Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ThePoet]

[Homer]

Poet,

I don't know anyone in particular who was refused an E-2 with an Athabasca diploma.

However, I know Athabasca degrees are sometimes not viewed as the same as a B.A. from a regular university.
I am not talking about the value of Athabasca as an institution poet but about how it is perceived.

The requirement for an E-2 is a completed B.A. from a recognized university of an English speaking country. Athabasca may be such an intsitution but they do distance learning and that has meant that some of their degrees, namely the B.A., is sometimes viewed as less then a full degree, hence immigration might not accept it.

Also, since immigration is becoming stricter with degrees, an amalgated degree earned through a panoply of classes that do not form a linked curriculum and issued by a distance learning institution might raise some flags here.

[taejonguy]

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Haven/2386/distance.html

distance education is widely accepted...even by immigration IF it is from an accredited school. Look at this link that lists some of the schools offering distance programs and tell me how they could be not accepted...Many top schools on the list, no?



Degree and # of schools
MBA
US MBA Programs (184)
Non-US MBA Programs (62)
MPA (5)
Healthcare Administration
Education (41)
Law (30)

Research Doctorates (106)
Masters in EE/CE/CS (25)
MS/MA in Management (33)
MLS/ALM in Liberal Studies (16)
Graduate Degrees with Nontraditional Titles (2)

Incidentally, I am taking a great MLS program at Fort Hays State if any one is looking for a good, inexpensive (about $5000 plus books, etc.)program. It is fully accredited and I have finished 22 of 31 credits if you want to discussit. Feel free to pm me....

http://www.fhsu.edu/mls/

[ThePoet]

Homer,

I understand what you are saying, however, I think you are confusing two terms. Distance, and Online. Many "online" degrees can be shoddy and of the diploma mill variety. As such, their reputation can be called into question very quickly. However, a Distance program (which may or may not be offered online - hence the confusion) from an accredited university can be very reputable and can be as accepted as a non-distance program. In fact, as Taejonguy pointed out, many universities which are/have been considered completely traditional are now offering distance degrees or programs.

I hope that can facilitate a bit of understanding.

Casey

[Homer]

I understand the distinction perfectly poet.

I simply mean that a university based on Distance education methods might sometimes be viewed differently by immigration here.

I am not confusing online and distance education or debateing wether or not Athabasca is a good school or not.

The OP asked a question and then went on to discuss the fact she could get a degree by combining various classes she took. That is a good example of a degree that might not be seen as having the same value.

Again, I am not judging the degree, simply relating how it may be received.

I do hope this facilitates your understanding of my comments in this thread.

[toomuchtime]

[ThePoet]

Well Homer,

I guess you and I are just going to have to disagree on this then. But to get back to your original statement I've never ever heard of any degree being refused by Korean immigration simply because it is a distance degree. I've never heard of anyone being refused a job at a Hakwan because they have a degree from AU, Capella, Excelsior, U of Pheonix, USQ, Open University of the U.K., etc., etc., etc. and I've never heard of anyone, who knows the similarities between the work involved and the amount of learning involved in a reputable distance degrees and campus based degrees, to ever think they do not have the same value.

The only time a D.E. degree doesn't have the same value is when people don't bother to fully understand their worth. It's no problem - some people like Coke, and some people like Pepsi, and some people will refuse to drink one if they are dedicated to the other. The same goes with every perception in life, including perceptions of degrees. the Coke and Pepsi still have the same flavor, but people grew up with dedication to one or the other (personally, I wouldn't drink pepsi if it were labelled "elixir of life" and promised eternal youth, but thats just me).

Based on my experience with one On-Campus degre and one D.E. degree, I would take the D.E. degree every time. Not because I didn't work as hard (I did) and not because it was easier (it wasn't) but because my satisfaction with what was offered to me, how it was offered, and the personal attention I received from the professors at AU far outweighed anything I ever experienced on campus. I LEARNED at AU - I merely regurgitated in my on-campus experience, and I did it in a lecture hall with 600 other students where the prof knew none of us. At AU, each professor knew me, I had small classes, and actually came up to me at convocation and shook my hand, called me by name, and asked how I was doing.

I know how much work those people (from the professors to the front office staff) put into their programs, and I know how much work a student puts in to receive the degree. So I have no bias against the degrees.

You said "The OP asked a question and then went on to discuss the fact she could get a degree by combining various classes she took. That is a good example of a degree that might not be seen as having the same value". Every university will do the exact same thing. Any program, campus or distance based, will accept transfer credits as long as they were EARNED. Earning them at another institution does not make them any less valuable, and AU, or any other university recognizes this. Each university accepts so many transfer credits and prefers to make money by requiring residency status on the rest. AU has chosen, for whatever reason, to waive the residency status for BGS degree requirements. That is all.

Poet

[Homer]

There is no room to disagree here poet as I am not defending a point!

Simply discussing possibilities.


The OP wants to know if she can teach here without a degree.

The answer is simply no as she won't be able to get an E-2.

She could try and come over and do pvts but thats another can of worms.

She could try to patch together a degree at Athabasca by grouping various classes together and might obtain a 3-year distance learning B.A.

All possibilities.

As for your final statement concerning any university accepting a bunch of credit courses as a B.A.

This does not hold true for the two universities I attended (one for undergrad and one for masters's).
To obtain the B.A. result, they require that courses completed be part of some sort of program and not just a bunch of unrelated courses in any field that add up to enough credits.

Their basic requirements is that the courses be, at minimum, part of a minor or certificate. You can then combine 3 such certificates to obtain a 3-year B.A..
What you cannot do there is simply add up 90 classes (at 3 credit each) and obtain a B.A.

But that is just in my experience.

[Koreabound2004]

[ThePoet]

[dreamscape]

So is a 3 year diploma not good enough for an E2 visa? I thought it was fine so long as it was at least a 3 year program.