1) What is your current position?
Currently I am the Marketing and Activities Coordinator at the American College of Norway.
2) What do you do in your present job?
As we are a small, private school catering to Norwegian students, we work directly with our students to prepare them both academically and socially for their university and college careers in the United States as they will directly transfer to U.S. institutions after completing their first year at ACN. We also have international students who spend a semester or more studying abroad in Norway. I directly work with both student populations to help them create an inviting, exciting and social campus. I work with a committee of students who work diligently to plan, prepare and execute various events throughout the year both on campus and in the community. I also work directly with and oversee the marketing operations at ACN. I create ad campaigns, press releases and other various public relations materials to help promote ACN to both perspective Norwegian and international students.
3) What was the subject of your thesis?
My thesis looked directly into the reentry of American university and college students after their semesters abroad. The thesis explicitly focused on the reentry efforts and resources being implemented by the students' perspective international office as a way to help them reenter and continue to develop and utilize their acquired intercultural competence.
4) In what terms has your CIE master helped you in getting where you are today?
Attending the CIE program at UiO gave me a broader understanding of the various educational practices and policies being implemented from a global perspective. Additionally, the program gave me a stronger sense of theoretical understanding in order to properly examine and execute my educational research.
5) Are there any specific topics/methods taught to you during the programme which is more relevant to you in your current position?
One of the great things about the CIE program is the ability to tailor your studies around your specific interest and background. I was able to heavily focus on various internationalization of education and study abroad topics throughout the program and this helped me to develop a thesis that was relevant and forthcoming.
6) Why did you choose the CIE program me?
I decided to attend the CIE program because I wanted to further my higher educational career by becoming more educated and cognizant on comparative and international education from a global perspective. Additionally, having a cohort of students from all over the world with various backgrounds was something that really made the program stand out in comparison to other CIE programs.
7) Where do you see yourself career wise in the future?
Currently I am working within international education at the higher education level. Before starting the CIE program, I was given various opportunities to work within international offices working directly with students to help prepare them for their study abroad endeavors. Having obtained my master's degree from UiO I plan to continue working with this field and utilizing my insight into international education that I received from the CIE program.
8) Any additional comments you may have for future applicants to the CIE programme are welcome.
It's never too early to start thinking about topics you would be interested to write your thesis on. One of the great assets of the program is the ability to create a body of work that is relevant to your specific educational interest that can greatly influence and help you throughout your thesis.