Degree without honours

[exsas]

I am currently studying for a degree at the Open University (UK)

I've almost completed 300 credits which entitles me to a BA degree WITHOUT honours.

Is this sufficient for a work permit in Thailand?

Alternatively I can do an extra 60 credits which will entitle me to a BA degree with honours but means an extra 8 months of study which i'd rather not do.

If I take the degree without honours, I'm not sure If it will be possible to do the extra credits at a later date, so it's quite a important decision

Thanks in advance

Edited April 17, 2014 by exsas

[jcgodber]

My father always told me that anything worth doing-

is worth doing well.

[Scott]

If you get a degree that says "BA" on it, it is good enough to teach in Thailand. Hopefully it won't say "BA, WITHOUT HONOURS".

[wprime]

Honours is generally only useful for entry into post-grad studies.

[siampolee]

Finish your degree and you'll be fine and ready to go exsas

[duanebigsby]

You can get a work permit. But you need to be asking a lot more questions than this about teaching here.

Browse through the topics on the TV Teaching sub forum.

Then come back and ask a ton of questions.

Cheers.

[wileycoyote]

TEFL is also worth pursuing

[Maybole]

It is interesting that a BA is acceptable for teaching but a BSc is not

[guru]

It is interesting that a BA is acceptable for teaching but a BSc is not

Rubbish! I have a BSc which is perfectly acceptable

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[Rykbanlor]

I have 6o credits with the OU - just 240 to go and I'm right up there with ya buddy.

Should be done by the time I am 40 hopefully.....

[exsas]

Thanks guys

I started my degree 7 years ago at a normal university in pursuit of a different career.

I have experience of teaching in Asia having worked for a couple semesters in the past, and realised I could carry my credits across from my degree to the Open University.

I assume the degree will just say BA degree once completed

Edited April 18, 2014 by exsas

[chonabot]

Thanks guys

I started my degree 7 years ago at a normal university in pursuit of a different career.

I have experience of teaching in Asia having worked for a couple semesters in the past, and realised I could carry my credits across from my degree to the Open University.

I assume the degree will just say BA degree once completed

Hey

I have a BA (Open) Degree from the OU and it is fine for getting a work permit.

Took me 5 years and now I'm doing a Masters in Education, 3 year course.

A few jokers in the school that I worked at were more concerned about the name of the Uni.

They tried to cast aspersions on the validity of the OU, I was glad to point out that it was in the top 500 in the world, whereas no Thai University was to be seen at the time.

You can add the honours at a later date also

Edited April 18, 2014 by chonabot

[Maroon Watcher]

Completion is the Key to the door.

In Thailand & ASIA, that should be enough.

But why not finish what you started -

you may want a Masters some day too.

A TEFL is also a good passport.

(A friend spent an intensive month 7 days a week - full time to get a Celta -

said it was just same as his TEFL...

(Keeps more people IN work....)

BUT you need to know a lot about teaching in Thailand...

P.S. A BSc, can also get you higher paid teaching jobs in most countries.

(But in ASIA at present it's Native speaker with "degree")

I have never seen an ad. for "honours"

Oh! And I knew a teacher with a PHD in Marketing - never had a job OR a business!!

Edited April 18, 2014 by Maroon Watcher

[gc777]

I think you can do the extra credits at a later date as long of none of your courses that would count towards an honours degree had expired - if they have an expiry date it's usually ten years and this should be stated on your study record.

Assuming you have already completed 120 points at level three you could just do sixty at level one to get your honours? By doing this you only need to scape a minimum pass and it would have no bearing on what class of honours you graduate with.

I currently have 300 points and am doing a level one course for the honours. Yes in theory it is eight months of study but in reality I am doing very little work because I'm not concerned with grades and with level two and three courses under my belt it is not particularly taxing. I think I will be finished way ahead of schedule.

Also I'm assuming you are presently getting you course fees at a reduced rate as you started this before the fees went up? If you have a break from your studies you may lose your rights to pay transition fees and end up paying a lot more to get the honours in the future.... Perhaps it's worth a little more pain now!!

[abrahamzvi]

Thanks guys

I started my degree 7 years ago at a normal university in pursuit of a different career.

I have experience of teaching in Asia having worked for a couple semesters in the past, and realised I could carry my credits across from my degree to the Open University.

I assume the degree will just say BA degree once completed

Hey

I have a BA (Open) Degree from the OU and it is fine for getting a work permit.

Took me 5 years and now I'm doing a Masters in Education, 3 year course.

A few jokers in the school that I worked at were more concerned about the name of the Uni.

They tried to cast aspersions on the validity of the OU, I was glad to point out that it was in the top 500 in the world, whereas no Thai University was to be seen at the time.

You can add the honours at a later date also

I really can't imagine that even "at that time" no Thai university was included in the list of the best universities in the world. Nowadays 2 Thai universities are included in the list of the 100 best universities in the world!!!

[chonabot]

Thanks guys

I started my degree 7 years ago at a normal university in pursuit of a different career.

I have experience of teaching in Asia having worked for a couple semesters in the past, and realised I could carry my credits across from my degree to the Open University.

I assume the degree will just say BA degree once completed

Hey

I have a BA (Open) Degree from the OU and it is fine for getting a work permit.

Took me 5 years and now I'm doing a Masters in Education, 3 year course.

A few jokers in the school that I worked at were more concerned about the name of the Uni.

They tried to cast aspersions on the validity of the OU, I was glad to point out that it was in the top 500 in the world, whereas no Thai University was to be seen at the time.

You can add the honours at a later date also

I really can't imagine that even "at that time" no Thai university was included in the list of the best universities in the world. Nowadays 2 Thai universities are included in the list of the 100 best universities in the world!!!

This was 2012 and I can assure you that there were none, in fact you can check if you like

There are even a few threads on TV that discuss this issue.

Ask yourself, why would I come out with such a statement if it wasn't true?

The highest Thai University in the latest list is at 300...where do you get this top 100 twaddle from?

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2013-14/world-ranking/range/301-350

This is one of the reasons why, after 11 years, I don't post here any more.

I've answered the OP's question from my personal experience, and I'm being called out on an irrelevant part of my posting.

Edited April 18, 2014 by chonabot

[quandow]

Do whatever you need to do to get into an international school. I've been teaching in Thailand for seven years, and with only a two-year degree, I can only work in those schools who will hire such. I HAVE done private tutoring in several REAL international schools, and the difference is huge. If you are REALLY looking at teaching as a profession, don't waste your time in anything other than a true international school, or if you need to work immediately, continue your personal education and do whatever it takes to get into an actual school.

[Maroon Watcher]

But International schools don't have paid holidays and expect you to work week ends?

Do whatever you need to do to get into an international school. I've been teaching in Thailand for seven years, and with only a two-year degree, I can only work in those schools who will hire such. I HAVE done private tutoring in several REAL international schools, and the difference is huge. If you are REALLY looking at teaching as a profession, don't waste your time in anything other than a true international school, or if you need to work immediately, continue your personal education and do whatever it takes to get into an actual school.

[guru]

What are you talking about? International schools DO have paid holidays and you DO NOT work weekends. I've just had 2 weeks off for songkran with full pay.

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Edited April 19, 2014 by guru

[HeavyDrinker]

I've never really understood the Hons system. My degree was Hons but within 3 years I'd done my MA which rendered it pretty much obsolete.

[guru]

I'm straining the grey matter here but at my university it went something like this

70% 1st class honours

60 upper 2nd class honours

50 lower 2nd class honours

40 third class honours

30 third class

Providing you had all the required credits

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Edited April 19, 2014 by guru

[Maroon Watcher]

...just asking!

My friend has almost 1 month off paid + 3 weeks "summer classes" (15 hrs per week) - Full pay

What are you talking about? International schools DO have paid holidays and you DO NOT work weekends. I've just had 2 weeks off for songkran with full pay.


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[guru]

We get 13 weeks off throughout the year at my school with full pay. The holidays mirror those of UK schools. No compulsory summer school.

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Edited April 19, 2014 by guru

[culicine]

We get 13 weeks off throughout the year at my school with full pay. The holidays mirror those of UK schools. No compulsory summer school.

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That's about the same amount of holidays that I get in a Thai private school. With full pay, and it's an easy job. I'm sure on 100K a month a real international school will want its pound of flesh.

[Mencken]

Honors don't matter - we are discussing teaching TEFL in Thailand. Get a degtee fron a solid university and you ate gold.

Better a well known school than honors, better a solid major than honors.

Dodgy school, dubious major...

[chonabot]

Honors don't matter - we are discussing teaching TEFL in Thailand. Get a degtee fron a solid university and you ate gold.

Better a well known school than honors, better a solid major than honors.

Dodgy school, dubious major...

Agreed, and the Open University is a solid one

[exsas]

I would recommend Open University to anyone who needs a degree.

You can work at your own pace and pick a mixture of subjects to make up the credits for your degree.

[chonabot]

I would recommend Open University to anyone who needs a degree.

You can work at your own pace and pick a mixture of subjects to make up the credits for your degree.

Me 2, I've been with them for over a decade now

[exsas]

I'v just been informed by the Open University that I can take my BA Degree on completion (without honours), and top up to an honours degree at a later date proved all study is within 16 years.

[Mencken]

If someone can look up the uni in the tct/moe database it would answer the question with certainty.

Honors don't matter at all, period. Only time is if going to grad school or whatever. Many of these Thai struggle to read your diploma <deleted>. Don't waste your time, life and money on honors. It's just nonsense pushed by unis to overachievers.

A BA from some crappy state uni in Mississippi will get you a job here. I went to a really good school and have only had one acknowledgement and that is most likely because I really emphasized its importance. Don't know don't care.

Get a degree, get a job. Better yet, get a real job outside Thailand.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Scott