Korean Job Discussion Forums

sirius black · Joined: 04 Jun 2010

Everthing depends on what you're trying to do with your degree. If all you want to do is teach at universities in Korea and elsewhere, any MA will do, even online. There are some exceptions but generally speaking. Korea, China, the Middle East really don't care...or even know if Walden is any better than North Dakota State Univ.
If you want something to use back home, and I'm talking America for the most part, it depends on what you want to do. Bachelors degrees are like HS diplomas were years ago. A low quality Master's gets you looked at first over a Bachelors for the routine jobs that require at least a college degree. HR departments respect the fact you at least put in the work and showed the effort to get a Masters even if its a low quality one and they will look at you for that position over a person with a Masters, even in an unrelated field.
A respected master's is needed if you're trying to get a quality professional position.
Also, many universities are aware of the stigma of online degrees and its fairly common that they do not put online on their degrees. Many unis offer online degrees that look just like their on campus degrees. They know the game.
There are some very prestigious unis who have satelite campuses in the Middle East and their degrees look exactly the same as the ones at their main campus. Some unis offer an 'Executive MBA' and used to put that on the degree as well and no longer do that. Its best to ask the issuing school if their online degree looks or says anything different than their on campus degree. TEFL schools are now doing that. There are some whose online TEFL certificate looks exactly like the ones issued for classroom instruction.

silkhighway · Joined: 24 Oct 2010 Location: Canada

An outsiders perspective here: asking how X employer will value Y degree is playing a fools game. Regulations and moods change, and there's no job security in teaching ESL. What's highly regarded today can be passed over tomorrow for "better" qualifications. In the case of ESL world, it seems a never-ending game of people "upgrading" to obtain more paper tiger qualifications.

A much better long-term view of a Masters or any other program is how will this program serve me? How will it help me pursue my interests, make me a better instructor, etc.?

Thiuda · Posted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 11:06 pm Post subject:

Before online MA
2001: 2.4 million/m, 36h/w, 10 days vac
2002: €1400/m, part-time, no benefits
2003: 1.8 million/m, 18h/w, 90 days vac (first uni job & started MA)
2004: 2.5 million/m, 15h/w, 120 days vac (second uni job; MA in progress)

After completing online MA
2005 - 2008: 3 million/m, 15h/w, 120 days vac (second uni job/MA complete)
2009 - 2011: 3 million/m, 12h/w, 120 days vac (third uni job & started PhD)
2011 - present: 4.2 million/m, 18h/w, 90 days vac (fourth uni job & ABD)

Of course experience factors in as well, but all in all, for me, the online MA was worth it.

12ax7 · Joined: 07 Nov 2009