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das31
Joined: 08 Jul 2013
Posts: 36
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 Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:22 pm Post subject: MA with online components worth it? |
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I've received an offer of study for the MATESOL in my hometown. I just read in the Middle East forum that an MA with any online hours disqualifies you from teaching in KSA, Qatar and Kuwait. Unfortunately, there is no entirely residential MA program in my country, and at the moment it's not feasible for me to relocate abroad and study. I'm wondering what people here think about the benefit (if any) of doing an MA with an online component?
I'm not sure how big the online part of it will be. I registered for on-campus teaching for all the courses, but the university emailed me and said 2 of those courses will be changed to online. So that's 1/6th of the total course hours that I know of which will be completed via distance.
Does anybody here have an MATESOL with an online component, and has managed to successfully find work in one of these 3 gulf countries? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| das31 wrote: |
I've received an offer of study for the MATESOL in my hometown. I just read in the Middle East forum that an MA with any online hours disqualifies you from teaching in KSA, Qatar and Kuwait. Unfortunately, there is no entirely residential MA program in my country, and at the moment it's not feasible for me to relocate abroad and study.
....
Does anybody here have an MATESOL with an online component, and has managed to successfully find work in one of these 3 gulf countries? |
At some time in the past, teachers with an online TEFL-related MA could get work in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, but that's no longer the case. Currently, if your only qualifying degree included online coursework, you will not be approved for an employment/work visa in those three countries. (The government entities that authenticate/attest your academic information verify mode of instruction for all classes with your university's registrar.) That said, some teachers have been able to get a visa for KSA using their (on-campus) non-TEFL related bachelor's degree. However, if you look at the job ads on this site, you'll notice more Saudi employers are requiring relevant academic credentials, be it a BA or MA. (A relevant MA is a must for Kuwait and Qatar.)
As I recall, you have a New Zealand passport. Have you looked into graduate programs in Education/TESOL focus, Applied Linguistics, or even English that are offered onsite? Similarly, if you have a few years of teaching under your belt, a Delta may help your chances. |
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das31
Joined: 08 Jul 2013
Posts: 36
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for your reply. Yes, I should definitely look into that. So would an online MATESOL be of less likelihood to get you a job in one of these countries than an in-house postgrad diploma, say?
I also have an unrelated MA, a Trinity, and 3 years teaching exp, so I suppose there would be a shot of getting into one of these countries. But at the end of the day, there are plenty of countries where a blended MAtesol is acceptable, right? |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2015 9:53 pm Post subject: |
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| das31 wrote: |
| So would an online MATESOL be of less likelihood to get you a job in one of these countries than an in-house postgrad diploma, say? |
Not likely. As I stated previously, GCC employers expect to see a full, relevant graduate degree. There's no shortage of applicants who meet that requirement.
| and wrote: |
| I also have an unrelated MA, a Trinity, and 3 years teaching exp, so I suppose there would be a shot of getting into one of these countries. But at the end of the day, there are plenty of countries where a blended MAtesol is acceptable, right? |
Again, with your current qualifications, you might get hired by a Saudi contracting company, although the trend for these mediocre opportunities is for a TEFL-related degree. And once again, you really need to look at the Saudi employment ads on the Cafe's job board and on other TEFL job sites for a reality check. You'll find only a few job ads that indicate a degree in other fields is accepted.
The UAE accepts teachers with a relevant, online MA. However, you'd need at minimum, 3 years of university-level, post-degree experience. Plus, the major employers in Emirates are phasing out their foundation year programs over the next few years; that equates to fewer TEFL opportunities for a large pool of very well-qualified teachers.
I can't speak for countries outside the Middle East, nor can I tell you what you want to hear. Your best bet is to start looking at job ads in other countries to see what you can get with your current qualifications or with a distance MA TESOL. |
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adaruby
Joined: 21 Apr 2014
Posts: 171
Location: has served on a hiring committee
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| Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2015 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| das31 wrote: |
I also have an unrelated MA, a Trinity, and 3 years teaching exp, so I suppose there would be a shot of getting into one of these countries. But at the end of the day, there are plenty of countries where a blended MAtesol is acceptable, right? |
I'm weighing up the merits of doing a distance MA at the moment and from what I can see a blended/online MA is accepted in most countries as long as its from a credible university. I already have the DELTA so my main concerns are whether a theory-based online MA will actually make me a much better teacher (probably won't) and if it will substantially improve my job prospects (probably will). It seems that it's only the likes of Saudi where they have an issue with it, but think of them as doing you a favour anyway: you won't have to wake up in Saudi Arabia every morning.
I know of people working in locations from SE Asia to Africa who didn't have a first degree but completed an MA in TESOL to go with their CELTAs, which then qualified them for the relevant work permits (there was no issue as to whether the MA was completed online or not, but the teaching cert had to be face to face). |
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Gamajorba
Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Tue May 05, 2015 7:33 pm Post subject: |
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| adaruby wrote: |
I'm weighing up the merits of doing a distance MA at the moment and from what I can see a blended/online MA is accepted in most countries as long as its from a credible university. |
This is what I thought...otherwise, why would they be offered! |
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plumpy nut
Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 1652
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 2:10 pm Post subject: |
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| As much as one credit hour that's online disqualifies you from using your degree for Saudi immigration purposes, even though your prospective employer might like your degree. This is one of many issues that makes employment in Saudi Arabia a quagmire. Long term employment in Saudi Arabia may also leave a large swath of time without references. Arabs don't see the necessity of being decent with foreigners. This could leave you with problems if you decide like any educators, who spend lots of time in Saudi Arabia, to spew the Saudi system out of your mouth one day. I knew someone who taught at Naif School for Security, affable, friendly to the students, seemed to be hard working. He arranged for a reference several weeks in advance from the Head of the English (or someone close to it) and when the date arrived that he needed the reference it was, "reference what reference"? |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| If I wanted to work in Saudi and other countries in the Middle East then I wouldn't go for an online MA degree. It would be valuable almost anywhere else in the world, of course. |
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Gamajorba
Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2015 5:28 pm Post subject: |
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I think it's hilarious that KSA will accept online degrees from its own people, and even has its own distance learning university, but won't accept distance based masters in relevant fields from highly reputable universities held by expats who go to work there.
I'll say no more on the Saudi version of Open University |
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nwtefl
Joined: 20 May 2015
Posts: 148
Location: England
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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What I don't get is that, are people saying that employers are going to contact every university to find out if the MA/BA/TEFL was via distance learning or onsite ? Seems a lot of work to me (or maybe I'm being optimistic).
Why wouldn't they just accept the transcript or the actual degree cert which would not have the words "distance" or "online" on it. |
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currentaffairs
Joined: 22 Aug 2012
Posts: 828
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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| nwtefl wrote: |
What I don't get is that, are people saying that employers are going to contact every university to find out if the MA/BA/TEFL was via distance learning or onsite ? Seems a lot of work to me (or maybe I'm being optimistic).
Why wouldn't they just accept the transcript or the actual degree cert which would not have the words "distance" or "online" on it. |
1. The Saudi Consulate contacts the university registrar where the degree was studied.
2. During the interview you will normally be asked, and on the job listing it often states that online degrees are not accepted. |
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nomad soul
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world
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| Posted: Wed May 27, 2015 4:46 pm Post subject: |
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| nwtefl wrote: |
What I don't get is that, are people saying that employers are going to contact every university to find out if the MA/BA/TEFL was via distance learning or onsite ? Seems a lot of work to me (or maybe I'm being optimistic).
Why wouldn't they just accept the transcript or the actual degree cert which would not have the words "distance" or "online" on it. |
See "Online Masters?" (http://forums.eslcafe.com/job/viewtopic.php?t=110858). |
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Gamajorba
Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 8:38 am Post subject: |
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| Here's hoping that it's ONLY Saudi/Middle East that actually gives a damn about online based masters... |
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nwtefl
Joined: 20 May 2015
Posts: 148
Location: England
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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I get the impression that this online issue is not country wide in Saudi, nor institution wide. I have just completed my MA via AMD - alternative methods of delivery - with Birmingham (I hate the word online as there was a hell of a lot of off-line reading and non of the assessments are online), and I've read emails from various students who are working in Saudi who graduated with an online MA; yet obviously there are those who have problems.
One of Birmingham's course directors emailed me this morning stating, " we have a number of teachers/lecturers with the MA working in Saudi and they have had no problems with it being recognised. The Saudi consulate has a lot of contacts with our University so I can not see this being a country-wide problem with Saudi"
So I don't think anyone should be discouraged from applying if you they have studied via distance. As other people have stated - this is the way education is these days. If certain institutions turn their nose up, then I hope this backfires on them and their resource pool dries up, while those open to new delivery methods can take advantage of modern education. |
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Gamajorba
Joined: 03 May 2015
Posts: 357
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| Posted: Thu May 28, 2015 12:44 pm Post subject: |
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| nwtefl wrote: |
So I don't think anyone should be discouraged from applying if you they have studied via distance. As other people have stated - this is the way education is these days. If certain institutions turn their nose up, then I hope this backfires on them and their resource pool dries up, while those open to new delivery methods can take advantage of modern education. |
I'd be inclined to agree. I work with someone who proudly flaunts his online based PhD in an incredibly irrelevant field. So much so that he puts it down at every opportunity... |
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