Job Discussion Forums

[pabo]

thanks to PAULH for information about temple university japan. (and gordon for related issues.)

just wondering if there's a graduate or someone currently doing the master's in tesol from columbia's campus in tokyo. at 81,000 yen a credit (times 36 credits) i was wondering if its worth the high cost?

i'm sure it is, but a more important question is, can i easily get good part-time or full-time work in japan that provides housing and enough money to live on and heavily subsidize the high cost of tuition. (i have a B.A. in English and 4 years experience teaching EFL at a uni in korea).

it looks like living in tokyo and taking courses for 81,000yen might dip deep into my savings. any thoughts on this from anybody?

cheers,
pabo.

[Sherri]

Hi Pabo
I didn't do the course at Columbia, but I used to work on the same campus with them when they were still based in Shinjuku (and it was headed by Dr Fanselow then, now I believe it's Terry Royce ). I have a few friends who did their program and know a few of their professors. From that perspective, I think it is a very good course. You will get plenty of support from the teachers and the other students and make lots of important contacts in the teaching world. They have a pretty good library too. It is hard work as any good MA is. The cost is high because of the name, and the names of your professors--it will open doors and I believe it is the same cost if you were doing it in New York.

One thing that made me decide against the Columbia MA was that you have to attend classes on the weekends and that wouldn't work for me (have 2 kids).

Hope this helps.
Sherri