What is the Overseas Summer experience?

In the summer, Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET), MSU graduate learners, and lifelong learners have the option to complete their coursework through our exciting overseas summer cohort program. The MAET instructional team meets learners in Galway, Ireland at the University of Galway to explore local culture and arts while completing coursework. This experience is fully face-to-face, with adherence to the CDC’s, Ireland’s, and MSU’s COVID-19 safety protocols. 

Learners can choose to participate in the 4-week, 9-credit Mindsets for Innovation Strand or can participate in our 2-week, 3 credit option. You can participate in one or more summers overseas. More information about course options can be found in the next section.

Preview the MAET Overseas experience through our digital brochure.

How is the Overseas Summer experience structured?

There are multiple participation options for learners in the MAET Overseas experience. Whether you’re interested in one graduate certificate, a full master’s degree, or professional development hours, you’ll work with MAET’s advisor and Assistant Director of Student Experience and Outreach, Candace Robertson, to select the strand that best meets your needs. Candace is always happy to answer any questions you have while considering this cohort. She can be reached at askmaet@msu.edu. Note: Students enrolled in MAET Overseas may only take 12 credit hours in Galway toward their master’s degree. Remaining coursework can be completed online.

As a brief overview, here are the opportunities within each strand:

• Mindsets for Innovation: complete 3 graduate courses (9 credits) in 4 weeks. Earn a Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology.
• Strategies for Transformation: complete 3 graduate courses (9 credits) in 4 weeks.
• Designing Educational Solutions: complete 1 graduate course (3 credits) in 2 weeks. 
• You may participate in the Designing Educational Solutions strands through a non-credit professional development opportunity as well. 

Mindsets for Innovation Strand

Upon successful completion of the Mindsets for Innovation Strand, you will earn your Graduate Certificate (GC) in Educational Technology. This GC prepares you to work with learners in a range of educational settings to help them become powerful digital-age thinkers, makers, and problem solvers. You will acquire foundational knowledge and skills that will transform your thinking about how, why, and when to integrate a range of digital technologies to support student learning. Graduate Certificate learners, MAET learners, and MSU graduate learners (with permission of their advisor) can enroll in this strand.

In this strand, you will experience an integrated approach to curricula from three graduate-level courses that are blended together. Assignments across courses are woven to emphasize the relationships among ideas and to provide a connected learning experience that flows as a whole. If it is your first summer overseas with the MAET program, most learners tend to start by participating in this strand.

The 3 graduate courses (9 credits) you will complete in this strand are:

• CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Technology
• CEP 811: Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education
• CEP 812: Applying Educational Technology to Issues of Practice

Strategies for Transformation Strand

The goal of the Strategies for Transformation Strand is to develop your expertise in educational theory and research by applying your knowledge to your context and practice. You will explore various uses of technology and what is currently known–or believed–about human learning and development. You will be prepared with thinking tools that support creative teaching as well as nourish students as creative thinkers and producers. You will gain an understanding of the creative process and discuss practical and societal challenges regarding creativity in education.

You will complete 3 courses (9 credits):

• CEP 800: Psychology of Learning in School and Other Settings
• CEP 822: Approaches to Educational Research
• CEP 818: Creativity in Teaching and Learning 

Designing Educational Solutions Strand

Participants in this strand will connect with Irish educators, designers, and the public to propose solutions and strategies that tackle educational challenges. You will learn about and apply design thinking to understand problems facing Irish educators and propose human-centered solutions that leverage appropriate technologies. This is an action-oriented experience meant to inspire you to apply design thinking to address problems in your own setting. 

The graduate course (3 credits) you will complete in this strand is: 

• CEP 817: Learning Technology through Design

If you are not currently a graduate student, you may choose to participate in this experience as a lifelong learner (for 1 to 3 independent study credits) or for non-credit to receive professional development hours.

Why should I participate in this experience?

The overseas summer experience appeals to innovative educators who thrive in a fast-paced environment, enjoy collaboration, and crave an exciting (and dare we say, mind-blowing) professional learning experience for one, two, or three summers in an overseas location.

This program works well for educators who enjoy face-to-face instruction, and who have a block of time for professional learning during a month in the summer.

Many of our overseas learners teach at international schools around the world, or teach in US Department of Defense schools. Because our student body is global, our instructional focus transcends discrete-level curricular focus. So, although overseas summer learners may teach in IB, AP, British, Canadian, American and/or Common Core focused schools, instruction in the overseas program will focus on core ideas and research that inform good learning, teaching, and technology integration across these diverse contexts.

What do students say about this experience?

“MAET overseas is an incredible program for all educators, no matter their technology skill level. Each and every day, you have the opportunity to showcase creativity, challenge your thinking, strengthen tech skills, and discuss important educational topics with a wide range of teachers from around the world. The work is intense, and you will certainly be pushed outside of your comfort zone, but you will leave feeling incredibly proud of yourself and what you can accomplish. The instructors are top-notch, and my classmates have become my most valuable professional consultants and also my dear friends. I consider myself very lucky to be part of the MAET community. I cannot rave about this program enough! ”

— Annaleigh Kress, MAET ’19, K-8 Digital Age Learning Coordinator, Italy

“The overseas cohort is an immersive experience. Not only do you have the opportunity to experience a new environment and culture over the span of a month, but you connect with educators from across the world. Each educator brings with them their own experiences and perspectives, many of which will challenge your own perspectives of your classroom.

The heart of the MAET program is its phenomenal instructors. I don’t exaggerate when I say that these instructors embody everything I strive to be for my own students. They are incredibly well-versed in their subjects, their enthusiasm is contagious, and their expectations always push you to be your best. The work is intense, but the instructors are always ready to support you. They want you to strike a balance between getting the work done well and taking advantage of where you are. For every resource they share for your lesson plans, they have suggestions for where to visit and where to go on the weekends.

I walked away with not only a diploma but membership in this unique family of educators. Without a doubt, this program challenged me as a student and reinvigorated me as a teacher.”

— Bernadette Bacero, MAET ’19, High School Social Studies Teacher, USA

“One of the best aspects of the MAET overseas program is the setting. Everyone is out of their comfort zone, away from their normal daily life, which gives a neutral setting for promoting collaboration and risk-taking in class. I have worked in China for almost a decade in various administrative and teaching positions. Initially, I was unsure if the program would be relevant to my context, but one of the strengths of the program is that every project requires you to consider your own setting and resources. I left each summer with actionable ideas for leading change in my school as well as an expanded network of peers and instructors for support. In between summers, I have time to implement these ideas, which makes the next summer so much more meaningful because you bring with you the observations, questions, successes, and failures from the year and build upon these as you continue to create and learn together.”

— Renee Stump, MAET ’20, KG1 teacher, China

How much is it?

The activity fee goes towards items such as the opening reception, classroom technology access, shirt and other welcome bag items, group dinner, group excursion, and the closing reception.

In regards to housing, we will be staying in Goldcrest Village this summer. Each apartment has a shared kitchen and living room. Each apartment has 4-6 single bedrooms, each bedroom has its own private bathroom and shower. You can view a gallery to better understand the housing set up on the University of Galway’s website.

The costs below for Summer 2024 are in USD.

I want to participate in a 4-week strand experience (Mindsets for Innovation or Strategies for Transformation).

Tuition ($867/credit hour as a graduate student)	9 credits = $7,803
Activity Fee	$200
Housing	$2,000
Lunch Monday – Friday (optional)	$260
Total program cost (not including travel, transportation, and leisure)	$10,263 with lunch plan

I want to participate in the 2-week strand experience (Designing Educational Solutions).

Tuition ($867/credit hour as a graduate student)	3 credits = $2,601
Activity Fee	$100
Housing*	$1,000
Lunch Monday – Friday (optional)	$130
Total program cost (not including travel, transportation, and leisure)	$3,831 with lunch plan

If you would like to complete the Designing Educational Solutions Strand as a 1-3 credit independent study, please contact Candace for specific steps and costs.

I want to participate in the 2-week Designing Educational Solutions Strand for professional development hours (no graduate credit).

PD Fee	$800
Activity Fee	$100
Housing*	$1000
Lunch Monday – Friday (optional)	$130
Total program cost (not including travel, transportation, and leisure)	1 credit experience = $2,030 with lunch

How long will it take me?

Currently, you can complete 6 of 10 of your courses in the overseas cohort if you join us for two summers and are seeking the full MAET degree. You will work with your advisor to schedule online courses to complete the remaining 4 courses needed for the degree. On average, learners complete their degree in 2 years. 

Once coursework is started, you have 5 years to complete the MAET degree. You may transfer three, 3-credit courses from an accredited institution into your MAET program plan. Remember, your “academic clock” starts ticking with the date of the first course you apply to your program plan. (e.g. if you took the course in 2019, then that’s when your “clock” starts ticking.)

Are you an MSU College of Education Teacher Education graduate? Find out more about how your Teacher Preparation Program (TPP) courses can be used toward your degree.

How do I apply?

To reserve a spot in an Overseas summer cohort program, please complete the Summer 2024 Interest Form. This is not a guarantee of admission. The form reserves a spot for you as you apply to the program.

Learners should apply to the Master of Arts in Educational Technology degree program if interested in obtaining the full master’s degree.

If you are interested in only the Mindsets in Innovation Strand, you can apply as a Graduate Certificate (GC) student. Application materials can be found on our Graduate Certificate Admissions page. 

If you are interested in 1-3 graduate credits as a lifelong learner, please apply to MSU by completing a Lifelong Application. Please notify Candace Robertson at askmaet@msu.edu when your admission has been processed. 

The GRE is not required to apply to the MAET or GC degree programs.