New Video Celebrates International Internship at Maynooth University
Courtesy: Andy Ryder/UNCW
The Watson College of Education is pleased to share a new video highlighting a unique International Internship in Higher Education, a distinctive feature of our graduate programs in higher education and community college leadership.
Offered each fall, the internship gives students a global perspective on higher education and hands-on experience in campus administration through a partnership with colleagues at Maynooth University in Ireland.
Featuring Watson College faculty and eight graduate students who participated in the Maynooth internship in fall 2025, the video celebrates the college’s distinctive partnership with Maynooth University and explores how international learning can complement graduate study in higher education leadership. The video was produced by UNCW’s media production team in collaboration with the Watson College of Education.
Andy Ryder, Watson College associate professor of higher education, has coordinated the Maynooth Internship since its inception in 2015.
“Our students do amazing work alongside our partners at Maynooth University,” Ryder said. “Through this unique professional and culturally immersive experience, students complete action research projects that build administrative and leadership capacity and form lasting bonds with their Maynooth colleagues, faculty leaders and one another. Each year, their accomplishments are a strong testament to their academic, research and professional skills.”
“Many students cite our international internship at Maynooth University as a key factor in their decision to come to UNCW,” he added. “And at commencement, program participants frequently describe their Maynooth experience as the most transformative part of their learning journey.”
The next Maynooth Internship will be offered in fall 2026. The program is open to all M.Ed. students in Higher Education and all Ed.D. students in Higher Education and Community College Leadership who have completed at least six program credits with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
About Watson’s Higher Education Programs
UNCW’s Watson College of Education offers a dynamic master’s program in Higher Education and Student Affairs and a doctoral program designed for professionals pursuing leadership roles in colleges, universities and North Carolina’s community college system.
For more information, visit the Higher Education Programs website.
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