Job Discussion Forums

[amandajoy99]

i am considering doing the peace corps masters international program and getting a degree in TESOL. there are only a few schools that offer this program, and the monterey institute of international studies is one. looks pretty good to me, but it's expensive - even with the price break you get for doing the peace corps deal. another possibility for me is colorado state in ft. collins - they also have the MI program, it's less expensive, and i really love those mountains.
i did a search and found that MIIS had come up a few times in past threads, but mostly just general info. i was wondering if anyone could tell me a little bit more about the program, and if you think it's worth the money. or, if you know anything about CO state�s program. thanks for you advice!

[denise]

I graduated from MIIS. It is an excellent program--highly ranked (in terms of TESOL programs--I think it's in the top 5 in the US) and staffed by well-known and respected professors.

The program is largely theoretical, with classes on educational research (understanding the theories and statistics and then doing your own research project), linguistics, and, of course, second language acquisition. There is a practicum course which only requires 10 hours of teaching, but many folks (including myself and also including some returning PCMI students) either used their own current part-time jobs or made special arrangements to get credit for summer teaching.

Is it worth the money? Difficult question. All I can say is that I am happy that I chose MIIS and I'm willing to live with the debt that I've incurred.

If you've got any specific questions, you can PM me.

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[Gordon]

I had a look at the website. It said the tuition was $37,000 USD. Is that right? If you want to throw money around, you can look at SIT. They have one of the best reputations in the world with the fees to match. In a more perfect world, that is where I would have attended.

[JZer]

[JZer]

Here is information about the University of Delaware's program:

M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) prepares students to become certified to teach children for whom English in not their native language. It also appeals to students who wish to teach English to adults and children overseas, both in school and non-school settings. Full-time study in this 33 credit hour program is encouraged, and students seeking TESL certification must complete a full-time internship experience.

I am studying for my MA in German at the University of Delaware.

[JZer]

I was looking at Ohio State. It seems that it might be possible to apply for an assitantship at Ohio State. Then you will earn about $1200 a month for 20 hours of work and your tuition will be waived.

[Gordon]

There are also a lot of distance masters programs out there in TESOL. Prices vary from $7,000 to 18,000 USD. You can continue to work at the same time as study. I am a little over half done my masters in applied linguistics. No debts and I can apply what I learn right away. Australia has the best selection of affordable distance masters programs and they are all accreditted by the government. The US does not have a national recognition board (rather 6 regional boards with irregular standards) so I would be more hesitant to study at an American school.

[denise]

When I attended MIIS (2001-2003), tuition was about $20,000 per year. Gordon's sum might include room and board, books, etc. It's a three-semester program. I lingered for a fourth semester just because I felt like flushing more money down the toilet... No, actually because there were more electives that I wanted to take: some CALL classes, teaching reading, teaching writing, etc.

I don't know what sort of reduced tuition PCMI students get, but many of us got partial scholarships. I got a scholarship for $7,000 per year. There aren't TAships at MIIS, but there are plenty of opportunities to teach at its in-house ESL program or at one of the local schools (adult schools, community colleges, etc.--MIIS students are familiar faces to all of them).

And of course, you can't beat the location! Such breathtaking beauty! (But then, I am a California native, so maybe I am biased a bit.)

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[JZer]

[amandajoy99]

Thanks for the reponses, everyone.
Denise is correct - the sum Gordon gave is tuition plus estimated costs for room, board, transportation, books, "personal expenses," etc.
I appreciate the information you all provided on different programs. I personally am planning on doing the Peace Corps program, so I have a limited choice of institutions - among them MIIS, SIT, Colo. state, GA state, and American. I would get a pretty big tuition break on the last semester after I returned from service.
Vermont scares me. I did my time in New England during college and I am done. California sounds much more appealing. I'll see how it turns out...

[JZer]

[denise]

Getting an advanced degree in the field that you have chosen is not "throwing away" money. It is an investment. For some people, money is the deciding factor when applying to schools; for others, it is not. I admit that I cringed when I saw how expensive MIIS was, but it was the school that I wanted to go to, so I found a way to do it. I certainly do not feel that it was a waste of money. I probably would not have gotten my current job if I'd chosen a different school.

Really, JZer, it's fine to inform people about prices, but in a couple of different threads now you have basically become our own ESL Cafe Financial Planner. Maybe it would bother me less if you hadn't singled out my school to try to steer people away from.

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[JZer]

[JZer]

[denise]

Some institutions may not care where you went to school, and some may.

Aside from the money issue and the name recognition issue, there's also the issue of going where you want to go. Some people get MAs only for the financial rewards that follow; some actually enjoy the learning process and want to choose a school that will be challenging for them and rewarding in other ways.

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