Korean Job Discussion Forums

[duke of new york]

I'm trying to figure out what kind of graduate program I should pursue when I return to the US in order to teach English. Not ESL, but literature at the secondary or post-secondary level. I majored in Anthropology, and I don't have any English background other than teaching in Korea (this is my first year, and I'm not planning to stay any longer), so I'm pretty much starting from scratch. I'm sure I will have to take remedial coursework if I'm admitted to a graduate program; I'm OK with that.

I'm not sure whether it would be better to pursue an MA in English Literature (with teaching certification, of course) or an MAT. What are the differences? Can I get the same teaching jobs with either one? Is one of them more marketable than the other?

[Highwayman]

[duke of new york]

I want to teach in the States, but probably not as a university professor, at least not yet. I'm not ready to commit to a PhD, nor do I really have the credentials to even start a program. I want to teach in the US at either a high school or maybe a community college.

[SeoulNate]

Depends on the state and what level you want to teach.

[duke of new york]

I mentioned I want to teach at the high school or community college level. As for the state, I don't have a preference at the moment. I will probably end up teaching in whatever state I go to grad school. I want to go somewhere on the coast. Right now, I am thinking either California, Washington, Massachusetts, New York or Maryland, though my heart is not set on anywhere in particular.

The main thing I want to know is the general differences between the MA and the MAT in terms of course of study, marketability and salary. Do some states require one or the other specifically?

[globusmonkey]

I have a BA in English Lit and an MAT (English concentration). I think the general idea is that the MAT is a better degree to have for secondary ed, while if you want to teach college, the minimum you could get away would be an MA, and that would be tricky (I studied for an MFA in Creative Writing so that I could teach university without a PhD, but chose not to pursue when I learned that Creative Writing is a BS type of course to teach full time .)

Anyway, I would recommend looking into MAT, since that will give you a much better understanding of how to be a teacher than you will get with an MA in Eng Lit. With the MA, basically your doing more lit coursework, not necessarily learning how to teach it, while the MAT covers pedagogy, course-specific stuff, student teaching, etc. I haven't done an Eng Lit MA, though, so take that with a grain of salt. Most MAT's will be two year programs, but you can do a one year like I did at certain schools (it's a bear to do in one year, though, so be warned).

My best advice would be to start thinking about where you want to be (a lot of states have reciprocity for your certifications, but it's a good idea in this market to have some name recognition of a school in the area you want to live), then start looking at the requirements for entry in the program. You'll need to take GRE's and probably some more coursework in English, since that wasn't your major, before they'll even consider you. Each school is different, though, so do your research and talk to their admissions advisors. Good luck!