Korean Job Discussion Forums

agoodmouse · Joined: 20 Dec 2007 Location: Anyang

Has anyone successfully entered a PhD program after completing an online M.A.?

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

You signed-up for your MA program, yet you did not know the answer to this? Rolling Eyes

cruisemonkey · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 6:12 pm Post subject:

I worked with a guy who had two 'on line' Masters degrees. He used them to gain 'entrance' to a Ph.D. programme and pay USD 4000/term to someone in Bangkok. He wasn't the brightest person in the world... but the Ks were impressed. Wink

Thiuda · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 9:03 pm Post subject:

I completed an online MA in Applied Linguistics from UNE. I followed this up with a PG Cert in Linguistics Research, also delivered online, by Macquarie University. I'm starting a PhD at Mac in Feb. 2010.

It doesn't matter how you did your degree that determines your entrance into a grad programme, what matters is the quality of your work. To gain entrance into a PhD programme you should have a high GPA, 3.5/4 or above, and a research component that demonstrates your ability to design a study, implement the study and write it up. Ideally, your thesis highlights your understanding of research methodology, a pretty specific area of enquiry, and your writing ability.

One other factor that determines whether you'll gain admission to a PhD programme is your research proposal. If you have a kick-ass proposal, in area that your potential supervisor is interested in, then you stand a much greater chance of getting admitted than if you haven't spent too much time thinking about what exactly it is that you're going to do your PhD on.

Best of luck.

kabrams · Joined: 15 Mar 2008 Location: your Dad's house

Kwangjuchicken · Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 11:21 pm Post subject:

digsydinner · Joined: 24 May 2009

i guess these online degrees are quite popular among the folks here in korea....

TECO · Joined: 20 Jan 2003

my advice:

1. stay away from those online degrees.
2. make sure there's a dissertation component

there's a difference between U.S. and British systems / traditions. under the british system there are typically no courses unlike in the U.S. where the first year or so is all course work.

hit the ground running and know what area you want to do your study in. you still have lots of time to think about it by the sounds it. start going through the literature in whatever area you're interested in - listening comprehension, vocab, task-based learning, methodology, etc. you'll be happy that you did this before you started a doctoral program

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject:

an online M.A. can get you into an online Ph.D. Laughing

a toy barbie can drive a toy car

Mr. Pink · Joined: 21 Oct 2003 Location: China

Question:

How does one go about doing research through an online PhD?

VanIslander · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 2:44 pm Post subject:

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

A guy I worked with a handful of years ago did his on-line MA through University of South Queensland in Australia. He is currently doing his Ph.D. at UBC. He did a fair bit of research into programs that suited his interests and managed to receive full funding.

And nobody I knew going into a Ph.D. program had enough knowledge to put together a complete doctoral dissertation proposal. The MA doesn't prepare you for this level of work, no matter where you did it. It isn't expected and required prior to entry. However, it is generally agreed that people going into a Ph.D. program can 1) state their area of interest to some degree of specificity, and 2) voice their motivation for wanting to do the degree in the first place! Very few professors I know will want to take on a doctoral student who just wants a Ph.D. to say they have one.

bassexpander · Joined: 13 Sep 2007 Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

And all of you guys disrespecting online degrees are from 2 camps:

1. People who have a traditional MA who are suddenly finding themselves surrounded by more competition. They are desperate to set themselves apart in some way, so they start with an "online degrees suck" mantra of sorts. Sad for them, but schools and businesses don't follow the same vein of thought (especially in Korea, where online education is far more advanced than back home).

2. The ones trying to sell the CELTA in other threads. What's one of the biggest new competitors to the CELTA? You guessed it -- people going for online MA's from accredited institutions instead.

We know where your priorities are.

The fact is that if your online degree is from a properly-accredited school, then you can move on and get your Ph.D. As was mentioned by those who aren't selling anything, your research project and/or thesis are what's important. Schools and companies back home don't differentiate between online and traditional degrees. If they did, people wouldn't be getting them.

Kikomom · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 5:10 pm Post subject:

Kikomom · Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2009 5:13 pm Post subject: