Job Discussion Forums

[TheGreatAdventurer]

Hi all,

As I come up with a plan to complete a Bachelor's degree before getting CELTA certified and embarking on this journey, I'm trying to figure out the best online degree to get that is easily affordable. The catch is, I REALLY want to teach in Indonesia and do it the right, legal way. From what I understand, Indonesia requires either an English degree or a Teaching degree. Since all of the online English degrees I've seen are very cost prohibitive (legitimate degrees from Regionally Accredited schools anyway), I've been looking at Western Governer's University and their licensed teaching degrees.

I've zeroed in on WGU's BA in Interdisciplinary Studies covering K-8. To complete it you do 12-20 weeks of supervised classroom teaching and you become a licensed teacher.

Would a degree like this be a great degree to get for someone who wants to go to Indonesia? Would it be a great degree to get to start a TEFL career in general?

My other qualifications are experience as a Flight Instructor and an Associate's in Liberal Arts. I hope that, this BA, and a CELTA would make me a shoe-in for Indonesia or anywhere else in the world I wanted to go.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

[nomad soul]

I'm curious as to why you don't take extra courses on top of the credits already earned for your A.A. degree toward completing a B.A. through a regionally-accredited university. Also, when deciding on an educational program, always consider how the degree will serve you 5 to 10 or more years from now, and how if it would be recognized/accepted globally.

[TheGreatAdventurer]

That's basically what I'd be doing. Transferring as much as I can from my Associates (and the few Uni courses I've taken already) as well as any other credits (life exp., etc.) and applying them to the BA. WGU is regionally accredited.

It seems like a teaching degree would be ideal for teaching no matter how far down the road we go.

[nomad soul]

There are mixed reviews on this specific degree program:
http://www.onlinedegreereviews.org/college/western-governors-university-reviews/ba-in-interdisciplinary-studies-k-8-694/reviews/

[santi84]

I have a "Bachelor of General Studies" (with a "thematic option" in TESL). Not the same, but similar concept. The core courses centred around education/TESL and included a month of full-time supervised teaching. To be honest, I regret it. Don't get me wrong - it was good for TEFL* (TEFL, not TESL) but if you ever want to move into TESL or education back home, it leaves you kind of screwed It's education, but not "the" education degree needed. I know your heart is set on Indonesia and that's great, but I dunno, I just wish I had done the standard BEd in the first place ... just in case. I'm a stay at home mom right now and need to do a lot of upgrading to work in a public school, most of which is just a bunch of re-dos.