teach in Thailand or do my masters first?

[jazzydj]

Hi everyone, I have a little bit of a dilemma. I live in the PI and I just got offered a job to teach music in thailand. The school where I work now is also offering to fund my studies for a masters degree. Now I can choose where I want to study but if that happens, I have to work in the PI to repay what my employer spends on my masters. That would be 4 years of service for a 2 year masters or 2 years of service for a 1 year master.

I keep reading posts of people who go back to their home countries to do their masters after spending time in Thailand. With an opportunity like this to get funding for a masters, would it be the smart choice to go for that? What do you guys think?

[Scott]

Go for it.

[lmaxv]

You wrote: but if that happens, I have to work in the PI to repay what my employer spends on my masters. Is this really what you mean?

If you have to stay to repay the amount spent, then NO. You're still paying for it, just later. If you mean the "repayment" is your staying and teaching for 2 or 4 years, and you're NOT paying back the actual amount spent, then probably YES. I guess it would depend on what is actually covered, e.g., travel, living expenses or only tuition and books... However you do it, you'll have a lot more choices for jobs with a master's degree, but I suggest you choose your master's field carefully.

[smotherb]

Get your master's degree, then stay to get some experience and allow repayment of your obligation. Going back to school after you have entered the workforce is difficult, especially if you have earned a bit of money and started enjoying it. After some experience you may be offered a better opportunity to work overseas. I am sure you can arrange a repayment plan with your master's degree benefactor,

[pacovl46]

Definitely get your masters first because then you will earn first of all way more money than with a bachelors and secondly you could apply for a job at a university, which means you've got students who actually want to study and they'll have a certain English skill set already. It's way less of a hassle than working at a primary or secondary school!!!

[bangkapi]

Are you a Filipino?

[Emster23]

Seems a no brainer to me: Get the master's. Above answers are right. Plus you may come to your senses and teach in a country where teaching takes place. BTW I have master's + 105 hours credit beyond in teaching.

[fifthcolumn]

I have never heard of MA's being handed out on basis of years. There is a standard course for X credits, thesis, paper, completion = Masters. I have also never known a legitimate MA to be completed in a year honestly. But hey, it's Asia.

[Suradit69]

I have never heard of MA's being handed out on basis of years. There is a standard course for X credits, thesis, paper, completion = Masters. I have also never known a legitimate MA to be completed in a year honestly. But hey, it's Asia.

I am guessing that he meant the difference in terms of whether it took him one year or two years to complete the master's requirements, not that there were two different degrees awarded. Obviously in some cases it is possible to complete a masters, whether an MA or MS or MWhatever, in one year, but thesis requirements or duties as a TA or RA could extend that beyond one year. If his current employer was offering to support him, it would cost them more if he took 24 months than it would if he took 12 months.

I completed two different Masters at Big Ten universities in the US with all costs paid by my employer as well as full salary at two different times. In both cases I was allowed the sabbatical with all expenses paid & salary for 12 months. I could have extended the time spent while still guaranteed a return to full employment status, but reimbursement for expenses & salary would have been reduced beyond 15 months (12 months sabbatical and 3 months vacation leave) In both cases I also had teaching assistant positions from the universities with tuition costs paid and a small stipend, but very little time required of me for actual work as a TA, so I managed to get through without any out-of-pocket expenses. It meant a full load during the usual academic year and two summer sessions (one of them taken as normal vacation leave from my employer)

" I have also never known a legitimate MA to be completed in a year honestly. But hey, it's Asia."

But hey some people do it even at Oxford University.

The graduate programmes available at Oxford range from one to three or more years in length. All students enrolled on a full-time programme of study must spend a period in residence, which means that during term they must live within 25 miles of the centre of Oxford.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/postgraduate_courses/course_guide/about_our_programmes.html

Edited February 12, 2014 by Suradit69

[Aceicol]

Personally speaking I'd do the Masters first, 4 years isn't that long a time and then you'll have the rest of your life with better earning potential. That's the boring but safe option.

[atyclb]

Although you may learn equally a politically correct university can be a great help and open many doors. this means probably not thailand. can be UK, australia, etc etc. a famous school can open many doors.

[JimHuaHin]

Interesting.

You basically need to do a cost-benefit analysis - how much will the Masters cost you finacially (actual cost + lost income + interest on repaying any loans), against possible greater life-long income.

In my case, after working for the Australian government as a researcher for 8 years, and 3 years as a university researcher, I started my PhD at 35 years young. A good friend, who already had a PhD, advised against my doing the PhD on financial grounds - I would be only marginally financially better off, if at all, and she was right. However, the benefit for me arrived in the form of a tenured university lecturing position, which gave me a substantial amount of freedom in teaching and researching. Thus greater personal and professional rewards, but not financial returns.

Where do you see yourself, what do you want to be doing, in 10, 20, 30 years from now?