Korean Job Discussion Forums

[openning]

I've been trying to search for Speech Language Pathology programs in Seoul -- I've found 2 of them (Yonsei and Ehwa), but I keep finding reference to the fact that there are 6 of them. I just can't seem to find them.

Also... and maybe I should put this in another post, but I'll just leave it here for now, I've been trying to call about the scholarships offered to foreigners here, I'm in Seoul teaching right now, and every number I can find doesn't work... or they work, but they are not the phone numbers for International Student information, they are just some poor woman's phone or whatever... I have disturbed way too many people just trying to find someone to talk to. I've sent emails out, but haven't gotten a response yet, so I'm just trying to find some information.

[openning]

just a bump....cause i'm starting my search again

[EH]

Daegu Univ. & Hallym Univ are also worth considering for SLP degrees. But you can't go wrong with Ewha or Yonsei. I can't remember any other programs... I think there was another women's university in Seoul?

I was the first foreign student in the Ewha SLP program. While I certainly learned a lot, I can't say it was an easy time.

Do you speak Korean? Really well? You will need to read, write, speak, and understand Korean very well. If you are familiar with Chinese characters it will be helpful also, especially for anatomy & physiology courses. English is very helpful, as many of the textbooks are in English. But English will only get you so far. I was lucky that I had a background in Chinese. I don't know if I could have gotten through neuroanatomy without it.

You also need to have a thick skin. You are studying typical vs. atypical communication development while you yourself are a shining example of "atypical" Korean skills... you will be noticed. You will be used as an example.

But I want to encourage you to try for this anyway. There is a huge need for bilingual speech-language pathologists, all over the world. Not only is it an excellent career with lots of flexibility, but it is also a career path that really helps humanity. I know that sounds corny, but it's true. It always hits home for me when I do an eval for a child and the mom starts crying during the parent interview because I'm the first person she's been able to talk to in her own language, the first person who was both willing and able to listen to her child's story. It really is a big deal, and it happens all the time in this job. You can make such a difference in the lives of brave families who really deserve a break.

Oh, and one other thing--do you want to be certified only in Korea, or in your home country as well? I tried to get my CCC while in Korea but it ended up being impossible at the time because I couldn't get enough supervisors with CCCs to sign off on my hours. I had to go to the US to finish up everything. If you are American, definitely go to ASHA.org to find out what the current requirements are, and find out if you can fulfill them in Korea. It's important to keep your options open. If you are from another country, then find out what the requirements for that country are.

[openning]

Thank you!

So, are you saying Ehwa's program is in Korean? I know the one at Yonsei appears to be in English. The webpage for the program is entirely in English and also says that you need to pass the TOEFL to get in. Am I right in assuming this means it is in English? I know many universities in Korea seem to offer programs in English.

I am studying Korean now, but I am just a beginner.

And I am Canadian... I have had a lot of difficulty trying to figure out how I would go about getting things transferred to the CASLPO (Canadian version of ASHA), but for free schooling, I think I'd be willing to try and work things out, even if it means finishing things up in Canada.

[Jodami]

Doing an MA in Korea?

Don't do it op -it will be worthless.

Seriously, you're off your rocker to even contemplate it.

[openning]

Um... why worthless? I'm sorry, but a degree/masters is not a worthless thing, no matter where you get it. I like it in Korea, and going to school here would be amazing. I came here to save money to go to school back home, but I can do it for much less money here. I'm really not sure why you would say that.

[Jodami]

[EH]

Jodami, actually an MA in speech-language pathology is something that leads to certification, which is indeed worth a lot world wide. No need to be so negative.

Openning, I don't know what the programs are like now. But when I was at Ewha (er... over a decade ago... now I feel old) the program there was definitely in Korean, as were all the SLP programs in the country. You would need the TOEFL score primarily to read the English textbooks, I would imagine. They were quite challenging for my classmates.

Free schooling sounds fantastic! I had to pay full price...

I would recommend that you contact CASLPO directly and ask their advice. Last time I heard, Canada had a real shortage of SLPs. So they may be willing to work with you, especially if you mention that you may eventually go back to Canada to work with underserved bilingual populations, etc.

If you are not able to get into an MA program due to your current Korean level, you might consider at least getting some of the prerequisites out of the way. Undergrad-level courses such as linguistics, phonetics, psychology, statistics, and intro to SLP would be very helpful.