Korean Job Discussion Forums

[cubanlord]

and your career.

Hi all,

I have noticed a trend that every few weeks, people are asking about graduate education programs available to them from Korea. Recently, I have received several emails asking about the program from which I am about to graduate. I am posting this as a new topic as this is an extremely detailed breakdown of the M.S. Ed. TESOL program located at Shenandoah University. I hope this helps in answering the many questions I have received and future questions that may arise. Feel free to post questions related to SU's program and I will do my best to answer them. There are already other threads going regarding other online programs; I figured I'd start this one on a program, I feel, is at the "top of the class".

M.S. Ed. With a concentration in TESOL from Shenandoah University
http://www.su.edu/sas/tesol

Hello everyone,

Recently, I have been receiving a lot of emails regarding my experiences in Shenandoah University�s Master of Science in Education (TESOL concentration) program. I hope this letter serves as a good basis from which you, a prospective student, can make an informed decision regarding what institution to attend. While you read this letter, keep in mind that all of the information I give you is true and verifiable. All you have to do is contact the professors whom teach the classes. This letter will follow the following format:

 University�s location
 Accreditation
 Program Structure
 Courses
 Cost
 Miscellaneous Comments

Shenandoah University (SU) was established over 100 years ago. It is a private, not-for-profit university located in Winchester, Virginia, USA, just a 40 minute drive from Dulles (airport code IAD) airport. The campus is extremely clean and traditional in structure (i.e. bricks). The TESOL program itself has been active for approximately 13 years. Before I continue, I feel it is imperative for those reading this letter to know that this program is a �real� Master�s program. In other words, the courses are offered onsite should you choose to physically attend classes.

Additionally, SU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (http://www.sacscoc.org/dtails.asp?instid=62800). This accrediting body also accredits level VI schools (those that offer at least 4 or more doctoral degrees) such as Barry University, Florida State University, Rollins College, Saint Thomas University, Stetson University, University of Florida (my alma mater), University of Miami, University of Kentucky, University of Virginia, Wake Forest University, Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt University, The University of Tennessee, Baylor University, Texas A & M University, Duke University, etc. Therefore, as you can see, this is a quality program. Otherwise, it would not have been accredited by this body that accredits top tier schools.

The MS TESOL program contains 15 different classes that must be completed in order to graduate, a total of 33 hours. Currently, the classes required are as follows and preferably taken in the following order (http://www.su.edu/sas/tesol/msed.html):

1. The profession of TESOL
2. English linguistics
3. Language Teaching Methods
4. TESOL Materials and Assessments
5. Language and Culture
6. Second Language Acquisition
7. Current Issues in TESOL I (a composition/research class. One paper = the majority of your grade)
8. Current Issues in TESOL II
9. Current Issues in TESOL III
10. TESOL Observation I
11. TESOL Observation II
12. TESOL Observation III
13. Language Program and Curriculum Design
14. Research and Statistics for TESOL
15. Your choice between an Internship (recommended for those with zero experience in the field of TESOL) or Portfolio (recommended for those with teaching experience)

Each course is taught by extremely qualified professors (http://www.su.edu/sas/tesol/whoweare.html), not tutors as other programs do. You deal directly with the professors of the course. Each course can be categorized as follows:

Those entailing asynchronous discussions, assignments, mid-terms and finals:
1. The profession of TESOL
2. English linguistics
3. Language Teaching Methods
4. TESOL Materials and Assessments
5. Language and Culture
6. Second Language Acquisition
7. Language Program and Curriculum Design
8. Research and Statistics for TESOL

Those entailing writing as the majority of your grade:
1. Current Issues in TESOL I (a composition/research class. One paper = the majority of your grade)
2. Current Issues in TESOL II
3. Current Issues in TESOL III

Those entailing observing other teachers in action (short papers and observational notes required):
1. TESOL Observation I
2. TESOL Observation II
3. TESOL Observation III

The following class requires anything from a formal research proposal to other components:

1. Portfolio � For this class (even for the internship choice), you MUST visit SU and defend your presentation. This is the only time you must go to the university. Do this, and you graduate (I should be flying out in late April).

For more details, please visit the site via the above link. When you click on the classes, detailed explanations will appear.

Currently, the costs of the courses are $320US per credit hour. Also, there is a $70 per credit hour for 6 of the courses. This is due to the fact that the university sends out lectures on DVD from the actual professors. The department has been gracious enough to provide all students (for the time being and until the money runs out) with a 50% scholarship should you be accepted into the program: http://www.su.edu/sas/tesol/tuition.html

What are the requirements to get accepted? http://www.su.edu/sas/tesol/application.html Go here for more details.

I hope this has answered many of your questions. I have received some other questions which I will now answer:

�Aren�t you attending this program?� Yes, I am in the portfolio class. Upon successful completion of the course, I will graduate with my Master in Education.

�What was/is the total cost to you?� Well, if you count tuition, books, and the $70 charge for the 6 courses, I have paid approximately $12,000USD for the entire program.

�How intense of a course load are you able to comfortably handle while still working?� In all honesty, this will vary depending on the individual. I am completing my program in a year and a half; I took almost 4 classes each term. During this time, I was working approximately 26 to 30 hours a week (at work). This didn�t include my graduate work. The course workload is heavy if you procrastinate. Also, it becomes quite difficult if you lag in your response times to the discussion boards and fall behind in your readings. I was capable, and with comfort, of working at least 1 week ahead in each class. This included my readings and my well-researched and supported positions in the asynchronous discussion boards. There are no synchronous components of the program. Therefore, it is quite easy to do your work at your own pace. The course load will differ from person to person. The real question people should be asking themselves is how many classes can they handle? Also, how fast does one want to finish the courses? Below you will find a breakdown of my semesters. I managed them effectively; therefore I never had a problem with course workload:

Semester 1
The Profession of TESOL
English Linguistics
Current Trends in TESOL I

Semester 2
Language Teaching Methods
TESOL Materials and Assessment
Current Trends in TESOL II
Observation I

Semester 3
Language and Culture
Second Language Acquisition
Current Trends in TESOL III
Observation II

Semester 4
Language Program and Curriculum Design
Research and Statistics
TESOL Observation III

Semester 5 (now)
Portfolio

�Overall, how happy are you with the program?� I am extremely satisfied. The classes are set up in a practical manner. In other words, what you learn in the classes is easily applied to your real-life situations, and vice-versa. The quality of the program is up there and I do not regret one cent of my investment. SU really came through in terms of quality classes (classes that really made you think), professors that are specialized in the fields in which they are teaching, and teacher-student relations (I am yet to have a professor respond more than 48 hours after I posted a question). In my opinion, SU transcends normal standards set forth by many, if not all, graduate TESOL programs out there.

�Did SU work with you in respect to tuition payments, or did they require it all be paid? Any payment plans?� SU assisted me in getting financial aid; they guided me in the right direction. As far as I know, there are no payment plans. I would suggest emailing [email protected] and asking her about payment plans. I paid for the semester in its entirety.

These are the questions I have received thus far. I am happy to answer any questions anyone may have regarding SU�s Master in Education program. These are just the facts that can be found on the website or by emailing the director personally. Also, these are just the opinions of a student about to graduate from the program. There are other good programs out there; I am sure of it. However, this one rises above the rest because established, well-respected professors teach the actual courses. There are a multitude of other reasons why this program is better, though, I will stop at this for now.

You don�t have to worry about mailing anything in or having your work graded by a �tutor�. The professors are available 24/7 via email and will not hesitate to help you. Ultimately, the decision lies with what you want the most. If you value what I have listed and the points I have elaborated on, then this program will most likely satisfy all of your needs. If not, then perhaps another program will better suit you.

Best,
Me.

P.S. No, I am not a recruiter. Those of you that know me know that I like to help people out. This is my way of doing so.

[bassexpander]

A few comments:

1. The price is competitive.
2. They should make a better website. It makes them look bad.
3. I thought they required a GRE before, but I guess not.
4. I like the idea of lectures on DVD.
5. They need photos of the campus on the website.
6. I'm interested! Thanks!
7. I like the idea that profs actually check your work. That was a big beef I had with the UK Birmingham program. People who recently graduated from the same program within a short time period were being employed as tutors. Although I know the person to be very capable, this made me feel less of the program.


Finally.. are you telling me you got a 50% discount on tuition? So you paid $6,000? I didn't understand that one.

[cubanlord]

[Seon-bee]

That's also why I didn't do the B'Ham program. The in-country course tutors are more like advisors. Sometimes you get good advice, sometimes you don't. The papers you submit for grades are actually farmed out to subcontractors. I've seen B'Ham ads.

In choosing an MA course, it's important to know who will grade your work and give you feedback (if you get any feedback at all).

[makemischief]

I'll second CubanLord- I really liked the SU program. Great stuff.

And yes: their website is ugly as all hell.

40 minutes from Dulles though? Man that would be some fast driving.

[Pink Freud]

Thanks for this very informative post.

[cubanlord]

[cubanlord]

[bassexpander]

Ok, CL...

I got a PM from another person on this board who said the following, and the points may be very valid. As someone interested in the program, I'd like to get your views on what this person said:

[cubanlord]

bass,

Thank you for posting up the comments. I would like to go through them.

[fence sitter]

A friend of mine here received her Masters in this very program. She thought it was great all the way around. As part of the program, she had to observe me teaching (at a public school) for 40 hours. This may present a small problem for some and should be kept in mind. Also, she had to visit the campus several times over the course of the program. I don't know if that's SOP or not.

On another note, my cousin attended Shenandoah U. as a music major and liked it well enough!

Small world.

[cubanlord]

[bassexpander]

Could someone observe another waygook teacher at their university, or does it have to be outside? Just one teacher, or several?

[cubanlord]

[yeremy]

Hey Cubanlord,
I know who you are. We talked once a couple of years ago on the phone. You're a nice guy, and I respect your academic accomplishment in nearly finishing your SU degree, but I think you're copping an attitude.

I did my own research on TESOl postgraduate programs, and I know what I found. It wasn't all pretty. Some of them were good and some were not. Many of them were easier to get into than traditional programs, which required the GRE, a course or two in Intro Linguistics, plus a solid undergrad foundation including foreign language study plus an undergrad GPA of at least 3.7, which is what the U of Washington told me once about their program.

I imagine that you're going to try in yoru 40 page research paper that you will prove that an on-line program is as good as a traditional one. I can't say that I agree. I've done both. I learned a lot more in the traditional programs, but I'll agree that's my opinion. You want to quantify and disprove any who don't agree with you. I'm just stating what I think is reasonable and what I found.

Distance Education is a numbers game. One of the questions I asked all of the schools I checked out was what their graduation rate was for their TESOL graduate students. Generally, it was around 20 or so percent, which is on the low side. A person at the U Bham course told me that many people start but gradually slow down as they go and more than a few do not finish in five years. The only university which told me outright what their graduation rate was Aston U, in Birmingham, England. They told me it was around 25% and that they weren't satisfied with it. I would be interested to know what SU's MS in ED in TESOL's graduation rate is, if you know.

Is it my opinion? Partly yes, but mostly it's not. I found that most programs did not like talking about their graduation rate, the success rate of their graduate students, while they wanted to get you to apply and enroll.

It's interesting that on this site, when some want to belittle another's opinion, they often resort to nit-picking and editing. That should be below you, Cubanlord.

So, Cubanlord, if you want to dance on-line, like you did with the evolution link, don't bother. I am that kind of dancer. I hope you would post more about your relationship with SU. It seems to be more than you have said to date.