Korean Job Discussion Forums

[hallabong]

Apologies in advance if this topic has been discussed before...

I will be attending graduate school this spring at a university in the US. I was originally planning on doing their M.S. TESOL, but recently I came across a program they offer for an M.S. Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology (CDIT). Within this program you can specialize in English Education, and there is quite a bit of overlap with the M.S. TESOL (in terms of the courses one would take). The difference is that there is more of an emphasis on educational technology and designing online language courses. Also of importance is the fact that I would be able to complete half of the courses online. This would save me a small fortune as I'd be able to continue working in Korea for an extra six months.

Ultimately I plan on trying to get a university job in Korea. My concern is that the MS CDIT would have little value, at least when compared to the MA TESOL (in terms of getting a uni job). My question is this: In general, is there a sort of hierarchy of master's degrees? And if so, is the MA TESOL on the top of the hierarchy?

I'm under the impression that MA TESOLs are becoming increasingly common, especially with all the online degrees now offered. What effect does this have on university hiring practices? Does having an education-related, but non-TESOL degree appeal to them (in that it would diversify the education background of their staff)? Or is not having an MA TESOL an easy way to weed out applicants in an oversaturated market?

In my particular case, would I be better served by paying the extra costs (more student loans!) and pursuing the TESOL degree? Or would the M.S. CDIT plus a CELTA be enough to get a uni job? In the long run, will I be at a disadvantage compared to those with the MA TESOL?

For the record, I don't want to do the MA TESOL online. I need to return to the US for family reasons and I would like the experience of doing at least some grad work on campus.