Cheryl Allen, left, and Aishwarya Sankaranarayanan, students in the Montessori Studies doctorate program at UW-River Falls, discuss their coursework. The doctoral program, among the only degree of its kind in the U.S., was recently approved to begin accepting international students. UWRF file photo.
 

Montessori doctoral program now open to international students 

Program director praises the value of perspectives from elsewhere in the world  

Dec. 23, 2024 - The Montessori Studies doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls is now open to students from around the world, a move that will grow the program and bring it a more global perspective.  
  
Allowing international students into the program was recently approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a web-based system used by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to maintain information about international students. Being allowed to accept international students will further enhance the education students receive, Kateri Carver, assistant professor and director of the Montessori Studies doctoral program, said. Prospective students can learn how to apply for the program at uwrf.edu/Montessori-EdD/HowtoApply.cfm. 
  
“These students will bring us new ideas about Montessori pedagogy,” Carver said. “We can really benefit from learning how Montessori is implemented in different countries of the world. This opens new avenues for cross-cultural research and cross-cultural collaboration.” 
  
Including international perspectives makes sense for Montessori, given its international foundation, Carver said. The Montessori education model is named for its founder, Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori. Montessori Theory is an educational approach that emphasizes individualized instruction and self-paced learning. 
  
“Montessori is such an international pedagogy,” Carver said. “It is not just American education. It is a pedagogy of human flourishing. It is for everybody, everywhere.” 
  
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D) degree in Montessori Studies was approved by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents in 2021. It is the first doctoral program at UWRF and is among the only degree of its kind nationally. The UWRF program has a strong focus on educational practice as opposed to theory, Carver said.  
  
Thirty-three students are currently enrolled in UWRF’s Montessori doctoral program. Carver said she expects to enroll 12 students annually and several international students have already applied, she said.  
  
The program consists of online coursework during spring and fall semesters. A hybrid model is used during summer months, with students meeting in person to share perspectives and their work. International students will participate in in-person coursework with their peers during summers. The program typically takes 3 ½ to four years to complete.  
  
UWRF also offers a Master of Science in Education degree in Montessori Education. 
  
Gay Ward, a teacher education professor at UWRF from 2001-15 and the founder and original director of the university’s Montessori program, said she “is so pleased” to learn that the university’s Montessori doctoral program can now accept international applicants. Including students from other nations in UWRF’s Montessori doctoral program will add valuable perspectives that will improve learners’ experiences, she said.    
  
“To have international students in the UWRF Montessori doctoral program will broaden the connections, insights and applications that will emerge from the course interactions, research and international mentorship opportunities,” Ward said. “How much more powerful is creative, critical, and culturally responsive thinking when applied to experiences in multiple cultures!” 
  
UWRF’s program is appealing to Montessori educators, she said, in part because it offers a doctoral degree more in line with Montessori philosophy. 
  
“Until this program was founded by UWRF, Montessorians pursuing doctoral degrees did so within a traditional framework,” Ward said. “To actually have an opportunity to pursue their doctoral work in a Montessori pedagogical way is a unique opportunity that the UWRF program offers.” 
  
For more information, contact Carver at kateri.carver@uwrf.edu.