Advisory Committee Chair
Susan Spezzini
Advisory Committee Members
Erika Austin
Julia Austin
Lori Edmonds
Josephine Prado
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
2023
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Education
Abstract
The increase in international graduate students (IGSs) in the United States in recent years has created additional linguistic and cultural diversity in graduate programs, thus, spotlighting the existence of these students’ unmet challenges. Although much research has been conducted on the experiences of international students in U.S. higher education contexts, very little research has focused on IGSs’ transition experiences to and through academic and professional university programs by way of pathway language support programs. Applying activity theory, I designed and conducted this case study with explanatory sequential mixed methods to investigate IGSs’ experiences as they transitioned into and through a university Master of Public Health (MPH) program. To reach a broader view of student challenges, I surveyed the perspectives of MPH faculty and administrators, the IGSs, and the university’s English language pathway program faculty and staff. Using the survey results and in an effort to dig deeper into the themes that arose in those surveys, I constructed protocols for semi-structured interviews of each of these three groups. Additionally, I gathered background information and artifacts to provide a richer understanding of all stakeholder group contexts. Results indicated mismatches in knowledge and expectations of stakeholders in those three groups, specifically in IGSs’ understanding of the learning objectives and assessment styles practiced in the MPH. Implications include ways in which university activity systems iv (MPH, pathway programs, and students) can adjust to reduce international students’ challenges in U.S. graduate programs.
Recommended Citation
Harrison, Melinda S., "International Graduate Students in a Master of Public Health Program: A Mixed Methods Study to Identify Challenges and Needed Supports" (2023). All ETDs from UAB. 435.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/435