Job Discussion Forums

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

Not cheap, but thanks. BTW, earlier in the thread someone mentioned that distance-learning degrees are not accepted or don't fare well in Taiwan. Why not? What about other places -- Japan, Korea, or community colleges in the U.S? Thanks ....mep

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

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

Sure, 10 grand is cheap, but that's at the low end of the 7 to 35 grand the above post stated. Anyway, I agree with you, and I didn't mean that there's necessarily anything unfair about the tuitions he suggested. 20 or 25K (as an average) is just a lot of cash to come up with. Mep

spyrothedrago25 · Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 13

moot point · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

Spy, I'm surprised to hear that so many are disappointed. When I was taking the course it was very organised and I didn't hear any complaints whatsoever. All sorts of communication was discussed openly and my general feeling is that everyone was happy with the programme.

Who is the Course Leader now? When I was in the course it was Anita Pincas. I found the professors very easy to reach. I was especially with Peter Hill but I believe he was retiring just about when I was finishing the course.

The only complaint about the content is that the whole programme was very anti-Krashen. Do they still have the same views?

What software are you using, by the way? When I did the course from 2000-2002 we simply used a filtered e-mail system. We had to be careful when we filled in the subject headers of our e-mails but it worked good enough and was fairly organised to peruse through all the weekly assignments.

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

spyrothedrago25 · Joined: 02 Sep 2004 Posts: 13

The course leader for the uni of lond inst of educ (so google doesnt index this post) MA TESO program is amos paran. The system we use is called first class which is a very outdated system with a chat program that simply doesnt not work in the way it was intended, and a number of other problems besides. the list of problems listed by students is as long as your arm. out of interest when did you graduate from the course?

moot point · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

spyrothedrago25 wrote:

redeyes · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 254

redeyes · Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 254

ingrey · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 9

I decided to go with the applied linguistics MA with a TESOL concentration from The University of Massachusetts, Boston. There were a few factors which led me to go with this option:

1) The degree can be done entirely online - great online library, few synchronous components - except for the capstone project, which must be completed after all of the course work is finished.

2) The degree does not state 'online degree' on the certificate, and it's from a decent public university.

3) The faculty is top-notch. I'm very interested in applied linguistics, so it's important to me that my professors are experts in the field.

4) The program seems fairly rigorous, but can be done while teaching ESL full time. I want to get my money's worth in terms of education.

5) I'm a US citizen so I can get student loans to cover all of my tuition. The total cost of the tuition is 16,000 usd - not bad at all, considering the quality of the education I will receive.

6) I don't want an MA in TESOL or TEFL. As a discipline, applied linguistics covers a different range of material and delves into issues which a lot of TEFL MAs don't focus on.

Well, I've put all my eggs into one basket, so I hope that wasn't a mistake. They only accept 20 students each Fall. In retrospect, I think I should have taken the GRE to ensure my acceptance. (it's not required)

Has anyone else applied this Fall? If so, what kind of credentials do you have? Heh, I hope the competition isn't too steep.

I have a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara. I graduated with honors, and I was awarded the Ralph W. Church scholarship for academic excellence and promise in philosophy. I have one of those TEFL certifications, and will start an ESL teaching job in South Korea in March - the first of many.

bulgogiboy · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 803

I enquired about the MSc in TESOL at Aston Uni in the UK, its a top 20 UK uni. That degree can also be done entirely online, and there's nothing on the degree certificate to indicate it's an online degree.

Anyway, good luck!

ingrey · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Posts: 9

That uni does look pretty good. Heh, good luck to you as well.

Chris_Crossley

The master�s degree in education of the Open University (http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/qualification/f01.htm) can be done completely online, too, and it is possible to study for an M.Ed. in Applied Linguistics and/or an MA in Education in this way, with no examinations to sit � I have gained both of these degrees.

The only compulsory module is E891 Educational enquiry, and, if one is living anywhere in the world, it is possibly to study two modules that contribute to the M.Ed., namely E844 Language and literacy in a changing world and E854 Investigating language in action; otherwise, most other modules are restricted to those people who are resident within the EU.

You can even pick up a Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma in Professional Studies in Education along the way, too, as I have done.