Job Discussion Forums

[bardolf]

Hello all,

I would like to attend some university anywhere in the world as a full-time student and get a Master's degree, IN ONE YEAR, suitable for getting university jobs as an English instructor in non-English-speaking countries.

I have a Bachelor's of Education, area of concentration Secondary (that is, middle and high school ages), English major, French minor, from a Canadian university; plus, a permanent lifetime teaching certificate for that province gained through sufficient years of teaching there.

I AM NOT INTERESTED IN ONLINE OR 'DISTANCE' EDUCATION. I know myself too well to kid myself that I would ever finish a single course if left to study 'at my own pace.' I wish to be a full-time, on-campus, fully-paid-up student. So please don't clog up this thread with online or distance suggestions.

Is there anywhere in the world where I can do a suitable one-year degree for a total cost (full tuition plus one year's living expenses) of less than $20,000 USD? That is, from an acceptable university?

[Justin Trullinger]

The School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, has an several excellent MA in Teaching programs. Most take one academic year, or there's a summer option where you study for two consecutive summers, and teach in your regular job for the school year in between.

I'm not sure about costs, but it would depend on your elegibility for student aid. If you pay all costs, I think it would be a bit over $20,000.

This is the program I want to do, but costs can be a limiting factor.

Best,
Justin

[TravellingAround]

[spiral78]

I can recommend the MA TESL/TEFL at University of Birmingham, England. However, the previous poster's comments about living costs are relevant.

[saint57]

bardolf, go to OISE at the Univeristy of Toronto. You can get an M.Ed in one year if you do three straight semesters. The tuition is super low if you're Canadian.

[Jetgirly]

At SFU you have to pay for three years (six semesters) of full-time graduate studies no matter how quickly you take your degree and the number of courses you take per semester. If you need more semesters, you continue to pay at the full-time graduate rate! That's enough to turn me off SFU right there. Is that normal for graduate programs?

[Gordon]

Not sure what you mean by "study at your own pace". Distance masters courses have the same deadlines as an on-campus program.

You are right though, it does take more willpower to stay on task when you are doing it from home as you are not in that "school environment".

Is that $20,000 just for tuition or your cost of living as well for that year?

[bardolf]

Thanks to you all for your kind responses. It seems $20,000 may not be enough! (I was hoping to pay tuition AND living with that or less.)

As for the OISE program at U of Toronto, the tuition may be reasonable for a Canadian, but one must factor in the cost of living in Toronto for a year, and Toronto is one of the more expensive places to live in the world. The OISE website itself suggests a minimum of $17,000 CDN merely for living costs.

What about more out-of-the-way places, like various third-world countries? Frankly, I'm sure I don't need the world's most prestigious Master's degree to teach in, say, Mexico.

[ls650]

[yaramaz]

From what I have heard, a lot of American universities offer an assistanceship program for grad students which pays the tuition as well as giving a living stipend in exchange for teaching a low level undergrad course or two. A few of my friends here have done that and it seriously minimised their debt even though they did their degrees over 2 years. I'm considering that for when I get around to doing my masters.

[saint57]

$17,000 (Cost of Living) + $5,500 (tuition) = $22,500 CDN

$22,500 CDN = $19,190 USD