Job Discussion Forums

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Thanks for the update.

I know it's also recognised in Saudi, Canada, and definitely quite acceptable in Europe.

J.M.A. · Joined: 20 Jan 2009 Posts: 69

johnslat · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:23 pm Post subject:

Dear spiral78,

Not by everyone in Saudi. This is from KFUPM, one of the best employers there:

QUALIFICATIONS:
For the PEP and ELD an MA in TEFL/TESOL or Applied Linguistics, a one-year postgraduate diploma in TEFL/TESL from an accredited university, or an RSA/UCLES DELTA is preferred. More basic postgraduate qualifications in TESOL (CELTA, Cert TEFLA or equivalent � but not part-time or by distance-learning) can also be considered for candidates with particularly appropriate experience.

from a veiledsentiments post:

"Saudi does not accept them (distance degrees) and I don't know about the rest. Personally, I would get one on-site if I had the choice. That way you don't have to deal with changing rules and you know it will be recognized everywhere."

http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=72264

from the same thread:

"Regarding the online/on-campus distinction, I would say that if you are serious about remaining in this, umm, profession, and want to work in one of the better colleges in the Gulf, you should bite the proverbial bullet and go for an on-campus MA. Some employers and some ministries do accept online degrees, but many do not. Even some of those employers who do accept them do not regard them with the same respect as on-campus degrees. I would say only do an online degree if you really have no other option."

Regards,
John

mozzar · Joined: 16 May 2009 Posts: 339 Location: France

johnslat · Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 8:52 pm Post subject:

Dear mozzar,
I know that when I was there, all the universities/institutes would not accept them. But that was in 2003.
As Cleopatra (who is there now) wrote:

"Regarding the online/on-campus distinction, I would say that if you are serious about remaining in this, umm, profession, and want to work in one of the better colleges in the Gulf, you should bite the proverbial bullet and go for an on-campus MA. Some employers and some ministries do accept online degrees, but many do not. Even some of those employers who do accept them do not regard them with the same respect as on-campus degrees. I would say only do an online degree if you really have no other option."

Regards,
John

norwalkesl · Joined: 22 Oct 2009 Posts: 366 Location: Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-China

[quote="mozzar"]

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Interesting (I'm not really going to Saudi).

I based my idea of the acceptablility of a distance MA (it's not online) on the fact that two of my 'classmates' on the program - we all met at a summer seminar in B-ham - were from the Kingdom and were taking the MA to enhance their standing as university teachers in Saudi.

Possibly applies to Saudi citizens and not expat teachers? Shocked

Chris_Crossley

I, too, have heard of the MA TESOL at the University of Edinburgh, although, for someone like myself who has been resident and working in the People's Republic of China for the past eight years, I would have to pay worldwide (i.e. extra-EU) fees of �11,250 for the privilege (according to the downloadable PDF document detailing postgraduate tuition fees for the 2009-10 academic year).

On the other hand, those resident in EU countries like Germany have the relatively good fortune of still being eligible to pay UK "Home" fees of �4,850, provided that one has been ordinarily resident within the EU for the three-year period immediately preceding the start of the programme.

If I wanted to save myself �6,400, though, I would have to return to the UK (or go to any EU country, at any rate), wait at least two years and then apply with a view to starting the programme at such a point where I would have fulfilled the three-year residency rule. One does not have to wait the three years before actually applying since the time is taken retrospectively in advance (as it were - does that make any logical sense?!). That is, if I intend to start the programme in September 2010, I will have to have been in the EU since September 2007, not (necessarily) November 2006 if, say, I wanted to apply right now.

As it is, though, I just happen to have gained two master's degrees in education from the Open University (UK) instead! Laughing

Joking aside, though, the University of Edinburgh's Ed.D. research degree might be feasible for me, even if I have been resident in China for the past eight years, although, not only is it very expensive to do, but it also involves at least a certain number of weeks of full-time residency (one at a time intermittently) during each year of the Ed.D. programme, and my financial situation does not (at this moment in time at least!) extend to allowing me to make four return flights a year!

I'll probably have to scrimp and save for the next five or six years or so before I could possibly contemplate submitting an application purely on financial grounds! Crying or Very sad

Tina23 · Joined: 16 Mar 2005 Posts: 37 Location: Dusseldorf

It's been a while....
Still TEFLing in Germany, now with a bit more experience, and still thinking of staying in teaching.
In the meantime though, both Edinburgh and St Andrew's have discontinued their distance learning MAs, and are only offering them on site. I have been in touch with both those universities and they confirmed that the information about their courses on prospects.ac.uk is indeed incorrect and that they are not thinking about reintroducing the distance learning courses at this stage.
So, possibly, family, friends and money allowing, it looks like I might be heading off to the UK at some point. Smile