Job Discussion Forums

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

Has anyone taken part in this program? I was just curious how it was.

Earn a fully accredited MASTERS DEGREE in INTERNATIONAL TEACHING from a leading American college while teaching abroad!

MastersInPoland.com is pleased to announce Framingham State College's cooperation with Polonia University of Czestochowa and the hosting of its Master of Education program starting January 2006!

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Stay away from them. They have been blacklisted for many many years. I looked into them about 6 years ago and heard nothing but problems from teachers doing the program. I have never heard one positive thing about the program. I believe they used to go by a different name then, but still affiliated with Framingham.

gregoryfromcali · Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2005 8:14 am Post subject:

Don't do it.

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

Thanks for the help. Are there any programs like it somewhere else?

Bender Donthat · Joined: 26 Aug 2005 Posts: 7

Go to a real full-time program in the US or abroad. The MA program in Poland reeks too much of AAE. I'd stay away from it.

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

I want to do one abroad that is why I was interested in the Poland program.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

Hi there:

I just got off the phone with Framingham.All their courses are accredited by the U.S. educational governing bodies and the degree is issued by Framingham. That's the good news.

The program would be in its first year in Poland and run by a Polish Uni. It is a work study program which means teaching at a language school for slave wages and--well, teaching at a private language school, with all the penury, instability, deceit such an enterprise entails. That's the bad news.

As for me, I'm applying simply because at the end of the day, you'll get an American-appoved M.Ed. out of it.

Also, the program is only free if you work for Translator. You can work elsewhere and pay the tuition of about 1100 Euros per semester.

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Who exactly accredits their degrees?

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

I might be able to buy an MA for less than 1100 Euros a semester. Well I will have my first M.A. in two weeks. I will be looking to do another one soon.

Lancer · Joined: 01 Dec 2005 Posts: 12

I finished the MEd program with Framingham this last summer. I (along with most of my co-workers/classmates) feel that it was worth it. Most of my negative experiences with the program are because of AAE and not Framingham. But I guess you won't have those same experiences if you join the program now because AAE is no more. They went bankrupt in March and left all us in the program jobless, penniless, and without any support to finish the program. Framingham was very cooperative and sympathetic to us and gave us all credit for one elective class for proof of our completion of the AAE required TESOL certificate. They also let us take one required course online at cost only. And for our last remaining credit, the 20 of us still left were able to pool our resources together and pay for the last professor to come and conduct the course for us in Poland. All we had to pay for was flight and room expenses since Framingham waived all the fees (including unpaid fees for past classes that AAE took from our paychecks but never sent to Framingham).

However, not everyone completed the program this year. Some of my colleagues where just beginning their first year when everything fell apart. Two of these former students are the ones in charge of this program now from the Polish side. That should be good since any flaws in the program will negatively effect them as students as well. You will probably get your textbooks sooner than I did and get all necessary paperwork given to you before is due, and so on. In other words, they have a vested interest in the success of the program since they are also participants in it.

As for the classes, most of them were quite good. The downside is you really don't have much choice as to what you can take each semester. Also you have to agree as a group which electives you want to select.

Working for slave wages?-- you can always get a full paycheck and pay for the course yourself I suppose (if that makes you feel better). It is depressing when you meet other EFL teachers making double what you earn a month. If you do decide to have the Framingham fees taken out of your paycheck, make sure to check each month how much is being withdrawn and also that it is being applied to the program costs.

Anyway, that was just my expericence. AAE has nothing to do with the MEd program any more so don't let that influence your decision. I'm sure the people now in charge of this program both in Framingham and Poland are doing everything possible to improve the program and rid it of any AAE stench.

guangho · Joined: 16 Oct 2004 Posts: 476 Location: in transit

Hi again:

As I said, I sent my app to Framingham. I also got the employment contract from Poland. It is, as you might expect, dreadfully pro-employer. I wrote back and asked how I should support myself because the contract includes a non-competition clause (cannot work for another school) and a no privates clause (no private classes.) We shall see...

Alex Shulgin · Joined: 20 Jul 2003 Posts: 553

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

Is there just one professor each semester? Also what does one do with an M.A. in International Education? Is it good for anything? Sounds like an M.A. in Fine Arts.

CROGO · Joined: 15 Mar 2004 Posts: 46 Location: Krakow

What is considered a full time contract?

Is it based upon hours worked per month, or a certain base salary?