Job Discussion Forums

[texastmblwd69]

Hi All,

Can anyone point me toward a university which has an MA Applied Linguistics degree program which is accredited and recognized as such in the United States? I have seen several such programs (online) advertised amongst Australian universities, but few elsewhere. I would be particularly interested in such a program which is mostly or completely done over the internet.

[Gordon]

I'm currently getting my Masters in Applied linguistics ant the University of Southern Queensalnd and am happy with it.
www.usq.edu.au

[Gordon]

[merlin]

Two issues here:
1) Recognized in the United States
It is possible to get a degree from non-US Universities recognized by US institutions but it usually involves paying $500 or so to a government-recognized "auditer". This is the course I will take if I ever want to get a US government job or State Teaching Certification. So if you're planning the same, set aside $500 or so to have any legit non-US degree given a stamp of US approval.
2) Value of Distance degrees

[texastmblwd69]

Hi,

Wow, such a wealth of responses. I'm not sure what subcategory of Applied Linguistics. I didn't know there were so many. I just wanted the one that is most applicable to teaching ESL students. Also, when I've taken online courses for my BS degree in the past, the university (Texas State University near Austin) made no distinction between distance courses and live, in-person courses (and there's no distinction between the two on my permanent transcripts either). So, you folks are saying that in my transcripts (if not on the MA diploma itself) it will be stated whether or not a course (and indeed the entire degree) was taken over the internet ??

Finally, the info on having a US auditor look into the degree is quite interesting. I wonder if there's a chance that he or she will decide that it isn't up to par for US recognition.

Well, many thanks to you all for your kind and helpful information.

[Gordon]

Degrees and transcipts do not say distance education on them.

[merlin]

[Stephen Jones]

Distance Bachelor's degrees are rarely accepted. If you have a normal Bachelors degree, then plenty of places will look at your distance Masters, but treat each institution separately. Ludwig is of course quite right, when he says that on campus Masters degrees are generally viewed more highly.

If you want to learn, as opposed to just having a paper qualification, then you could consider Macquarie University. It is one of the two or three main centres in the world for the study of systemic functional linguistics, so at least you will be exercising your brain cells for the next couple of years.

[merlin]

Stephen,
I have a great respect for your contributions to the forum and I'd like to challenge your views on this.

I understand of course that you have a great deal more expereince than me. Your position allows you to see the issue from from another perspective and is this statement:

[merlin]

[Gordon]

The only places I have heard of that do not accept distance Masters degrees are Taiwan and the Ministry of Education in UAE (not the ministry of higher education though). Of course there are institutions which make their own policies and rules regarding distance vs. on-campus.

If there is anyone who has evidence of any other governments or wide institutional bodies that do not accept distance masters, than please let us know.

[sojourner]

Tex,

Queries regarding distance MA degrees, training, etc, should go to Dave's Teacher Training Forum. Unlike many individuals who regularly post to the General Discussion Forum, those that usually contribute to the Training Forum are often quite serious and knowledgeable ! But seeing that you have already posted your query to this forum, I'll make a few comments. While I'm a supporter of (high quality) distance learning and online education, I feel that the proliferation of such programmes is resulting in many quality control problems . Also, I feel that many ESL teachers appear to be placing far too much emphasis on obtaining degrees in Applied Linguistics, to the exclusion of other disciplines that could well turn out to be just as relevant for them in their teaching careers .



Merlin, Stephen and Gordon.

I can understand why a lot of employers, especially universities and govt HRM/recruitment authorities, may have some reservations about distance learning/online Masters' degrees. The most obvious reason why employers may be a bit suspicious over such Masters' degrees is the possibility that many such credentials, presented by some job applicants, may have been 'conferred' by degree mills, on payment of a fee and, possibly, the submission of proof of, say, some aspect of one's 'life experiences'. (Recently, there was a posting on the subject of 'degrees' that are 'conferred' by an outfit calling itself 'Washington International University', on the submission of a bs statement outlining one's 'life experiences' ). Such mickey mouse 'degrees' might impress some of the more naive uni administrators on the Chinese mainland - but, hopefully, not elsewhere !

So, any knowledgeable recruiter or employer should be wary of distance learning/online degrees, that are not conferred by reputable tertiary institutions. Such people would probably have a list of such places. In any case, they can always contact embassies and consulates to check on whether a particular university is genuine or not. Thus, is it enough merely to conclude that evidence that a Master's degree was conferred by a recognised and reputable tertiary institution, accompanied by an academic statement listing all units passed with respect of that PARTICULAR degree , be sufficient to prove that one does, indeed , possess a genuine postgraduate qualification ? To put it bluntly - no !

At one time, the possession of a Master's degree implied that the holder of such had completed a minimum of four years full-time tertiary education, or the part-time equivalent thereof. Such four years of full-time studies, at least in Australia and NZ, would consist of the following : a three-year Bachelor's degree, and the actual Master's programme. In Australia and NZ, it is possible for someone to complete a 'coursework' (ie a non research) Master's degree in two semesters involving full-time, on-campus study - although, even for full-time enrolment, it is advisable to take three or four semesters to complete the degree's requirements. Early this year, someone posted a query to this forum enquiring as to whether it was possible to complete an online MA in Applied Linguistics - in ONE academic year (real glutton for punishment !). I advised him of Macquarie's and UNE's programmes - however, he subsequently posted back that he was disappointed to learn that he would not be accepted at either of those two institutions as he did not possess the prerequisite of a Bachelor's degree. He then posted another query as to whether there were any universities that would accept his several years of TESOL experience in lieu of a Bachelor's degree, for the purpose of being admitted to a Master's programme in either Applied Linguistics or TESOL. I vaguely recall that he did find that there was one Australian university prepared to admit him - not surprising in light of govt cutbacks to tertiary education, along with the desire to jump onto the lucrative AL/TESOL postgraduate band -waggon.

In light of the above discussion, it is quite possible that there are may be many people floating around in the ESL world, advertising the fact that they possess Masters' degrees - while, in actual fact, they may have undergone only the equivalent of 12 months full-time tertiary education in their entire lives ! Very worrying, isn't it ? No wonder there is the suggestion that astute employers should not automatically accept anyone who possesses a Master's degree, per se - whether obtained as the result of on, or off- campus, study. So, as well as evidence that the university in question is a reputable, govt-recognised institution, an employer should also demand to see a job applicant's academic record , especially in relation to his/her's (UNDERGRADUATE) studies.

Reference has been made to the academic standards of such institutions as Macquarie, UNE and USQ. Yes, their standards,especially with respect to the content of their respective Applied Linguistics programmes do appear to be high. Undoubtedly, such studies could be of considerable relevance for many jobs involving SLA - and may even help many people to land teaching jobs outside of EF, Geos, Nova, etc ! However, I feel that this obsession with many within our ranks for getting credentials in such a narrow,vocationally-oriented field, is the sort of thing that is making many people disregard the worth of getting a 'full' and 'real' education. As with the person I discussed above, many ESL teachers have become obsessed in obtaining qualifications in a narrow area, to the exclusion of all other intellectual pursuits. At one time, teachers were regarded as more than just people who are good at class room management, etc, or even experts in their teaching subjects - but rather as persons who possess a comprehensive general knowledge of a number of disciplines, as evidenced by their undergraduate studies.

In many countries, teachers are often perceived to be EDUCATED people - and not merely as narrowly-focused specialists. So, with the existence of many reputable tertiary institutions that provide a variety of high quality dl/online programmes, why are people so obsessed in pursuing Masters' programmes in AL/TESOL - to the exclusion of other areas of higher learning ? Surely, you don't need such a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics to teach in, say, a university in China or ROK ? Couldn't one's teaching experience at an EF outlet,or a hagwan, along with one's CELTA training, provide a person with the basic skills needed for SLA work ? At many colleges and unis in China , teachers are often expected to teach Western Culture , English/American Literature, International Business, etc - and not merely Oral English . Also, many students are keen to learn about life in the West - would a person who's entire academic education consists merely of 12 months of online studies in a Master's programme in Applied Linguistics be in a good position to answer students' queries regarding Western political ideas, English literature, etc, both inside and outside of formal lesson times ?

Whoahhh ! Had better stop now.

Peter

(Had problems with the italics function - had to use block letters for certain words, instead )

[texastmblwd69]

[sidjameson]

We all know that many students earn their degrees sleeping in class and that there are many hard working able students doing their degree by distance. The simple fact is though that there is a crediblity gap. Sometimes one that can be overcome and sometimes one that can't.
Would you go to a hospital that was known to hire doctors who had done their studies online?










Me neither.

[Gordon]