Job Discussion Forums

Nabby Adams · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 215

I am living in Japan right now. I have a good job teaching at a gov uni. I have a BA but no MA. I am considering doing an MA in TESOL in English at Phoenix(Temple) university. They have a campus in Tokyo.

It's a hard bullet to bite as it's US$22000. I also wonder how much weight it would carry outside Japan.

I am 40 now and see myself in Japan, but if things go flat here then the ME would be on my list. This MA is all about my being able to earn a good salary....US50k and up and there aren't too many places where that could be done. So if the ME wouldn't hire me then I would have to consider the outlay seriously.

So, what do you think?

mandalayroad · Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 115

That's a lot of money... have you checked out some of the online programs? There are threads around here on good, reputable programs that could be cheaper.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

At 40, an MA is worth the investment. Phoenix is mostly an online provider from what I have seen here in the US. So, you might want to check out some of the British and Australian universities for their MAs which are likely cheaper.

VS

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Research the Oz ones. Colleague just completed his. Good value for money and a useful experience he says.

Nabby Adams · Joined: 08 Feb 2008 Posts: 215

Thanks for the replies. The thing is though that as much as I can see that the online courses are the better deal I really would love to get back into the classroom. It's a far richer experience IMO.

Imagine doing your undergrad degree online. Crying or Very sad

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

Absolutely true... I agree with you. But, the fact is that most people who are getting MAs after about the age of 30 are working and need to keep working. If you are in EFL/ESL, you very likely can't support yourself in your home country to do an on-campus course. On line is a trade-off that has allowed many people to get their MA while in a well paying relatively low pressure job overseas.

Even if you went on-campus, the grad student experience is much different from the undergrad... different age group... Laughing

I would have missed the close contact with the professors that I had in my on-campus program. But, I had a Fellowship, so it was tuition free with a small stipend.

VS

Never Ceased To Be Amazed · Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:40 pm Post subject:

NA, I have NO IDEA in the H-E-Double Hockeysticks what you are talking about about "Phoenix" being associated with (Temple) University-Japan. I HAVE my M.Ed. in TESOL from TUJ and there's nothing associated with "Phoenix". Now, I assume that you're talking about the institution located in Minato-ku. If so, go by and let the program director know that he is highly thought of.

I, myself, was in my early 40's when I bit the bullet and (actually) relocated to Japan (Fukuoka) to receive instruction for the program. No money was better spent...even in Japan. Take the course of instruction, pray that Dr. S. is one of your instructors (and he will be), be tutored by some of the stars of the TEFL world and learn something amazing about TESOL.

GO OWLS!!! (Hooting quite agressively!!!)

NCTBA

P.S.- Feel free to PM me if you need more encouragement.

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

Indeed. The Univ of Phoenix is a for-profit (but currently accredited) institution that suffers from a poor reputation and is continually investigated for recruiting warm-bodied students for money. I don't know a lot of specifics except that a Columbia business dean looked over their alleged MBA curriculum and called it "MBA Lite." I don't see how it could possibly be associated with Temple.

I don't know why the OP didn't consider the many stateside U.S. universities that offer a free MATESOL with assistantship (free tuition plus stipend). That's what I did, for two master's degrees. No pesky student loans. Maybe I need to go back and see whether s/he needed to stay in Japan, but surely....

Cleopatra · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 8:51 am Post subject:

15yearsinQ8 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006 Posts: 462 Location: kuwait

kuwait has gotten wild about authenticating degrees
don't count on university teaching in kuwait with an online degree or the uni of phoenix
matter of time till all gulf countries follow suit

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

US$50,000 in a year is not common in the Middle East. 40,000 maybe - just MAYBE. Of course you might get one of those contracts with British Aersopace or Raytheon. OPtherwise..............you are living in Dreamland.

Gulezar · Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Posts: 483

15 years is right. The first thing Kuwait University asked was "is your Masters an Online degree?" I had to smile. I felt like saying, "Look at the date. Do you even think we even had computers back then?" It is interesting that US schools are doing more and more courses online now, but a reputable university would not tack "online" on to a degree. I think some schools here in the Gulf must have gotten burned with some employees who basically bought a degree from an "online" university. To which I would say, "It takes one, to know one."

miski · Joined: 04 Jul 2007 Posts: 298 Location: Kuwait

Sheikh N Bake · Joined: 26 Apr 2007 Posts: 1307 Location: Dis ting of ours

As I just said, the best deals are free, in the U.S., as some Linguistics/ESL departments offer assistantships. You teach 6 or 7 hours a week and in return you get free tuition and a stipend of at least $600 or so per month.

smedini · Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 178