the first semester is devoted to two introductory modules on the concepts, issues and theories in the field of comparative and international education and on international and national policies on education and development, respectively. This will be followed in the second semester by a focus on two important general areas in the field: Politics, governance and management of education; and Inclusion in and exclusion from education. Each of these main areas will include a set of themes related to education as a component of development: for example, curriculum policies and development, the interaction of international development agencies with governments and their national partners, and issues of access, equity, quality and relevance in education. In parallel with the substantive courses, students will be introduced to research methods in a general and applied sense and trained in academic writing.
The third and fourth semesters are primarily devoted to work on the MPhil thesis. In preparation of this, there will be hands-on courses in thesis proposal writing, an advanced research methods course related specifically to the choice of thesis topics, and thesis research seminars. In order to further support students in their work on selected topics, there will be supportive, generic teaching related to the specific issues selected for the thesis. In most cases, the thesis includes field work of 1-2 months’ duration in the country/countries under investigation. Field work is normally undertaken during the third semester, whereas the fourth semester is fully devoted to the writing of the thesis. The length of the thesis is 80-120 pages. It is examined by a committee and defended by the candidate in an oral exam. This takes place within six weeks after the submission of the thesis.