Job Discussion Forums

[dan-johns]

Hi, i'm just about to start a BA in Sociology, but it's not run in a college. It's an online degree that you do from your own home.
My question is, do you think that employers for teachers in places like S.Korea or Japan would look down on my degree because it's a distance learning degree, or do you think it would have the same worth as a degree from someone who studied in a typical classroom setting? thanks for any responses.

dan

[Celeste]

As long as it is an accredited degree you shouldn't have a problem. If it is a fakey-life learning thing, then no.

[ls650]

Can you tell us what school?

[mlomker]

I'd be curious where you got your degree as well. I also went to an online schools--the first two years through the University of Phoenix Online and ultimately graduated from Excelsior College. I went with Excelsior because they provided college credit for computer industry certifications. Regardless, both of those schools are regionally accredited and that's all you need with the exception of Taiwan. Taiwan only recognizes traditional schools, unfortunately.

If your school was DETC or unaccredited then it won't be adequate in the more modern countries that check credentials. From what I gathered it wouldn't matter much in China right now since they aren't checking accreditation and bogus degrees are commonly used to employ High School graduates--that may change at some point.

[dan-johns]

It's the University of Athabasca, the largest disctance learning uni in Canada

[dan-johns]

That's ashame about Taiwan, I was hoping on teaching there someday. One of the reasons i'm taking a degree is so I can teach in countries such as Japan and Korea. Obviously it's much harder to teach there if you don't have a BA.
Now i've begun reading some threads claiming that you can't teach in the UAE if you have a distance learning MA. Now after learning that I wouldn't be able to teach in Taiwan, it is a little concerning.
I could go to a standard college and get a BA, but the primary reasons for doing a distance learning BA is the cost. It's four times cheaper for me to do the latter.
So I'm now thinking that I may do a BA in a traditional college setting. Afterall, it's a hell of a waste of time to spend C$24,000 on my degree then find out that it's useless in many countries where I want to teach.

In case anyone is wondering, i'm in my early twenties.


dan

[tedkarma]

Similar issue came up on the Korea board. Saudi Arabia (I worked there for five years) also does not accept "distance degrees". One alternative is to look into a few of the distance programs that also have a required residential component - where you must attend a few weeks per year. That would most likely help you get away from the distance stigma.

[Zero Hero]

Hong Kong, too, does not tend to accept distance degrees.

[PAULH]

I am in Japan and am doing a distance degree through a UK university. I know someone else here doing a degree with University of Southern Queensland.

To my knowledge Athabasca is recognised but i would avoid "diploma mill" or "life experience" type degrees for teaching here.

[PAULH]

[Gordon]

[Zero Hero]

As I understand it, all of them, though especially BAs. The problem - and there is an analogy with instant online TEFL certificates here - is that there are simply too many 'Get your BA/MA/PhD tomorrow type advertisements out there.

[Gordon]

[PAULH]

[Gordon]