Job Discussion Forums

[Sudz]

Hey BocaNY.

I'm aware of this option, but not quite willing to allocate that much time as of now. 5 years is a long time!

[80daze]

I'm just going to throw this in as I haven't seen it mentioned.

The whole point of getting an MA is to move up the ladder to the better paying jobs but even if you get the MA some employers may actually take advantage of your lack of a BA to pay you less than someone with a BA and MA!

As I said above - just food for thought!

[Sudz]

I'm sure that could be a potential situation. Conversely though, I'm sure other employers wouldn't care (or ask) about the BA.

[DMcK]

How did it go, OP?

Did you end up doing the MA?

I'm kind of in the same situation. Would be interesting to hear any current anecdotes.

[nomad soul]

[DMcK]

Thanks very much Nomad

[nomad soul]

DMcK:

Either find a program that combines both BA/MA degrees, or go the traditional route by completing a TEFL-related BA and putting the MA on hold.

[DMcK]

Yeah, I mean I have a CELTA and 7 years experience, and I'm getting old. I'm going to do a masters at a top university so from what I can gather from chat on here, this will open many more doors for me than there currently are. In the other thread you linked, there's talk of LA being ok for my situation, which is a place I'd maybe like to try.

Plus, it's also about developing my current skills and becoming a better teacher. I think I've maybe become kind of a one trick pony, and really want to study the field and gain more knowledge about what I do.

So, while I do agree with you in principle, at this stage I am more than happy to do the masters that I already have a place on.

Although I have also been thinking about going to the Middle East, for the banter, you know I'd be interested to know if this situation would stop one from getting a job in Saudi or somewhere that pays well in the Middle East.

[santi84]

Are these reputable graduate degrees, out of curiosity? I'm looking into an MEd TESL and it requires a competitive undergrad GPA plus a minimum of two years experience. Seems odd to me but I guess that's just not done here in Canada.

[DMcK]

Certainly I can speak for the degree I've been accepted on, and like I said, it's attending a top university.

They certainly had their reservations about accepting me, and I had to satisfy them that I would devote all of my time to it, as well as be able to write academically. But I think generally there are a lot of unis who offer this entry route to certain degrees, so I don't think it's necessarily any shadow on the quality of the degree.

[nomad soul]

[DMcK]

Interesting input. Thanks.

Yeah I mention that it is a top uni because there seems to be a kind of assumption that it can't be a good course if it allows non first degree holders onto it, rather than meaning it to represent an advantage in itself in the job market. Although I might be making an assumption myself that it is a good course because it's at a top university.

On Saudi - whether it's anything to go by or not I don't know, but looking at job adverts I see some specify first degree and masters, while others only mention the masters. That could mean either the first degree doesn't matter or they assume you'd have it and it would still be a prerequisite.

I wonder if anyone has had the experience of only having to show their masters certificate, with no need to prove they had a first degree. Not that I'm advocating deceit, but nonetheless, it could be a situation where it just isn't mentioned when you can produce an MA certificate.

On the course itself, curriculum design (if that's what you meant) is part of it. I'm quite confident that having it is better than not having it (if I get it), and the ROI is perhaps less relevant, or less possible to accurately decipher, when compared to no degree at all and consequently really limited options to what you can even think of applying for.

The OP here seems to have done ok, but it would be interesting to hear more on it from his perspective, above what has been said on the other thread.

[nomad soul]

[DMcK]

OK thanks. That's all good information Nomad. Cheers

[Sudz]

Hi DMcK,

I can only speak for Japan, but I can confirm that the lack of BA will be a factor in SOME circumstances.

As an example: I had an interview with a university in Tokyo. I didn't mention my lack of BA prior to the interview, and - when asked about my BA - my explanation raised some eyebrows during the interview. I later got an email from the foreign interviewer that my unusual route raised some suspicion with his Japanese colleagues, and that it had considerable influence on their decision not to hire me. He then asked me to provide an email which included my transcripts (which I did bring to the interview, but neglected to show), and an in-depth explanation of my route to the MA (which he found sufficient). As a follow-up: I actually just received an email from that university about a week ago asking whether or not I would be interested in a potential position in the future.

Based of this experience, I decided to mention my unusual route explicitly BEFOREHAND from then on (but not dwelling on it too much). I'm now currently working at a private high school in Kyoto, and I likely wouldn't have landed the job without having the MA.

So, given your circumstances (including your age), I would be reluctant to dissuade you from the MA-only route (given the amount of time it would take to earn the BA on top of it). While it will be an issue in some circumstances, if you highlight your experience and MA, you'll likely wind up with something you're satisfied with.