Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ave, L�cifer]

I've had the urge to study further for personal enrichment, as well as professional reasons, for quite a while. I did my BA in English Lit back in South Africa and the obvious post-grad route would be to continue along those lines, my other consideration was doing an MA TESOL considering the line of work I'm in.

However I've decided I'd rather do something that really interests me even though the benefits of the degree wouldn't be as clear cut. Having had a look at the course content for several Asian and Asia-Pacific studies programmes it definitely looks like the kind of thing that I'd love to study.

My options, however, seem to be quite limited. There are no Asian studies programmes offered in my home country (South Africa). So I've got two options, online degree from Western university while continuing to teach in Korea, or doing Asian studies at a regular brick and mortar university in Asia, staying alive by teaching privates and living off savings. The only online option for MA in Asian studies that I've come across is offered by the University of Leeds (http://leeds.wreac.org/pg/online-ma). The course content is right down my alley however the costs of 10 000 pounds is prohibitive for something that employers won't look at favourably. The word 'online' is used in the degree title (Online MA in Asia-Pacific Studies) which means it'll stick out like a sore thumb on my CV.

The alternative to getting an online degree from a reputable uni in the west is doing my studies over here in Korea or elsewhere in Asia. The Korean uni's that offer something in the general field that I'm interested in seem to be:

Yonsei - MA International Studies (costs are very high and I don't think I'd be accepted with my unimpressive GPA)

Sejong University - MA Asian Studies


Hankuk Uni of Foreign Studies - MA International Area Studies (South Africa is not listed as one of the eligible countries in their scholarship program)

Sogang Uni - MA International Relations and Trade Diplomacy (requires Korean language proficiency, which I don't have)

Does anyone have any info about these programmes or similar programmes in Korea, and realistically are degrees earned in Korea completely worthless outside of Korea or is there some merit to doing something like Asian studies in Asia?

[deizio]

I went into Sejong to find out about the Asian Studies program about 3 years ago (so apologies if any of this is hazy / outdated / wrong).. lots of choice in what you could study, although sounded like there werent many students so classes were often 3 or 4 students in the professors office. Spoke to the course administrator, a current student and a professor.

It's a legit if not terribly auspicious school but very affordable - if i remember rightly, with the "international discount" you could walk away with an accredited MA after 2 years for something crazy like 6.4m won tuition. Living costs on top of course. I also wouldn't imagine they're turning away interested foreigners with BAs on account of their GPA. There was a language requirement for graduation but not entrance, i.e. you could study Korean (or Chinese or Japanese I think) and pass it later. Not sure what level you had to attain but I dont think it was too advanced.

I wasn't all that interested in the subject matter and ultimately opted for something else, but I never had any interest in further TESOL study either and if i had been looking to get a very cost effective English-taught MA in Korea I might have gone for it. As far as recognition goes, it is what it is - an accredited MA in a pretty general topic from an average school. No real idea what prospects you would have with it here or abroad.

The guy I spoke to (Australian) had majored in Japanese, came to Korea specifically to do the course, and wasn't hanging around afterwards. He said he rented (shared) very cheaply in the area. He had a legit (non-teaching) part time job (you can work 20 hours per week after your first semester, although you're tied to one job like an E2), not sure what it was though.

Sejong seemed pretty modern. It's not exactly downtown and there didnt seem to be much going on in the immediate neighbourhood but still in Seoul and close enough to the action.

Hope that helps, all the best

[Kimchifart]

[Ave, L�cifer]

[Kimchifart]

I'd say that honestly it's below average: ranked 39th in Korea. There are some shocking universities in Korea remember!

[coralreefer_1]

Not that this will interest you because it isn't to be your field of choice, but just to defend Sejong a little bit....although Sejong may be ranked 39th in Korea, their business department/MBA program is one of only 6 universities in Korea that has received AACSB accreditation.

My point is that a university's overall ranking while important in some ways may not reflect the ranking/value of individual department and colleges at said university.

[deizio]

Yeah from what I hear the Sejong-Syracuse MBA is a solid setup, and being an evening & weekend program it's a great option for an affordable AACSB accredited MBA that lets you keep working (or sleep in, if that's your thing).

I mainly went to check out Sejong because a colleague - real Asiaphile - was interested in it and at the time I was just starting to think about study options over here. I realised pretty quickly that I wanted to do a full-time MBA, which I did elsewhere in Korea. Not cheap, but had the savings / support and liked what I saw, really happy with how things are working out.

[Kimchifart]

Hear what both you guys are saying, but I would still say aiming for Sejong is aiming low. If you're a foreigner, you have a chance of getting into one of the top ones simply because they like to fill quotas and get as any foreigners in as possible (of course your GPA will be taken into account too, but never underestimate the power of positive discrimination.)

[Ave, L�cifer]

Alright I'll keep my applications a little more exclusive and hope an interview swings things my way.

[kim mun]

Hi Lucifer,

Like you, I am interested to take up the Online MA Asia-Pacific Studies with the Uni of Leeds. However, the very existence of the word "online" kinda puts a damp to my enthusiasm for the course. On the other hand, as I am looking forward to learn more about the Asia-Pacific region, I thought it might not be that bad an investment afterall....ie. it's more a spiritual fulfillment rather than to use it to find a high-paying job.

Kim Mun