Interdisciplinary Educational Studies M.Ed.

Program Overview

Advance your educational and professional aspirations while engaging in strategies for improving your community.

Welcome to the self-designed Interdisciplinary Studies in Education master’s degree program at UVM. Our students present a variety of professions in higher education, public and private school education, social and human services, business, health care, government, non-profit organizations, and more.

Our students see themselves as educators in the broadest sense of the term. They coach, train, lecture, teach, write, advise, mentor, guide, administer, lead, and inspire. They join and innovate new approaches to social justice and community building. 

Interdisciplinary studies deepens, enlarges, and enriches theory and practice. Educational professionals live and work in an interdisciplinary world, and few if any problems get solved by a single academic discipline. 

Success Spotlight: Catherine Cane

While working within the Burlington School District, Catherine pursued her Interdisciplinary Studies of Education M.Ed. with a focus on the social responsibilities of public education.

“I always seem to come back to the same understanding that education is integral to create social change, and that education has a social responsibility to be inclusive, impactful, and progressive."

Curriculum

Available both online and in-person, our coursework provides tools to deepen research, theory, and practice for those seeking academic advancement, professional development, and lifelong learning. An Accelerated Master's Pathway is available for current UVM undergraduate students to save time an money by beginning coursework early. 

Students take the following two required courses:

• EDFS 6010 Introduction to Interdisciplinarity
• EDFS 6020 Philosophy of Education

In consultation with their advisor, students then select and design their own pathway forward. 

Coursework and Degree Requirements

Included in the degree is a strand in social justice education and a strand for individually-designed programs in consultation with an advisor. Some students pursue graduate certificates in Disability Studies, Education for Sustainability, or Resiliency-Based Approaches with Families, Schools, and Communities. Students may include graduate courses from other academic departments.

How do I go about constructing an individually designed program?

You can enter the program with a pre-designed curriculum plan, or you can create one as you go. The key is to identify some core professional and personal/academic interests that will integrate each of your courses, independent studies, internship experiences, and writing projects. Because the program does not offer certification or licensure, there is plenty of flexibility to create an individually-designed program. Our students enjoy the freedom, autonomy, and interdisciplinary flexibility of the program.

What can I do with an Interdisciplinary Studies graduate degree?

The answer to this question depends on each student’s personal, professional, and academic goals. 

Many of our students are striving to improve their communities and their career potential. Some are seeking to learn strategies to engage social justice issues related to education and other fields. Other students enjoy the intrinsic benefits of lifelong learning and the intellectual stimulation of graduate school seminars, writing projects, collegial relationships, and the pursuit of new knowledge and professional practice. Others explore a doctoral course of study and future career pathways.

Funding and Scholarships

Explore our graduate tuition scholarships to help fund your degree.

Apply

Read the Admissions section/tab on this page for applications instructions before you apply. There is no deadline to apply.

Graduate College Application

Contact Us

Complete the inquiry form below.

Please email interdisciplinary.studies@uvm.edu if you have questions. We look forward to hearing from you. You are welcome to email the program coordinator directly at Cris.Mayo@uvm.edu.

Our CESS Office of Graduate Student and Program Services is also available to help you.

Handbook

Mini-Handbook for the IDS

Admissions

Application Instructions

• Apply anytime! There is no specific deadline for application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
• Submit the online application to the Graduate College, including a Statement of Purpose.
• Submit three letters of reference, at least one of which should be an academic reference. Because some students have been out of college for a number of years (even decades), professional workplace references are also accepted.
• Submit copy of current resume.
• Transcripts are required from all previous institutions attended.
• There is no Graduate Record Examination (GRE) requirement.
• Up to 9 graduate credits previously earned within a five-year period can be transferred into the program.
• International Students: This program is largely delivered online, therefore it does not meet the in-person requirements for an I-20 international student visa.