Got The Mai Mee Degree Talkin' Blues...

[trompelemonde82]

I'm a 30 year old male NES from the UK. My highest qualification is a Higher National Diploma Communication with Media.

I spent two years (2009-2011) as a TEFL teacher in provincial Thailand at various establishments and teaching all age groups. The second job I landed was at a university where I was assured that my four years at college were equivalent to an Associates Degree, which was equivalent to Bachelors Degree and the President of the university wrote a letter claiming I had a BA with which the uni obtained a work permit and Non-B visa for me. The same thing happened once I left that uni and began full time employment at a language centre.

I left Thailand in 2011 because the school which employed me at the time did not provide documentation alluding to my BA equivalency in my qualifications gained. Thereafter I spent a year travelling and working in Australia and I have just returned to the UK. Recently I contacted the qualifications authority for Higher Education enquiring if I am eligible for accreditation towards a BA or otherwise based on the credits I have already.

I am currently in the UK working and saving to return to Thailand within a couple of months. I am studying a TEFL certificate online and considering various Life Degrees (I know several teachers who have had no problem finding work with Life Degrees from the University of Dublin, but have been informed that Almeda University are one of the most widely accredited insitutions in the business of granting Life Degrees). Can anybody shed light on this issue? Clearly, to have a Life Degree is actually genuine and a far cry from a dodgy Kao San Road cert printed off for a couple of hundred baht...rather it seems to be whether or not the school applied to for employment have the accrediting institute on their green list or not.

I have also been informed by an instructor from the TEFL course that a CELTA or TESOL Certificate plus 2 years experience is more than enough to find TEFL work in just about any country worldwide - though I don't think she ever taught in Thailand before, just travelled there to instruct TEFL students.

I'd like to return to Thailand to begin work as soon as possible with a view to staying there long term whilst continuing to teach, and so I would appreciate any advice on how best to approach the matter. Cheers.

[aidenai]

I am currently in the UK working and saving to return to Thailand within a couple of months. I am studying a TEFL certificate online and considering various Life Degrees (I know several teachers who have had no problem finding work with Life Degrees from the University of Dublin, but have been informed that Almeda University are one of the most widely accredited insitutions in the business of granting Life Degrees). Can anybody shed light on this issue? Clearly, to have a Life Degree is actually genuine and a far cry from a dodgy Kao San Road cert printed off for a couple of hundred baht...rather it seems to be whether or not the school applied to for employment have the accrediting institute on their green list or not.

Check the accreditation of university degrees online.

http://203.21.42.34/acc/index.html

[Scott]

The OP has posted here:

Having duplicate posts is not permitted--and it's quite confusing.

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