Job Discussion Forums

[teachlife]

Which qualification?

PGCE from a UK university or a 1 year full time MA in applied linguistics or similar?

Please don't worry about pre or post teaching experience. Which qualification is more valued by UAE direct employers. Uni or otherwise.

Thank you

[nomad soul]

The advice given to you on an earlier thread is the same: a TEFL-related MA + 3 years of post-degree experience is the minimum for university foundation-year programs. (Unlike Saudi Arabia, positions are direct hire---no contracting companies are involved.) I'm unsure why you mentioned a one-year grad program, but anyway...

[Eisenhorn]

They are not equivalent. They are used for very different things.

it depends on where and what you want to teach.

If you want to teach English at the university level, then you need the MA in applied linguistics (or TESL, TESOL, etc). And usually you need to have 3+ years of teaching experience post MA. You can sometimes get hired if you don't have that 3+years if the school needs teachers and you can impress.

the PGCE is generally for teaching primary and secondary levels (though for the education program at HCT and other schools they want a Masters in a field and a PGCE).

so if you want to teach content at an international primary/secondary school get the PGCE.

If you want to teach education at the university level, get the Masters of Education/Masters (content) and the PGCE.

If you want to teach english at the university level, get the MA in applied linguistics and 3+ years of teaching experience.

If you want to teach content at the university level, then you need a minimum of the MA in the content and experience, though the employers prefer the PhD.