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stuckinusa
Joined: 23 Dec 2015
Posts: 21
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 Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 3:58 am Post subject: Question about a degree |
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Hello,
i'm about to have an associate's degree from a community college. Next year, i'm planning to transfer to a 4 year university to get my bachelor's degree. One of the universities i'm looking at offers an English online program. I'm considering doing that so I can start working as an esl/tefl teacher while I work towards my bachelor's degree. My question is would I be disqualified from getting jobs in Saudi with an online degree? I called the university,and they told me they give out the same degree for onsite and online programs. Furthermore, this is a legitimate accredited university with 120 hour bachelors programs. So, would Saudi Arabia turn their nose up at that? I don't see how they could considering the degree would be from an accredited university and wouldn't even specify that it is an online degree. However, a guy I talk to that works in Saudi told me it might be a problem. So, what do all of you think? Would it be a problem or not? Thanks |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:30 am Post subject: |
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| Qualifying degrees that entailed any online coursework are not recognized by the Saudi government. The mode of instruction gets verified with the job candidate's US university registrar as part of the degree authentication process. (See www.sacm.org/pdf/DistanceLearning.pdf.) |
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stuckinusa
Joined: 23 Dec 2015
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:08 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| Qualifying degrees that entailed any online coursework are not recognized by the Saudi government. The mode of instruction gets verified with the job candidate's US university registrar as part of the degree authentication process. (See www.sacm.org/pdf/DistanceLearning.pdf.) |
Sheesh,
That's crazy. Most people take atleast some of their classes online. So you can't get any of your credits from online classes if you want to work in Saudi? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:28 am Post subject: |
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It is what it is. Every country can set their own rules and regs for foreign workers as well as for nationals.
By the way, you mentioned teaching ESL while completing a BA. You'll be limited as to where in the world you can teach with just a two-year Associate's degree. It's equal to having no degree in countries where a BA is the minimum requirement.
Last edited by nomad soul on Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:37 am; edited 1 time in total |
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stuckinusa
Joined: 23 Dec 2015
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:36 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
It is what it is. Every country can set their own rules and regs for foreign workers.
By the way, you mentioned teaching ESL while completing a BA. You'll be limited as to where in the world you can teach with just a two-year Associate's degree. |
Well,
the thing is virtually every course in any American University will have some online coursework, it is unavoidable. You said Saudi doesn't recognize degrees with any online coursework. How is that even possible? Can you clarify how they define online coursework? Because that really has my head spinning. Again, most courses at American universities have an online component. For example, you might take tests/quizzes, watch course related videos,participate in discussions, and turn in papers online. Foreign language courses also have a lot of online work. |
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stuckinusa
Joined: 23 Dec 2015
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:36 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
It is what it is. Every country can set their own rules and regs for foreign workers.
By the way, you mentioned teaching ESL while completing a BA. You'll be limited as to where in the world you can teach with just a two-year Associate's degree. |
Well,
the thing is virtually every course in any American University will have some online coursework, it is unavoidable. You said Saudi doesn't recognize degrees with any online coursework. How is that even possible? Can you clarify how they define online coursework? Because that really has my head spinning. Again, most courses at American universities have an online component. For example, you might take tests/quizzes, watch course related videos,participate in discussions, and turn in papers online. Foreign language courses also have a lot of online work. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:53 am Post subject: |
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Acceptable: You're physically on campus attending courses a set number of days a week and hours. In other words, you're in the classroom with your instructor and classmates. Old skool, traditional.
Unacceptable: You log in online to access your course assignments, lectures, discussion boards, tests, etc. There is no physical classroom.
Look at the form I linked to in my initial post. |
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stuckinusa
Joined: 23 Dec 2015
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 6:14 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
Acceptable: You're physically on campus attending courses a set number of days a week and hours. In other words, you're in the classroom with your instructor and classmates. Old skool, traditional.
Unacceptable: You log in online to access your course assignments, lectures, discussion boards, tests, etc. There is no physical classroom.
Look at the form I linked to in my initial post. |
OK, just so we are clear, it's ok as long as you are attending lectures on-campus? I ask because virtually all the classes I have taken thus far have had twice weekly lectures on campus, but the meat of the courses (or at least part) was done online. Heck, even a lot of my textbooks have been digital where I bought the access code at the college bookstore and used it to access the text online. I did look at the sheet and it wasn't really clear what they are expecting, and that's why I asked. Thanks. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 7:02 am Post subject: |
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| What are your post-BA teaching plans? You're also going to need 2-3 years of paid, full-time teaching experience (and a valid TEFL qualification) for KSA, which pushes you about 5+ years away from jobs in the Kingdom. Things are very likely to be different by then. |
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stuckinusa
Joined: 23 Dec 2015
Posts: 21
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 8:07 am Post subject: |
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| nomad soul wrote: |
| What are your post-BA teaching plans? You're also going to need 2-3 years of paid, full-time teaching experience (and a valid TEFL qualification) for KSA, which pushes you about 5+ years away from jobs in the Kingdom. Things are very likely to be different by then. |
I want to teach in Russia or China to get some experience first. |
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veiledsentiments
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
Posts: 17644
Location: USA
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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Good option to get that experience on your CV/resume. Also think about what it is that you want to teach... kids, high school, college... perhaps writing. Try to get jobs that relate to those future teaching goals. Be aware that if you plan to teach in primary or secondary school, you will need state certification from back home to get the better jobs.
BTW... the confusion about online or not. It isn't referring to doing projects or homework or textbooks online. It is referring to people who are living and working in another place (city, state, country) than the location of the college/university... where all of course is online.
VS |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| BTW... the confusion about online or not. It isn't referring to doing projects or homework or textbooks online. It is referring to people who are living and working in another place (city, state, country) than the location of the college/university... where all of course is online. |
Actually, it's the mode of instruction --- online vs in-person --- and not about proximity or distance from the campus. In fact, the student could be residing on campus grounds while enrolled in an online course. Plus, many campus classes have an online version. |
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hash
Joined: 17 Dec 2014
Posts: 456
Location: Wadi Jinn
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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I often advice people in your situation the following:
If "teaching", and especially teaching ESL abroad.... is just a GIG for you....if it's just something you don't mind doing for a while until what you really want to do presents itself, then go for the quickest and cheapest degree you can, including an online degree.
If you're into teaching for the long haul, as a true teacher/professional, then get the solidest degree you can, which DOESN'T include an online degree. Even today in the USA, many employers look askance at online work, despite all the hoopla surrounding this type of training.
If an employer has a choice, he'll always choose the job applicant with the "traditional" degree. No one will admit this, but that's what really happens.
So again, if you're in "education" for keeps, get the best solidest degree you can. Maybe in 10, 20 years, online will equal traditional education....but that simply isn't the case yet.....at least in "education".
Why get a qualification that will always disadvantage you. Do you want to spend your career "wondering" if an employer will accept your online qualification or not?
Also remember, the vast majority (over 50%) of new teachers in any given year don't stay in the profession more than 5 years once they actually start teaching and find out what it's really like. After 10 years, I think the dropout rate is close to 80% . Be realistic in this regard. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| hash wrote: |
| I often advice people in your situation the following |
"Advice" them? 
Anyway... Online degrees from US-accredited universities aren't problematic as you claim for employment in the US. If anything, experience carries more weight than just the degree alone. |
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sheikh radlinrol
Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Posts: 1222
Location: Spain
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| Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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| hash wrote: |
Also remember, the vast majority (over 50%) of new teachers in any given year don't stay in the profession more than 5 years once they actually start teaching and find out what it's really like. After 10 years, I think the dropout rate is close to 80% . Be realistic in this regard. |
Interesting statistics. Where did you find them? Perhaps you could provide a link. |
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