Job Discussion Forums

SH_Panda · Joined: 31 May 2011 Posts: 455

Hi all. I recently posted on the General Middle East Forum to ask advice about which country in the Middle East I should aim to work in, based on my qualifications.

One poster suggested Oman, and since then I have been doing some research on living and working there. It definitely seems like a great place and I am really interested to find work there.

The trouble is, I just read that the rules have been changed on degree disciplines. Now you cannot get a working visa for Oman unless your BA degree discipline is related to English somehow. Is that correct?

If so I'm quite disappointed because I got all excited while reading about Oman and I really thought it could be the country for me Sad

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I'm not sure if it is in effect or if it is just a rumor - and there seems to be spotty enforcement at times. I suspect that they may have trouble if they try to enforce it because I would bet that less than 10% have a related BA. When I was at SQU, I was almost the only teacher in a very large department that had an education first degree. That was true all the years that I taught in the Gulf in every country.

VS

lynnknows · Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 3:34 am Post subject:

I had a few people I worked with at PNU in Saudi apply for jobs in Oman and they all got turned down. None of them had a related degree.

Now, This was early in the year. It was not crunch time when the schools are looking to fill a spot and may be more likely to overlook the rule, so I would still try it if I were you. It cant hurt anything to try. All they can say is yes or no.

good luck

Turbster · Joined: 09 May 2009 Posts: 67 Location: UK

I can confirm that the degree relativity protocols have definitely become more restrictive. No names, no packdrill, but the ministry are being much harder to satisfy this year as they insist upon English language or Education degrees. I believe many good prospects have missed out on jobs as a result.

Sydney2002 · Joined: 10 Apr 2012 Posts: 55

I've just arrived in Muscat and they are pretty strict about qualifications here- which is good, in my opinion. I've even been told that many places will go understaffed before they will hire teachers with unrelated degrees... or with B.A.'s only. I'm sure that all depends on where you are though...

From what I hear of Saudi- the standards are much lower, unfortunately. I used to teach Saudi students in the U.S. and they used to always tell me that they had 'bad teachers' in their country coming over from the U.S. and Canada (and wherever else...)Again, I'm sure this completely depends on where one is working.

tjteachin · Joined: 22 Jan 2011 Posts: 32

I qualified relatively easily because my degree is in Linguistics and I have years of experience. It seems to me that if you have a CELTA or other teaching certificate, they'll allow it. Is this true?

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Mister! · Joined: 26 Sep 2012 Posts: 3

watfordfan · Joined: 24 Aug 2012 Posts: 8 Location: Vietnam

I still can't work out how studying Dickens or Chaucer qualifies you as a better teacher of English as a language. Hey ho, such is life. Bits of paper with the right words have a lot of sway in academia.

I suppose it'll be a "wait & see" situation. I'll be applying for jobs for next year, so that'll be an indication of how strictly the rules are being enforced. You'd think 10 years experience should count for something!

forfuxake · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 6

My first degree is a BA but not in Education or any other related field. I am currently working on a Master's In Education. I have 7 yrs experience. Would this qualify me for a job in Oman?

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

forfuxake · Joined: 01 Jun 2012 Posts: 6

cairanya · Joined: 02 Jun 2012 Posts: 62

I asked the recruiter about this, and I was told that it's the recruiter's rules -- not the government's. Since TATI does almost all the hiring for unis, it's the de facto standard.

It's also why you still see so many instructors with non-English degrees on their Uni's websites: they applied directly.

rossc · Joined: 08 Sep 2012 Posts: 25

Sirens of Cyprus · Joined: 21 Mar 2007 Posts: 255

No, it's not much at all to expect the undergrad to be related. In fact, it should be in English. Period. It's perfectly logical. If I went around with an MS in physics trying to get a job in physics and it turned out my udergrad was in English, employers would be perfectly justified in being highly suspicious of both me and my graduate school. Several times I have been shocked to find out a colleague with an MA in ESL didn't know a noun from a verb and it turned out her undergrad was in education or marketing or some such. The same logic applies a fortiori to CELTA's or DELTA's or MA's from education departments, all of which are considerably easier than an MA from an English department.