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?

[ladyramses]

Hiya.

Well realistically I don't think it can be done in one year, however if you are completely dedicated....perhaps. Most master's degrees are 36 credits and at most you can take 12 credits a semester and even then that is hell because a lot of the later classes are writing a huge paper in addition to minor 10 page papers each week (at least that is how mine was and I was getting a masters in History). However, if you take summer classes and I was only able to take 1 course during the summer because that was all that was offered. Furthermore, if your degree allows for independent study then it would help a lot. I know you didn't want us to mention distance degrees but my friend did one at Regis University in Colorado and she was able to take classes both IN and OUT of the classroom. She was able to fit 15 hours one semester.

Anyway, i hope I helped in some way and if not...well sorry

[wintersweet]

One of my classmates did it ( csueastbay.edu ; master's in English with the TESOL option). I'm doing it in 5 quarters, but most people take 6-7 quarters to do it. I don't think you could do it for $20,000 here (at least in USD), because the cost for out-of-state students is high and housing is expensive.

You should probably identify several programs you are interested in, check out their tuition and housing costs, and e-mail the program head to ask if doing it in a year is possible. You sound motivated, which should help, and you may be able to get out of a few classes because of your background.

[Crab]

Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada offers a Master's in Applied Language Studies which would meet your needs. See below as taken from their website:
_____________________________________
Guidelines for Completion of Master's Degree

There are guidelines for maximum and minimum time frames for completion.

Typical timelines are as follows:

* students doing a coursework program usually complete the program in three, four or five terms, depending on the intensity of study. To complete the program in three terms, you must have permission to take a one course overload in one of the three terms (which is only recommended for students with recent academic experience in related fields in a North American academic environment). The three terms can include the summer (and therefore the program can be done in 12 months).
______________________________________

Click here for more details.

[G Cthulhu]

[Ai]

http://www.graduatestudies.ul.ie/prospectus/main/Postgraduate/pages/col_hum_MA_eng_lang_teching.shtml

[bardolf]

Thank you all for your kind responses, I'm investigating.

By the way, I meant I hope to get a 1-year Master's for a TOTAL cost of under $20,000, TUITION, BOOKS, ALL LIVING EXPENSES ETC. INCLUDED.

[bardolf]

[womblingfree]

$20,000 for the course AND living expenses

Impossible in any first world country I reckon, unless you could live rent free with a friend.

[Gordon]

[G Cthulhu]

[Chris21]

Have you thought about working while doing your Masters? $20,000 for tuition AND living expenses is a tall order, but $20,000 for just tuition while working to cover the living expenses, would give you a lot more options. You could be more discriminating with where you choose to study, and from my experience, where you got your Masters can make a big difference in the employment you get afterwards.

Some Masters programs are very good at opening doors based on their reputation or their network of alumni. I think in the long run, this is more important than finishing within a year and under $8,000 (i.e. $20,000 less living expenses).

If the reason you've set a 1-year limit is that you'd like to move into an EFL situation quickly, there are some universities in EFL countires (i.e. Japan, Italy) that offer instruction in English for their Masters degrees.

[movinaround]

You can do a MA in Linguistics or TEFL from Birminham in Korea (and a couple other countries) while working. They have centres set up in a few countries, and many people recommend them. Check the Korean forums and do a search for more info.

[vashdown2]

How about the program at San Francisco State University? I think it has a good reputation, and if you push yourself can do it in 3 semesters or so....

[wintersweet]

Out of state tuition for SFSU would be over $7,000 per semester with 18 units at a time, and I'm pretty sure that the cost of living would knock it well past $20,000 (SFSU's estimate for 9 months of room/board/etc is $16,666, which is probably too low).