Korean Job Discussion Forums

busanliving · Joined: 29 Apr 2009

I've been looking at MA programs with a view to trying to complete one quickly and cheeply and I wondered how this would be perceived in Korea and also elsewhere. My aim is to ultimately move to the middle east but for now I would like to have a shot at uni jobs in Korea. I would take a delta at a later date to compliment this

iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

It seemed to me you couldn't throw a rock in Korea without hitting some ESLer with an online TESOL degree or cheapy MA like you mentioned.

I predict it is a double-edged sword: Right now, schools are giving better benefits or setting requirements for these "degrees" and "certificates".

It is part of the Korean herd mentality.

So, for a couple of years, it might get harder and harder for people without them to get hired by better places.

But, after a couple of years of experience with the quicky degree people, they'll start looking down on them. And they'll either start taking anybody with a degree again and/or requiring more specific degrees.

I've been looking in the Middle East, and I have seen ads that say they will not accept online degrees or certificate and require the schools to have state accredidation...

It's a basic "dime a dozen" situation...

Charlie Bourque · Joined: 27 Jun 2010

iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

8 months for a MA?

Education is going downhill...

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

Typically, an MA based on coursework takes 3-4 semesters; 36-48 actual weeks (180-240 instructional days) of study if you ignore the term breaks.

Compress that into a calendar year instead of spreading it out over 4 terms and take out the "weekends off" and "non-instruction days" then you are down to somewhere between 6 and 9 months of actual study.

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iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

Do you mean there are MA programs where students go to school 7 days a week without a break for 8 months straight?

I did a MA program that did 4 semesters in 15 months - using 2 summers.

Bollocks · Joined: 12 Feb 2009

I'm in the same boat as the OP - Looking for a quick/cheap/dime-a-dozen Online MA to put on my resume.

University of Phoenix looked good, but they will not give an MA to anyone who isn't American. Since I am Canadian, they are out for me.

What's a quick cheap online MA that would get me in the door at some backwater university out in the sticks?

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

Bollocks · Joined: 12 Feb 2009

My undergraduate marks were rather lacking. It's unlikely that a prestigious, legitimate school would accept my application.

I looked at Trinity, but they require that a student show up to campus for an orientation week. That, and their pro-christian teaching style prompted me to look elsewhere.

As for UoC:

iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

The US also has extensive numbers of community colleges - which vary greatly in quality and reputation.

I'm all for continuing education. I like and respect the fact some people want to continuing learning and moving forward using education. And the average community college (at least where I live) does serve a % of the population that can't go to a university.

But the quality isn't the same. And getting a degree from them does not open doors to employment like a fully accredited university will.

And then when we are talking about getting higher degrees -- something about the idea of getting a MA from a community college boggles the mind...

Bollocks · Joined: 12 Feb 2009

While that sounds good, I remind you that I was unable to pursue a degree from the University of Phoenix due to a lack of Green Card. I'm certain they would have gladly taken my money for any of their other courses, but weren't able to for an Education MA. This implies that they are adhering to external regulations.

If my suspicion is correct, it would mean that any degree obtained by a Canadian at an American degree mill would be instantly sniffed out as fraudulent.

I should have been more clear in my earlier post. I am not searching for an actual degree mill, but rather a low-end university offering online MAs. One which -while not held in high regard- is recognized by the appropriate accreditation bodies, and can issue transcripts.

It is better to study at schools which are not currently under criminal investigation

ttompatz · Joined: 05 Sep 2005 Location: Kwangju, South Korea

http://www.tesl.ca/Assets/TESLCanada/Standard+3+list.pdf

They are not all on-line but a few are or have components that are.

ALL Canadian degree granting institutions are (by law) legitimate and properly accredited (unlike the degree mills and other dodgy schools in the US).

There are also options from the UK or Aus for on-line MAs and you don't need to worry about the diploma/degree mill issue.

The ONLY western country where degree mills are legal is the US.

They are illegal in ALL of the commonwealth countries.

Don't look at schools in the US and you will be fine.

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iggyb · Joined: 29 Oct 2003

Somehow I get the feeling that if I checked on the quality of those affordable online degree programs where you can complete a MA in 8 short months, I wouldn't be much more impressed with them than those shoddy American dives...