I've been looking at a few programs and Framingham has been at the top of my list. I need to make a decision soon   

Sorry for the late reply.

http://www.framingham.edu/graduate-studies/international-education-program/teaching-english-as-a-second-language.html



The deadline is Nov 1st.

As some of you may know, Framingham sends their professors here during public school vacation for an intense course workload. I have been chatting with a few of the coordinators and the run down is simple. Cost: 6,000$ Courses: 10 (40 per course) and it is usually during winter and summer vacation as well as another 5 day break.

You can get a teaching license when you finish the program but that requires you to do a 300 hour practicum in Mass after you complete the program.


I'm interested and about to start sending documents. I'm just wondering if anyone else is considering doing the same.

How does the 300 hour bit work?

I recently met a woman who got her MA through Framingham in Korea, and she loved it--in fact, she now works as a coordinator for the Korean end!

November 1st is the deadline! If you are accepted you would start fall (winter?) of 2014. If I hadn't spoken to her in person and gotten very detailed info, I might have thought this one was sketchy. But she has been in Korea 14 years and now happily teaches English at the uni level.

E-mail framinghamstateuniversitykorea@gmail.com and ask for more information--from the coordinator who has done the program herself! :D

I was going to wait a few more years and save more money before attempting grad school, but this program is so cheap that it's worth it to just dive in now. Good luck to everyone who applies this year.

Very interested to apply for this program!

Keep in mind that Hongik University announced to their foreign staff members that no distance MA degrees will be accepted.  They are likely doing this for the same reasons as Taiwan.  People assume that it has to do with the perception of lower standards.  The real truth in terms of Taiwan is money.  They are protecting their money, out fear that students will opt for overseas distance degrees instead of spending money locally.  The way they do this is to attach a stigma to the distance degree through non-acceptance.  This is actually in violation of international agreements -- and something with which Hongdae may find itself fighting, as well, should someone take them to task on it.

As for hoping that this Framingham program will escape being called a distance degree... good luck with that.  People who assume the reasons behind disrespecting distance learning have to do with fears about quality are probably wrong.  It is about stopping the flow of money into outside programs.  Framingham may be considered as such.

Personally, I do not distinguish between if a degree is distance or not.  I do consider the school and its rank. 

My point, however, is that people are likely approaching this from the wrong angle.  Read what I wrote one more time.  The money is leaving the country. That is the impetus behind why Taiwan does not accept distance degrees.  They simply do not want to lose money to overseas institutions.  A few Korean schools may (illegally, according to trade agreements) attempt the same sneaky path toward keeping the money here.  In that case, it makes no sense to allow a degree, completed in Korea, where the financial earnings are sent overseas.  Another angle Koreans could take is to call it a Korean degree, no matter where the profs flew in from.  I know our univ does not accept Korean degrees when they hire full-timers.

Once again.... approaching the Taiwan argument from the perspective of distance degrees being academically inferior is a mistake.  The true reason behind the Taiwan decision in 2006 was about money and keeping foreign schools from taking a larger bite out of the local population's cash (which unis from Taiwan did not want to share).

Google it.

I know many people that have done their MA online and now have a university position. I wouldn't take the previous post too seriously. Maybe at Honggik University they don't except an online masters but I am sure most do. Also, I believe if you already have experience teaching adults, many universities just want to see that piece of paper. I do think it will be hard to pass Framingham's MA program off as a non distance learning degree will be hard as it seems like every other expat I meet here in Korea is doing that same program so I am sure employers are aware of it. Anyways, I still believe that it is still worth it and will open doors if one wishes to stay in Korea long term and get a university position.

They would need to do what UAE does, and require a letter from your school promising that all credits were completed on campus.

Of course, schools fed up with this kind of bull are lying for their students.

They also check passport stamps.  Just get a new passport.

The more I'm looking into this, the more frustrated I get.  It all seems pretty haphazard and it's almost impossible to get a definite answer on anything. 

There are no set dates.  For those of us in Public School, our vacations can be a bit precise.  My school can be flexible, but I need to know in advance.  They say they try to work with the PS schedule, but now that vacations are shorter (and camps are longer), it can be quite precise.  Even the vague information I've gotten so far suggests at least part of the winter session this year will take place at a time when most PS teachers are back in school.  A friend of mine who did this program said PS teachers basically have to be ready to take paid leave of absences (and that was before the shortened vacations and lengthened camps).  Again, that may be possible but I need to know more than 1-2 months in advance.  And in the end, it may all work out pefectly, but I don't like having to hand over the cash before I know for certain.

They also don't know where classes will be held.  Again, it's ok if it's outside Seoul, even way outside Seoul, but people need to know before they commit to it.  Also, what about housing?  What about books?  There seems to be almost no information about anything, and if I didn't have friends who did this before I would think it's a complete scam. 

I just think it's a bit unprofessional to expect people to commit to this program with such little information available.  "Come study with us!  We don't know when, or where or what we'll do!  But please send a cheque asap!"  I may well still do it, I just don't like being in the dark about so much essential information while getting the feeling like I'm asking too much when I inquire about such trivialities such as class dates, costs and what we will be learning.