Job Discussion Forums

pabo · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 29

Hello,

I've been reading about MA TESOL programs on this forum for years, and have decided to attend an australian university next year to do a 1 year Master in Applied Linguistics or TESOL. I've looked at some of the universities in Australia (Macquarie, Uni of Sydney) and I want to apply to a few and see about potential scholarship opportunities. My question is has anyone done there Master's on campus at an Australian Uni or have any recommendations for good programs. I'm looking mainly for a school in a big city where I can get a scholarship. The scholarship is key. So, any suggestions or recommendations about MA programs in Australia and getting scholarships for them? Thanks a lot in advance.

Matt

Songbird · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:28 am Post subject:

Are you American? Wasn't sure as you keep mentioning the scholarships....you do realise that scholarships are pretty rare in Oz? Most students either work to pay their fees as they go, or defer until working full time. You can try, there are some scholarships but I think they could be for Aussie citizens. I am currently doing my MA Applied Linguistics through the University of New England (UNE) by online/ distance learning.

BTW, don't be afraid to go down that path (although perhaps you want the oncampus comraderie?)- ALL unis in Australia are accredited, they go through very stringent government laws and standards before even becoming a uni, and the distance leaning courses are just as good (though maybe harder!) than oncampus. Remember Australia is extremely vast, so it's very common to study, even at high school, this way.

pabo · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 29

i'm american and would be applying for an international postgrad student scholarship. i've debated the online vs. campus for a long time, and decided to just live in australia for a year and do it on campus. i know the scholarships are very few and competitive, but i did very well with my undergrad GPA, and most scholarships are based on academics. i was just checking to see if anyone on this forum studied on campus and did an MA in TESOL in australia, and if they got some kind of financial assistance. thanks.

robertokun · Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 199

I'm interested to know at what school in Australia you can do an M.A. applied linguistics/TESOL in one year. Three terms? No teaching required?

krayola · Joined: 23 Jun 2009 Posts: 38

I'm at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and currently completing my MA TESOL. My first semester was F2F, this semester I'm studying by distance.

I think the Distance mode is a little more relaxed, as lecturers don't seem to post that much in the forums set up for us. That said, the workload is mostly pre-determined before Semester begins, so you could argue they don't need to post that much.

I did my undergrad at UTS and I think it's a great university. It offers good student facilities in comparison to many others from what I'm told. Re. Education training, Sydney Uni gets by on reputation and UNSW is not so highly regarded. Macquarie and UTS seem to be the best in Sydney.

During first semester I was surprised by the amount of non-native speakers and international students in my classes. Discussion was somewhat limited because, I think, many students were not confident speakers. Also, unsuprisingly (I think) for a MA most students were aged 30+.

As for academic assistance, I was friends with many of the international students but I wasn't aware of any of them receiving financial assistance.

The MA TESOL can be obtained over 2 semesters F/T or 4 semester P/T (8 subjects) at UTS, but only if students have a BA in something related or have first completed the Dip. course will they be admitted. In the Dip. students are required to complete teaching practicum as well.

I'm a little disappointed with the amount of emphasis on linguistics in the MA TESOL but I'm not surprised. I think you'll find quite a lot of overlapping between Applied Linguistics and the TESOL here.

hope this helps

pabo · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 29

thanks krayola for that feedback. i looked into UTS, but decided to apply only to places offering potential scholarships. they are out there, but hard to find and get for master's by coursework. i was wondering if you thought the benefits of on campus study outweighed the cheaper costs and flexibility of distance education. if i don't get a scholarship, it's going to cost a lot to study in sydney for a year. but, i'm keen to do it on campus. thanks again.

pabo