Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Swampfox10mm]

http://www.thenation.com/article/160410/faulty-towers-crisis-higher-education?page=0%2C3

Very interesting read. Do not agree with it all, but worth the time.

[happiness]

ive always wanted to get a masters and a ph'd, but theres no way in hell im going into debt for it, when theres no guaranteed outcome anymore.

[walter235]

I did an MS Ed, was thinking about doing an EdD in Education Technology. Did one class, finished OK but just about went nuts. I had something like 16 more classes to go and the dissertation. Wasn't worth it to me.

[NohopeSeriously]

Bummer. Half of my friends in my old university program eventually quit grad school.

[Squire]

Interesting. I don't think the humanities should be completely put aside in favour of sciences, but I do think students should be discouraged from taking certain subjects in a lot of cases. I was going out with a girl who took 'film studies' for god's sake. She was the brightest (bless her) but it still seems amazing that no one thought to point out the worth of such a degree to her. What fields of work will this degree open up? What will prospective employers think when they see it on a CV? Where do film studies graduates rank on average future salary lists compared to other disciplines?

I think those statistics in particular (average future earnings by course) should be presented to all students thinking of going to university. If it is handed out as a document to all students at the same time I have a feeling it would result in a general shift towards sciences, maths, medicine, engineering, economics etc and away from the dated mentality that any degree is worth doing because it is a degree. With more graduates than ever, higher student debt and a few years of lost work experience taken into account the situation isn't what it used to be when our generation's parents were at school

[ESL Milk "Everyday]

[Hugo85]

M and PhD education in many fields is like a pyramid, but with the bottom 80% underwater.

Look at SNU, who teaches there? People who went to MIT/Harvard/other top schools in the US. Look at lesser korean university, who teaches there? People who went to SNU/KAIST/Yonsei/KU. The people who went to these lesser universities don't have much chance of becoming an academic as schools hire professors who went to universities better than the one they teach at. And in many fields, an academic is the only job. Thus the problem of humanities higher studies and other similar fields.

[Cedar]

I read that article a few days ago. I'm in a PhD program now. a couple response to comments on this list.

1) anyone who pays for graduate school must be really really confident they'll make money later. I only paid my living costs during my MA (tuition and fees were covered) and I get my living costs paid for me (as well as my tuition and fees) during this PhD.

2) the comment about where you teach is exactly right, for Korea. Tenured professors here indeed went to a better school than they teach at, but that's not true in the US, certainly not to the same extent.

3) another article I read recently made this abundantly clear- you have to publish. You don't get a tenured position by being a great teacher. You get it by publishing in the right place.

I have other thoughts, but I'm exhausted and have contributed enough for the night.

[Summer Wine]

Actually that argument was made back in 1975.

The Professor argued that in that period there was a switch from who is the best to how much money the Uni could make with its programs. He made the argument that there were then more PHD students than possible jobs in his area.

It hasn't changed. In 1995 there were 15000 law students in Australia, there were at that time though only 11000 practicing lawyers. Lawyers and others were asking the question as to what the students would do when they finished.

Though when I left Uni, most jobs in my industry required a double major and law was one of them so maybe they got a job.

Though, I couldn't find work when I left Uni as my nation was going through a PC stage and I was the wrong sex and color to be employed. I heard someone discussing it in 2009 and it will always stick in my mind what she said.

"They were only looking for women who were ethnic and so I got a job, but a white man from ________ didn't, but what do I care, I benefited".

Yeah, that proves that PC is crap for me.

[Hugo85]

[TheGuardPanda]

Has anyone tried to publish any articles in Korean education journals?

[Koreadays]

don't worry, the Asians will be getting the MA's and PH.D's and taking all the jobs.. ohh and kicker.. their parents will be paying for it all..

[hondaicivic]

[UknowsI]

In fields where PhD's are mainly used for teaching, it is obvious it will become a problem when every PhD wants to become a professor and graduate one new PhD student every year. There are however numerous fields which has a large need for researchers, and I don't think it will become hard to get jobs in those fields. It's hard to call education B.S. when it develops medicine to cure disease, optimization to produce food and measures to prevent natural disasters.

Either way, money is not a good motivator for doing a PhD. Economically I hardly think it's worth it, but it gives you a lot of freedom to work with what you like.

[Hugo85]