Job Discussion Forums

[MadK]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently teaching EFL with the Peace Corps in Madagascar. When I finish my service in 7 months, I am interested in getting a masters in TEFL, possibly through University of Birmingham's Worldwide/Distance Learning program. I also know that several other UK universities have distance programs.

I want to teach in the Middle East, and I noticed that the most recent job listing for Kuwait--put up this week, actually!--stated that you must have earned your masters on the campus of the university that issued it. I was wondering if anyone could provide feedback on the validity of distance-learning degrees (in the eyes of Gulf-region employers). It's not as if the degree is from an online university or a quick TEFL certificate program. It takes two-and-a-half years and a real thesis. University of Birmingham states that it draws no distinction between the degree earned on campus and the degree learned by distance. Moreover, you can start the degree by distance and finish it on campus.

Basically, I'd like to know how potential employers will interpret/receive such a distance-learning masters degree.

[NadiaK]

My MA is by distance, and this is not a problem for my employer (HCT in the UAE), nor has it been for previous employers in the region.

Be aware that some employers may require you to have taken a course including teaching practice - if your course allows you to do this at a distance (some courses do), I would recommend that you include this option unless you already have a certificate or diploma which required you to do TP.

[veiledsentiments]

It is almost impossible to predict what the situation will be concerning distance MAs 3 years from now. As you can see, KU is apparently not accepting them. The situation may be different in Kuwait at the private universities. In the Emirates, the Ministry of Higher Education accepts them, while the Ministry of Education does not. I believe that SQU in Oman accepts them, but not sure about other places.

Theoretically as time passes and more and more people have distance degrees, they will become more acceptable by employers. No guarantee, but since I have heard that there are some ME universities offering them, it would seem that they would start to accept them.

The reality is that there is no way you can know for sure whether they will be accepted or not in the future and where... As long as it is a well-known, accredited university, I would go ahead.

VS

[scot47]

For value - check out some of the Australian universities. University of Southern Queensland for example.

Many institutions accept distance learning as valid. Some do not.

[Manny2]

I think here one has to make a distinction batween online study through an organisation that has no physical campus and study through a reputable university that offers distance/online modes of study. My understanding that here in the UAE as long as up to one third of the course has been undertaken on campus then it is not seen as distance. However most who choose to undertake distance study do not have the option to to do this as they are usually working in another country hence the need to do distance study. Again there is a way to cover this if need be... on your resume omit a year of employment - the year you attained the MA - so as far as the prospective employer is concerned you were on campus doing full time study. They have absolutly no way of knowing that it was distance mode- it does not say it on your transcript or on the final diploma received.

[Gordon]

Why lie about it? Tell them up front you studied your @ss off AND worked full time.

[Cleopatra]

As I may have said on this board before, the Saudi Higher Education Ministry currently does not accept degrees done by distance learning. This isn't neccessarily a bar to holders of such degrees working in the Kingdom, as the Ministry does not usually require EFL teachers to hold an MA, even if they are working in a Tertiary institution. However, it may mean that if your MA is by distance, your college might not give you the benefits enjoyed by holders of on-campus MAs.

[The_Prodiigy]