Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

http://geteducated.com/rankings/best_edu.asp

I see a lot of schools on there that we've talked about. Some decent MA programs on that list.

[Tobias]

Thanks for posting that. I'm starting to look into a master's , and these schools may have decent TESOL programs (If, that is, I want to do a TESOL master's).

[bassexpander]

I'm doing the Univ. of Missouri M.A.Ed. with a TESOL emphasis right now. Total cost will be about $13,000 including books. Will take me 2 1/2 years at least, though. The head of the dept. is traveling to Korea next Spring, and I plan to meet him. It sounds like they might partner with a uni here or something... or perhaps do an exchange program. I'm just guessing, because he wouldn't say.

Framingham is on that list. Lots of people here are into that one.

For higher-ranked TESOL programs, look into Univ. of Illinois and also Michigan State. Both are a bit pricey.

Ball State University is high on that list, and has some different education-based MA's worth looking at. It's the uni where David Letterman went. I almost signed up there, but didn't know what Koreans would think of the name. Thought I'd be better off with a state school.

[ddeubel]

Framingham is on that list. Lots of people here are into that one.

The Framingham IEP [international education program] in Korea isn't online!

40 hours/course in class with a professor. Same as any on site master's course.

DD
http://eflclassroom.ning.com

[Hank the Iconoclast]

I'm waiting for Farmingham here. I want to do something on-site as much as possible in Korea.

[saw6436]

My old uni is listed as #2. Bit of a suprise actually. App State is a pretty good school if education is your thing. Just wasn't aware their distance learning was so highly ranked.

[richardlang]

bassexpander, the Ed. programs are mostly 33 hours. What's the maximum hours you can take in one semester? The program can't be finished under 2.5 years?

[bassexpander]

[Tobias]

I'd love to get an MA in TESOL, but I want to pay a fair price. Forking over 13,000 bones for a piece of paper is far too much considering the pay that is available in most countries. How long would it take one to recoup that investment? In some places, it may take a decade or longer.

I'd drop 8k. That's about it.

[esglumac]

My University is listed as #1. MMMM,
Anyways, on the to MA discussion. From what I hear, NovaSoutheastern University has got a great MA Tesol program and they have somewhat of a partner University here in Daegu. I can't name any more specifics ( price, time length, etc) as it is not my program. The school is fully accrediated. However, I am wondering how useful of investment of an MA in TESOL is going to be outside of the world's largest ESL market. The program does not offer cetification and I don't think just a tesol graduate degree would cut it in the USA teaching market.
If you do want not want to stay with TESOL, Nova has huge variety of masters degrees in social sciences, psychology and numerous specility education programs.

[bassexpander]

Those rankings, by the way, are in consideration of price mostly. Some of them are indeed a bargain.

And to the individual who didn't want to fork over $13,000 for a piece of paper, please consider that you might actually learn something along the way. That price is actually quite reasonable. The top-ranked programs (in terms of quality) will run you closer to $20,000 or more.

I had specific reasons for choosing the University of Missouri. First of all, they allow you the option of different MA's depending on if you want to take the GRE or not. You're taking the same classes, though. If you go the non-GRE route, you can't pursue a Ph.D. later. I may reconsider, as my professor keeps telling me I should get one because I ace'd her class, and she thinks I'm the right material for it. I really hate the idea of taking the GRE though -- mostly due to the math. I haven't had a math class since early high school, and wouldn't even remember basic algebra. I'd get killed. It would be an embarrassment.

Another reason (and this is a big one) is that it's a state school. I've lived in Korea long enough to know that if your general Korean reads a university name tied to a state school, it will sound a lot better to them than some name they've never heard of (even though that university may be a very good one). Hearing a university name tied to a state school pretty much erases any fears they have of it being a fake degree. I almost chose Ball State University, which is a decent program, and higher on the list than my school, but I'm just not sure what the typical Korean would think of seeing that name on a resume.

Third reason was the price. The University of Missouri was quite reasonable.

Fourth reason: The program looks like it will fit my needs, and sounds good enough on a resume. It's called, "Master of education in curriculum and instruction with a focus in TESOL (M Ed)". That's a mouthful, but it doesn't look half bad.

If I were planning to live/work back home in the USA, I would have looked at different criteria. These criteria are what I came up with given that I will be living/working in South Korea.

There are many other excellent choices. This program just happened to fit my needs. I was also able to begin the program quickly.

[richardlang]

Bass, the program you're doing at Missouri can't be completed inside two years if one takes courses aggressively? Over two years...ouch.

[Tobias]

Yeah, one doesn't have to settle for those low-paying jobs. Jobs in the middle east pay pretty well, but most require at least an MA. And those in Europe may pay pretty well, yet probably require a high-powered degree.

Paying 13,000 wouldn't be a bad idea if one had something definite in mind that will allow him or her to recoup the investment in a hurry. However, if the program is 'in-house', there is the nasty opportunity cost one will have to add to that 13,000. Therein lies the problem.

Any program I'd want to take would have to be at least 'mostly' online. I've done enough of the sitting-in-classrooms-instead-of-working thing in the past, and I simply can't afford that opportunity cost anymore. If I were younger, sure. Now? No way. Hence, I'm not willing to pay a pretty penny for an mere online MA.

[bassexpander]