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international school administration/leadership

A program that focuses on the principles and practice of administration in international schools, the study of international education as an object of applied research, and which may prepare individuals to function as administrators in such settings. Includes instruction in culture in the classroom, educational leadership, globalization, instructional design and technology, international research methods, evaluation, and education policy.

Types of Degrees international school administration/leadership Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing international school administration/leadership have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	10
Doctor’s Degree	12

What international school administration/leadership Majors Need to Know

Studies in international school administration/leadership develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that international school administration/leadership graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in international school administration/leadership emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a international school administration/leadership program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to international school administration/leadership careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, international school administration/leadership graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Developing and Building Teams	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.2 / 7
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by international school administration/leadership professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
ParentSquare	Desktop communications software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Human resource management software HRMS	Human resources software	—
Student information systems SIS software	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Intrado SchoolMessenger	Mobile messaging service software	—
Schoology	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for international school administration/leadership graduates include:

• Testing Director
• Education Director
• Student Services Director
• Education Supervisor
• Extension Work Director
• Vice Principal
• Principal
• Educational Program Director
• Assessment Coordinator
• Technical Education Director
• SPED Superintendent (Special Education Superintendent)
• Middle School Principal (MS Principal)
• Elementary School Principal
• Secondary School Principal
• Athletic Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to international school administration/leadership graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	46.0%
Bachelor’s degree	15.4%
Doctoral degree	14.2%
Post-master’s certificate	7.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.2%
Some college courses	3.2%
Post-doctoral training	2.7%
Postsecondary certificate	1.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in international school administration/leadership?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 54.5% women and 45.5% men among international school administration/leadership graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	12	54.5%
Men	10	45.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of international school administration/leadership graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	14	63.6%
Hispanic or Latino	2	9.1%
Black or African American	1	4.5%
Two or More Races	1	4.5%
Race Unknown	4	18.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do international school administration/leadership Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of international school administration/leadership graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$65,211
4 years	$67,022
5 years	$74,441

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,441 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online international school administration/leadership Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for international school administration/leadership. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	0
Doctoral (Research)	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in international school administration/leadership Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, international school administration/leadership graduates earn a median of $67,022 four years after completion — roughly 76% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Educational Administration and Supervision	42,255
Educational Leadership and Administration, General	29,806
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration	4,404
Educational Administration and Supervision, Other	1,941
Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision	1,682
Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship	1,258
Superintendency and Educational System Administration	1,056
Secondary School Administration/Principalship	460
Community College Administration	335
Adult and Continuing Education Administration	330
Administration of Special Education	228
Early Childhood Program Administration	104

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.