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languistic
Joined: 25 Nov 2009
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 Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:38 pm Post subject: |
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| sigmundsmith wrote: |
| Thiuda wrote: |
If you want to do an MA residentially, consider attending a Korean university. Korea U., Yonsei , Sookmyung, Woosong and several more offer MAs in Linguistics, English Education or TESOL, and all of them provide you with a decent program, taught (mostly) in English by Korean and foreign faculty. Costs for these programs can be high, but you stand a pretty good chance of getting a scholarship if you received reasonable marks as an undergrad.
Whether your Korean university experience will be worth it is up to you. If you take your studies seriously, you'll get just as much out of your program as you would anywhere else. Posters who comment negatively on the quality of Korean universities have limited experience with tertiary education, in Korea or anywhere else. |
But you should be careful in the quality of education your get. Some programs are not really up to par with what you should be taught. So choose wisely which institution you pick.
Scholarships are great. They usually work depending on your GPA you receive each semester. Example, at one place in Seoul if you get a GPA of 4 or above, you get back 100% of your tuition fee for that semester.
Online (distant learning) programs have become a real cash cow for Australia, US, and English universities. But again, you need to choose which actually offers quality education. I have seen some of the programs offered by Australian and US MA TESOL programs and none match up to the program that I have done in Korea.
But if you just want the paper so you can get the good jobs just do some online one that doesnt require a thesis or practicuum, just course work. These programs are pretty easy actually. If you want quality, do some searching. |
We can all play the bigger, stronger, faster game, so let me beat another to the punch and say that first, your degree is worthless outside Korea and second, it is farcical that your particular education is so superior in a country where degrees are handed out like candy at a 5 year-old's birthday party.
There you go.
I don't believe this, but I want to be the first to completely derail a thread with the same old tired, insecurity that plagues this forum. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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If you want to find out about accreditation, you can go to the US Department of Education website and search. Their database only includes US colleges and universities, BUT you can find the accrediting agency list there too, and they have the international universities.
OP, I suggest you do some research into different programs and different methods of delivery. If you really want to do a class in person, I'm not trying to dissuade you of that, but there is nothing wrong with a well designed online program.
You get from any degree what you put into it. I agree with ttompatz, a degree is a degree is a degree. The degree doesn't get you the job, it just opens the door.
http://www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ |
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rustbot82
Joined: 18 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:33 pm Post subject: |
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| languistic wrote: |
| bobbybigfoot wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
| An MA is an MA is an MA.. |
I respectively disagree.
Top notch employers aren't stupid. MAs without a thesis are not worth nearly as much. And as much as online degrees have gained respectability over the years, a brick n mortar degree is still superior. Whether it's worth the extra cash it costs? Depends on the job you are trying to get.
People need to remember that ESL is largely a "joke" industry, where the first warm body will do. Obviously then, any warm body with any MA is better than one without. But see it for what it is.
If you are planning on returning to N. America and want a SOLID job, then I'd think twice about getting a one year, non-thesis, 8 course MA from Australia. They will see right through it.
Just my opinion. |
Wow. What a revelation. You should start a thread about this unexplored, yet fascinating topic.
Ugh.
Not everyone shares your disdain (reiterated at each and every opportunity) for online degrees or EFL/ESL. BTW: Many Australian unis offer thesis MAs.
OP...you are in a good place to get a degree, especially while working. It will give you many chances to put some ideas into practice for research, not to mention financing the whole thing. Do some reading about the various unis/countries offering degrees; some may be more desirable than others, but this is mainly in the eyes of Koreans (Asian countries perhaps) who have a narrow view of education. Internationally known, accredited unis offer valid MAs that nobody can take away from you. |
I agree. This deserves a thread. |
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languistic
Joined: 25 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| rustbot82 wrote: |
I agree. This deserves a thread. |
Agreed. It has been a week or two already since the last... |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
To Koreans, USA only has 9 Univesrities. The 8 Ivy league schools and MIT. If you didn't go there, you are considered to have gone to a crap school.
It doesn't matter that there are over 200 Tier 1 Universities in the US that are hands down better than Korean Universities. |
Disagree with this 100%, and I'm basing it off of what my Korean friends think, and not myself. |
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:01 pm Post subject: |
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Languistic = troll
You don't like my opinion. No prob. Refute. But don't suggest that i'm bashing online degrees at every turn as this is 100% false.
Please go through my history and post all my online degree bashing threads. |
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olsanairbase
Joined: 30 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Thiuda wrote: |
If you want to do an MA residentially, consider attending a Korean university. Korea U., Yonsei , Sookmyung, Woosong and several more offer MAs in Linguistics, English Education or TESOL, and all of them provide you with a decent program, taught (mostly) in English by Korean and foreign faculty. Costs for these programs can be high, but you stand a pretty good chance of getting a scholarship if you received reasonable marks as an undergrad.
Whether your Korean university experience will be worth it is up to you. If you take your studies seriously, you'll get just as much out of your program as you would anywhere else. Posters who comment negatively on the quality of Korean universities have limited experience with tertiary education, in Korea or anywhere else. |
Outside of Korea an MA at a Korean University studying TESOL is nothing more than a correspondence degree like the University of Phoenix. Both announce an MA but neither holds much water. If you plan to spend the rest of your life teaching in Korea on 1 year non-renewable contracts than its probably a great opportunity. |
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languistic
Joined: 25 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:25 pm Post subject: |
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| bobbybigfoot wrote: |
Languistic = troll
You don't like my opinion. No prob. Refute. But don't suggest that i'm bashing online degrees at every turn as this is 100% false.
Please go through my history and post all my online degree bashing threads. |
Sorry. Every degree (education in general), not just online. My error.
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bobbybigfoot
Joined: 05 May 2007
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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| languistic wrote: |
| Sorry. Every degree (education in general), not just online. My error. |
Fair enough.
I do think education has become a serious problem. Students today face a growing and unfair burden.
For profit education, in my opinion, should not be allowed. Any institutition that can grant a degree should automatically be accredited. It should be illegal otherwise. An MA should be an MA, as Ttompatz stated earlier.
We see the folly of for profit education here in Korea. Unqualified hagwon owners hiring unqualified teachers to teach unqualified material. The losers? The children.
Capitalism is a wonderful thing. But it's not without its pitfalls.
Uni A offers an MA for 30K, two and a half years.
Uni B says, hmmm... 28K and 2.3 years.
Uni C says, hmmm... 26K and 2 years.
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Uni X says hmmm....10K and 1 year!
Governments should set standards. Fees. Hours. Etc. There should be a website listing which degrees are "acceptable".
Ex: Ontario website. Lists all worldwide universities that are deemed to meet Ontario standards. So if the Australian Uni that is offering a one year MA gets the nod, then that should tell you to go ahead.
You go for a job. Employer questions your MA. You say it's recognized by the Canadian government. That's why I chose it. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:16 pm Post subject: |
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Uni Ttompatz says 300k and 30 days! (just long enough for the ink to dry).
Do I win?
Truth be told:
When seeking employment for non university positions I have never even been asked to produce my MA.
For University positions I was asked to produce the MA (and ABD) and transcripts (as proof of completion) but they never even asked about it beyond that.
To those seeking an MA in TESOL (or anything else for that matter) it behooves you to check that the institution that you are going to attend (or go through in the case of distance learning) is accredited by some recognized body (either governmental or academic).
IF it is then you will have no worry about whether or not an employer considers it valid or not.
An MA from an accredited university for all intents and purposes is the same as an MA from another accredited university and the country really doesn't matter.
I hold 3 undergrad degrees, 2 masters (the most recent completed last year) and an ABD. ALL from accredited universities. All but 2 from countries other than Canada.
I have NEVER had a problem gaining employment because they weren't from Canada or the States.
I have never had an employer question the validity of any of them.
I have never had a peer question them either.
IMHO I think that you will find most of the opponents and naysayers in this and similar threads will also NOT be holders of post grad credentials.
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natalia930
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:48 pm Post subject: Re: One year masters programs? |
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| rustbot82 wrote: |
I've looked into a few programs in Australia, but some people have told me that I'd do better getting an American masters, as I am American. But I don't really wanna invest a huge amount of time in school; I'd rather be working. I'm also not really drawn to online programs.
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The only reason I can think for this is that as an American, it MAY be cheaper for you to get your degree in the US. If you go abroad, you will pay international student tuition (and in Australia, this is fairly high as the governement subsidizes uni for citizens, if I understand correctly). In the US, you can go to a school in your state of residence for "fairly cheap" (for US standards, versus private universities etc)...It is also my impression that many Master's programs have arrangements for part time students, since a lot of people work and go to school at the same time. |
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marsavalanche
Joined: 27 Aug 2010
Location: where pretty lies perish
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:52 pm Post subject: Re: One year masters programs? |
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| natalia930 wrote: |
| rustbot82 wrote: |
I've looked into a few programs in Australia, but some people have told me that I'd do better getting an American masters, as I am American. But I don't really wanna invest a huge amount of time in school; I'd rather be working. I'm also not really drawn to online programs.
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The only reason I can think for this is that as an American, it MAY be cheaper for you to get your degree in the US. If you go abroad, you will pay international student tuition (and in Australia, this is fairly high as the governement subsidizes uni for citizens, if I understand correctly). In the US, you can go to a school in your state of residence for "fairly cheap" (for US standards, versus private universities etc)...It is also my impression that many Master's programs have arrangements for part time students, since a lot of people work and go to school at the same time. |
What? This is the complete opposite of what I've heard. My best foreign friend is an Aussie who got his master's there and he says you're right about the subsidized thing but foreigners simply pay the regular tuition cost. Which STILL comes out to loads cheaper than a MA in the States. You may be right about "state schools" in your state in the middle of no where that are dirt cheap (i.e. Idaho State, etc.), but the average decent university is HEAPS more expensive than a MA in Aus. We're talking over $50K (tuition + housing) easily for a MA from a school like UCLA, Penn, etc. It's a fraction of that in Aus even for foreigners paying full tuition. |
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natalia930
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:54 pm Post subject: |
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Huh...maybe it depends on the school/program? I have a friend (US citizen) who went for an MA in Australia (not in ESL) because her boyfriend lives there, and she was saving up for quite some time to be able to do this....
I could be totally wrong...Sorry |
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