Degree / Study..

[kirstymelb101]

Hello everyone !!

My current situation may be different to others here.

I've been living & teaching English in Thailand for the past three years without a Degree.. Although, I do have a real TEFL cert..

I have a dual nationality, i'm both Thai/Aussie citizen, which has made my process EASIER to be able and teach without the fuss of having to get work-permits etc..

i was told from my employer to get a Life Experience Degree... I was skeptical at first but went through with it anyway...

He said they were legal and would pass.. I went down this route simply to aid the process of gaining credentials acknowledge in Education..

I've read many forums/posts regarding Life Degrees and some both bias/un-biased opinions. Personally I don't feel honest about it...

I don't think i'm capable of sitting in a classroom from 9am-4pm for the next 3 yrs to earn a BA related in Education/English..

What other options do I have?? I'm lost for words... Any advice would be much appreciated..

Cheers...

Kirsty <3

[Scott]

Your degree may be real, however, it was issued by an unaccredited university or program. The MOE does have a list of unaccredited schools and they are aware that 'Life Experience' degrees are dodgy at best. This may come around and bite you in the butt. I would suggest you not use it.

[kirstymelb101]

Your degree may be real, however, it was issued by an unaccredited university or program. The MOE does have a list of unaccredited schools and they are aware that 'Life Experience' degrees are dodgy at best. This may come around and bite you in the butt. I would suggest you not use it.

I thought that may be the case.. i'd like to study a course with a flexible time frame, which will allow me to work and study at the same time. Studying over a course period of time to gain credentials is not an issue for me. But having to sit in a classroom from 9am - 4pm everyday will be a problem because I don't know how i'll be able to support myself financially..

What other options do you have in mind?

Edited February 26, 2013 by kirstymelb101

[DaBloodyMess]

As an Aussie citizen you qualify for for HECS/HELP loans for higher education and you can use these to fund online study.

Be aware that they have recently changed the requirements so that even if you are a citizen you must be a RESIDENT for taxation purposes.

Now what you can do, is lodge your tax return as a resident - the new tax free threshold is 18 000 dollars (on global income). Provided you dont earn more than 18k AUD here in Thailand you can declare it as a resident, pay no tax and qualify for HECS/HELP so you can work towards your degree via Open Universities.

You will need to prove other ties for residency for taxation purposes such as an active bank account and an address... you probably already have an account and the address can be family.

Be aware that this is technically a little dodgy and I take no responsibility for how it turns out for you if you decide to give it a shot.

Edited February 26, 2013 by DaBloodyMess

[kirstymelb101]

As an Aussie citizen you qualify for for HECS/HELP loans for higher education and you can use these to fund online study.

Be aware that they have recently changed the requirements so that even if you are a citizen you must be a RESIDENT for taxation purposes.

Now what you can do, is lodge your tax return as a resident - the new tax free threshold is 18 000 dollars (on global income). Provided you dont earn more than 18k AUD here in Thailand you can declare it as a resident, pay no tax and qualify for HECS/HELP so you can work towards your degree via Open Universities.

You will need to prove other ties for residency for taxation purposes such as an active bank account and an address... you probably already have an account and the address can be family.

Be aware that this is technically a little dodgy and I take no responsibility for how it turns out for you if you decide to give it a shot.

Given the circumstance this sounds like to much hassle for me... I was thinking about applying to an Open University here in Thailand... But I can't seem to find much info on this topic

Edited February 26, 2013 by kirstymelb101

[Scott]

This is a program that might be of interest to you: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/528971-thongsook-college/

I believe it provides some flexibility in the schedule.

[doontp]

We're in the same situation. My school told me to get one after two years of teaching. The school would not have told you to do so if they thought you were not worthy. Don't feel bad at all. You earned your school's respect and so did I.

[kirstymelb101]

This is a program that might be of interest to you: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/528971-thongsook-college/

I believe it provides some flexibility in the schedule.

I just sent them an email regarding all my concerns... Hopefully I get some positive feedback...

Edited February 26, 2013 by kirstymelb101

[kirstymelb101]

We're in the same situation. My school told me to get one after two years of teaching. The school would not have told you to do so if they thought you were not worthy. Don't feel bad at all. You earned your school's respect and so did I.

Point taken. Thanks

[Trembly]

http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/

[richard10365]

Here is a weekend course for a B.A. in Bangkok.

http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/English_Program/BA_English/ba_english.htm

[kirstymelb101]

Here is a weekend course for a B.A. in Bangkok.

http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/English_Program/BA_English/ba_english.htm

Ram open University was my actual 1st preference.. and now that you have suggested it here again, I think i'm convinced.. Have you or know anyone who has taken this course? I'd like to know more about it. I may even head down to the campus this weekend and check it out myself..

[richard10365]

Here is a weekend course for a B.A. in Bangkok.

http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/English_Program/BA_English/ba_english.htm

Ram open University was my actual 1st preference.. and now that you have suggested it here again, I think i'm convinced.. Have you or know anyone who has taken this course? I'd like to know more about it. I may even head down to the campus this weekend and check it out myself..

I don't know anyone taking it that particular course. You might try emailing their admissions department and asking to talk to someone enrolled in that particular course. I work at Payap and from time to time I get request like that and usually don't have a problem finding a student studying one of our programs to talk about their experience.

RU is the largest university in Thailand with almost 500,000 students studying all over Thailand. Their prices are a little expensive but I have a friend doing his MBA in Chiang Mai with RU and he said the courses are ok. They are no better or no worse than any other similar program in Thailand.

[kirstymelb101]

Here is a weekend course for a B.A. in Bangkok.

http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/English_Program/BA_English/ba_english.htm

Ram open University was my actual 1st preference.. and now that you have suggested it here again, I think i'm convinced.. Have you or know anyone who has taken this course? I'd like to know more about it. I may even head down to the campus this weekend and check it out myself..

I don't know anyone taking it that particular course. You might try emailing their admissions department and asking to talk to someone enrolled in that particular course. I work at Payap and from time to time I get request like that and usually don't have a problem finding a student studying one of our programs to talk about their experience.

RU is the largest university in Thailand with almost 500,000 students studying all over Thailand. Their prices are a little expensive but I have a friend doing his MBA in Chiang Mai with RU and he said the courses are ok. They are no better or no worse than any other similar program in Thailand.

That's a very good idea indeed... I read the testimonials on the website from previous students who studied the course and all have said it was great... I emailed the admissions apartment two days ago, but i'm yet to receive a response from them.. I hate waiting for replies, it's like watching paint dry...

Edited February 28, 2013 by kirstymelb101

[doontp]

Here is a weekend course for a B.A. in Bangkok.

http://www.iis.ru.ac.th/English_Program/BA_English/ba_english.htm

Ram open University was my actual 1st preference.. and now that you have suggested it here again, I think i'm convinced.. Have you or know anyone who has taken this course? I'd like to know more about it. I may even head down to the campus this weekend and check it out myself..

I don't know anyone taking it that particular course. You might try emailing their admissions department and asking to talk to someone enrolled in that particular course. I work at Payap and from time to time I get request like that and usually don't have a problem finding a student studying one of our programs to talk about their experience.

RU is the largest university in Thailand with almost 500,000 students studying all over Thailand. Their prices are a little expensive but I have a friend doing his MBA in Chiang Mai with RU and he said the courses are ok. They are no better or no worse than any other similar program in Thailand.

That's a very good idea indeed... I read the testimonials on the website from previous students who studied the course and all have said it was great... I emailed the admissions apartment two days ago, but i'm yet to receive a response from them.. I hate waiting for replies, it's like watching paint dry...

Was your school able to get you your Teacher's License? If yes, then I would not spend money on university, unless you want to do so or need to do so. If you have your Teacher's License, as of now, then you do not need to do so.

[kirstymelb101]

No..My boss never mentioned anything about me having to get a teachers license. In fact I've never even needed a WP. In the books it says I'm an assistant teacher, despite being paid FULL salary. Like I mentioned in the OP, things are much easy for me since I'm a Thai citizen already. Going back to study is for my own self satisfaction. I'm simply using my life degree to aid the process until I get my real qualifications..

Edited February 28, 2013 by kirstymelb101

[kirstymelb101]

Hey Doontp, do you have your teachers license? If so, how did you manage to obtain it despite not having a Degree from an accredited University ?? If i'm correct in most cases, to obtain a WP all you need is a stamp from your local labor officer. And it's the schools responsibility to do background checks on the teacher.. But to acquire your teachers license, more precautions/measures are taken, and authentication of credentials are checked by the MOE to confirm your Degree is real. I don't know how or why so many teachers still manage to attain a Teachers license regardless of not having a Degree from an accredited University... It's mind boggling o.O'

[Trembly]

For me, the single biggest off-putting factor about Thai bachelor's degrees is that they take at least a year more to complete (full-time) than the equivalent degree in the UK.

Kirsty, I think that if and when you do go in to see admissions at Ramkhamhaeng it would be interesting to find out what the average length of study until graduation is for that degree, both for full and part time students.

Having said that, I do know people who have completed open university degrees from both Thailand and the UK in a shorter time than it would have taken them to complete a degree with a structured timetable, but these people didn't have to work for most of the week in order to survive.

Edited February 28, 2013 by Trembly

[richard10365]

Being Thai does make your situation better off than your typical foreigner living here but I would not want to gamble my future on it. Standards are going up in Thailand. Mostly pushed from ASEAN, but eventually, teachers without a degree will probably asked to quit or get a degree. It's best to get a degree now rather than wait until later. Running around with one of those fake lifetime experience degree is like running around with a fake passport. Something else I wouldn't gamble my future on.

[richard10365]

For me, the single biggest off-putting factor about Thai bachelor's degrees is that they take at least a year more to complete (full-time) than the equivalent degree in the UK.

Kirsty, I think that if and when you do go in to see admissions at Ramkhamhaeng it would be interesting to find out what the average length of study until graduation is for that degree, both for full and part time students.

Having said that, I do know people who have completed open university degrees from both Thailand and the UK in a shorter time than it would have taken them to complete a degree with a structured timetable, but these people didn't have to work for most of the week in order to survive.

The international English degrees are usually the easiest to complete if you're a native English speaker. I've seen people do it at my university in 3 years but the average time is about 4 years. The average time spent in class a week is about 18 hours.

[kirstymelb101]

Being Thai does make your situation better off than your typical foreigner living here but I would not want to gamble my future on it. Standards are going up in Thailand. Mostly pushed from ASEAN, but eventually, teachers without a degree will probably asked to quit or get a degree. It's best to get a degree now rather than wait until later. Running around with one of those fake lifetime experience degree is like running around with a fake passport. Something else I wouldn't gamble my future on.

I agree 100%.. That's the reason i'm going back to study... I want to be legal and qualified without any hassles..

[kirstymelb101]

I just received word from the admissions department now. They offer evening classes of BA in English every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 - 9pm, and Saturday at 8 - 5.30pm. This schedule seems quite reasonable. But they require my original high-school transcripts which I only have a scanned copy of. *sigh*

Edited February 28, 2013 by kirstymelb101

[richard10365]

I just received word from the admissions department now. They offer evening classes of BA in English every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 - 9pm, and Saturday at 8 - 5.30pm. This schedule seems quite reasonable. But they require my original high-school transcripts which I only have a scanned copy of. *sigh*

Usually your school can send them to the university you want to go to. Look at the school you graduated from and ask them to send them.

[Trembly]

I have some questions regarding the fees at Ramkhamhaeng :

Ramkhamhaeng international program tuition fees : B.A. (English) - 30'000 THB per semester.

Is a semester at Ramkhamhaeng fixed to the calendar of the academic year (i.e. 2 semesters per 365 days) or is the completion of one semester and the commencement of another governed by the amount of work that you complete? If it is the former then you would have paid (30'000 x 8) 240'000 THB by the time that you are in your fourth year of study.

Contrast this with the distance learning degrees provided by institutions under the umbrella of the University of London :

BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics - Total fees : 172'000 THB

My bold :

Flexible study at a reasonable cost

You have between 3-8 years to complete the programme (or a minimum of 2 years on the Graduate Entry Route). Fees are payable as you progress rather than as a single lump sum. The following are examples of University fees for the whole programme of study: £3,807 for the BSc degree through the Standard Route and £2,877 for the BSc degree through the Graduate Entry Route. Please note that these examples are calculated using current fees, do not reflect any annual change to fees and assume completion in the minimum time permitted.

If my assumption about Ramkhamhaeng is correct then for me it's a no brainer; the cost of tuition for a University of London degree is fixed regardless of whether you take 3 or 8 years to complete it and you will have a degree from an internationally recognised research university - something that can only work in your favour, particularly in the Thai job market.

Edited March 1, 2013 by Trembly

[kirstymelb101]

I just received word from the admissions department now. They offer evening classes of BA in English every Tuesday and Thursday at 6 - 9pm, and Saturday at 8 - 5.30pm. This schedule seems quite reasonable. But they require my original high-school transcripts which I only have a scanned copy of. *sigh*

Usually your school can send them to the university you want to go to. Look at the school you graduated from and ask them to send them.

They said my high-school certificate itself is not important.. But a verification letter from the Australian Embassy is required... Otherwise I will not be able to enroll...

Edited March 1, 2013 by kirstymelb101

[kirstymelb101]

I have some questions regarding the fees at Ramkhamhaeng :

Ramkhamhaeng international program tuition fees : B.A. (English) - 30'000 THB per semester.

Is a semester at Ramkhamhaeng fixed to the calendar of the academic year (i.e. 2 semesters per 365 days) or is the completion of one semester and the commencement of another governed by the amount of work that you complete? If it is the former then you would have paid (30'000 x 8) 240'000 THB by the time that you are in your fourth year of study.

Contrast this with the distance learning degrees provided by institutions under the umbrella of the University of London :

BSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics - Total fees : 172'000 THB

My bold :

Flexible study at a reasonable cost

You have between 3-8 years to complete the programme (or a minimum of 2 years on the Graduate Entry Route). Fees are payable as you progress rather than as a single lump sum. The following are examples of University fees for the whole programme of study: £3,807 for the BSc degree through the Standard Route and £2,877 for the BSc degree through the Graduate Entry Route. Please note that these examples are calculated using current fees, do not reflect any annual change to fees and assume completion in the minimum time permitted.

If my assumption about Ramkhamhaeng is correct then for me it's a no brainer; the cost of tuition for a University of London degree is fixed regardless of whether you take 3 or 8 years to complete it and you will have a degree from an internationally recognised research university - something that can only work in your favour, particularly in the Thai job market.

Very good question indeed... I wrote an email concerning this matter.. But they completely avoided the question and only answered the inquiry about my high-school diploma and verification.. I plan to head down to the campus first thing tomorrow morning and speak to someone in the admissions department..

Edited March 1, 2013 by kirstymelb101

[richard10365]

At my university, the only time you don't need high school diploma and transcripts is if you are going to study in a program that does not lead to a degree. For example, students who are only trying to improve their English and take some kind of intensive English program don't need a degree. However, if they want to study for a Bachelors of Arts in English Communication which is approved by the Thai Ministry of Education, then for sure our school would need to see the diploma and transcripts. As far as I know, Ramkhamhaeng is the same.

[Beachbaby]

I am a student at Thongsook and I am very happy with the quality of the courses and instructors, the flexibility in study times and fees. And I looked around a lot before making a decision. I believe I made the right one.

[chonabot]

At my university, the only time you don't need high school diploma and transcripts is if you are going to study in a program that does not lead to a degree. For example, students who are only trying to improve their English and take some kind of intensive English program don't need a degree. However, if they want to study for a Bachelors of Arts in English Communication which is approved by the Thai Ministry of Education, then for sure our school would need to see the diploma and transcripts. As far as I know, Ramkhamhaeng is the same.

Not if it is classed as an Open University - The British Open University is the same and it is a chartered fully accredited uni ( Worldwide and in Thailand )

[Beachbaby]

Another update! All is well in Thongsook BA program. More students, more administrators, processes getting easier and smoother. Classes good.