Korean Job Discussion Forums

[joeheckel]

Anyone on Dave's attended a Korean university for a PhD? I just wrapped up an executive MBA for peanuts despite it being accredited and a quite productive experience. Now I am wondering whether I should parlay that MBA into a PhD at another accredited school. My interest would be simply to extend my shelf life as professionals in the states start feeling the retirement heat and my long term interest in teaching and research at the university level...NOT in Korea!

It appears that Korea schools don't offer the same type of packages as schools in the states do. I mean, in the USA a PhD program will offer 100% tuition grant, a stipend of $2-3K a month among other offers. Korea seems to offer less than $1000 and only 50% tuition.

Anyone receive offers or actually attend in Korea? I am considering Konkuk's Strategy & Trade PhD.

[PRagic]

If you plan on trying to work as an academic, here, but especially in America, you'll be much better served by taking your Ph.D. back in the U.S.

If you're going to major in business, then shoot for the Ivies and/or one of the big name business schools. Next best would be a program at a state university flagship campus.

Did you do a thesis track MBA here? If that was an option, and if you did it, that might increase your chances of getting in to a program.

Be ready to pay. Not all programs fund everyone from the get-go. Many students have to pay out of pocket the first, and sometimes second, semester. And even if you DO get funding, your stipend may very well be substantially less than 2K a month.

Now start thinking longer term, assuming, of course, that you finish the degree (only about 50% do). You'll have under a 30% chance of obtaining a tenure track position. Then the odds of actually getting promoted and getting tenure decrease. There's a world of difference between researching and writing a dissertation and actually researching, writing, and teaching for a living, and many find out too late that they're not cut out for it. Making full professor? Again, maybe 50% of the people who get tenure.

So what do you mean by wanting to extend your shelf life? You want to have a career in business, then casually roll over into academe? Might be possible, but you'll probably be at a third tier or 2 year school. If you've worked, you've fallen too far behind in publications, and will have too little post doc teaching experience to be competitive for jobs at R1 schools.

If you're looking to be a working academic, you'll need to strike while the iron is hot; the majority of positions offered are at the junior assistant prof level, and schools overwhelmingly go with applicants who are ABD (with publications and some teaching experience), of those who have been in the job market fewer than 3 years. If you end up, for whatever reason, getting sucked into the quagmire of adjuncting, it'll get increasingly difficult to escape with each passing semester.

[PRagic]

Just noticed the poll. For most diciplines, the Ph.D. is mandatory for a tenured position at most 4 year universities. Exceptions may be in in fine arts or on the creative side. Some smaller, private universities may offer tenure to those without a Ph.D., but even at those schools, the level of competition for jobs these days means that's not very often the case.

You can still obtain 'tenure' at a 2 year community college without the Ph.D. Those positions by and large place more emphasis on teaching than on research.

[HapKi]

I received my PhD from Korea University last year (Eng. Ed.). I know of several others as well, both at KU and other schools. In my case, entered in 2010 and received a 75% scholarship (as a foreigner ie non-Korean). There were also 100% scholarships available then, but can't comment on the more recent rules. Also an in-house Korean language ability course was mandatory, which could be done over a winter or summer break.

I have no regrets, and would recommend it to others (obviously if you're highly motivated and doing it for the right reasons). Feel free asking for more info, either here or PM's.

[whiteshoes]

It's about who you know. I know a guy who did his MATESOL in the USA, and then did his PhD in Hong Kong. He got a tenure track job in the USA, and it was at the school he did his MATESOL. They already knew him. I know another guy who did his PhD in the UK and actually taught the other guy in HK. The second guy struggled to find a tenure track job in the USA because he didn't know enough people in the USA. The first guy wasn't well published or anything, but the second was very well published. Doing your PhD in Korea will not stop you from getting a job in the US or anywhere, but it will not help your tenure track employment without serious networking.

[SeoulNate]

Well, to be fair, if it was Hong Kong University, that is a top 50 school in the world and is fairly well respected in most circles (depending on the program of course)