Degree Titles

Degree Titles | Dawn Grant-Skiba | October 27th, 2004

Hi All

I have selected the MSc in EMT as my focus area and degree title but recently I've been thinking it over.   It actually suits me well in that my first degree is a BSc in Business Administration and an area I really enjoy.   However, I've been thinking about it - it's not a very popular title at the moment, I mean perhaps not very recognizable.   Would the MSc in TESOL not be, let's say, safer?

Looking forward to your comments.

Dawn
Poland

Re: Degree Titles | Francesca Michalski | October 26th, 2004

Hi Dawn,

I've been thinking about the title I'd like too. I was going to opt for TESOL as it's the most widely applicable, but as I'm working a lot with ESP nowadays, I'm considering changing to this. I think an advantage in any area is specialization and the more specific titles convey this specialist knowledge, however, if in the future you want to change your career focus, you could lose out as might people think you only studied that area rather than TESOL in general. It's a tough one and I'd like to hear other CPs' opinions.

Francesca 

Re: Degree Titles | Yvonne Beaudry | October 27th, 2004

I've thought about it myself. I'm also taking the EMT Degree. I wondered if some school might say; We don't need a manager, we need a teacher. It's not likely, and a place that could say something like this is probably not a place I'd even apply to but I have to consider it. I'm just on FND now so I have time to decide but I'm quite confident that that is what is going to be most useful long term and am going to stick with the choice.

Yvonne
Tokyo

Re: Degree Titles | Glyn Hughes | October 27th, 2004

Hello All,

I've opted to do the Educational Management because the modules most closely relate to what I'm doing in my current job. I think Francsesca put it very well about people possibly thinking that you only studied that area. Although the qualification I'm working towards is entitled Educational Management, the majority of the modules that I'm studying to get there don't have anything to do with that but are concerned with linguistic and pedagogic issues. I suppose I probably felt that I would end up putting a list of the modules I studied underneath the qualification on any future CV - provided I successfully complete the course.

Glyn

Re: Degree Titles | Paul Raper | October 27th, 2004

Hi Dawn,

Thanks for filling out the address book details. To answer your question, does it not make sense to go for what ever is most relevant to your career path? For me personally, I'm not so sure how many people will know what TESP means, or how many will ask: "What kinds of special purposes do you mean?" And in some countries like here in Switzerland; special has a quite negative meaning in some contexts too. But, I have to say that it is the route that best fits with what I want to focus on long term, so my questions back is:

Do titles have that much meaning any way?   Or perhaps, do people really ask you what it means? Surely what is important is that you have is a Masters in a teaching based linguistics qualification with a bias towards whatever best fits with you.

I know it probably doesn't help much, but often when all is said and done, it's the chewing it over that gets the result, not the advice.

Have a great day.

:-)
Paul

Re: Degree Titles | Dave Mackie | October 27th, 2004

Hi, y'all -

I want to pursue the Education Management option for a number of reasons.   First, it's what I do three days a week. Second, it's what I'm subject to the other two days, and have labored under in the past. I want to know why managements do what they do, and how they / I could do it better.

Naive?

Dave Mackie

Re: Degree Titles | Paul Raper | October 27th, 2004

I see your point there Dave, but as a DoS for a large international school, I too am a manager, my supposed title being "Academic Director." Sounds grand, but it is stated as such for the customers. The point is I really want to get into dealing with teaching non mainstream subjects. I started out as an engineer, moved into the construction industry as a kind of technical accountant, moved on from there into putting together contracts before leaving England as a management consultant. On arriving here I took up teaching.

Ok, that's the potted CV. The issue is that I don't believe you go for something just because you do it all day. Surely you do what you love doing and brings you the greatest satisfaction. In management speak: self-actualization. I love technical issues and language. I don't dis-like management, but it isn't what brings me ultimate satisfaction. I want to be a teacher.

Paul

Re: Degree Titles | Glyn Hughes | October 28th, 2004

Paul,

I only wish I could be as pure in my motivation as you. While I am obviously doing the course for personal development reasons, I am also doing it with an eye towards my CV and future employment prospects. In the end, I chose my modules based on what was most important to me, but the part of me focused on my CV sometimes wishes the course had a broader title.

Glyn

PS I'm surprised nobody's jumped on my comment about the linguistic modules not having 'anything to do with' educational management. I was rather overstating my case, perhaps based on how people might view a qualification in management.

Re: Degree Titles | Dave Mackie | October 28th, 2004

Hi-

well, I'm a 50/50 teacher-cum- lower management for a middling university with aspirations. It's actually the 2 nd time I've been in this position. I mediate between the middle-management and the disparate rank and file part-time lecturers. My job is to bring the day-to-day business of the lower lot into line with the long-ish term aspirations of the upper lot. Poshly, it's called "curriculum development".

In this environment, adjunct lecturers have traditionally been independent.   They've been appointed, for who knows what reasons, and then left to their own devices as long as the students were uncomplaining. However, the university wants to upgrade itself in a competitive market, to become a ministry-approved "Center of Excellence".

Such an upgrade involves enhancing the students' objectively assessed achievement level, and that involves integration of English into the whole curriculum (no escape). It's a rude awakening for some of the previously independent part-time lecturers.

Now they are required to co-ordinate their plans, activities, classroom management, and assessment strategies with a developing central curriculum.   I am the agent.

Meanwhile, the upper management to whom I am equally responsible is at best quixotic. They know change is necessary. They seem to know what change is necessary. They even appoint people like me to bring the change about . . . .   but they are ageing, and in their hearts they are secretive, clubbish, old-fashioned curmudgeons who wish it didn't have to be this way.   I've spent a lot of time on the Trade Union side, incidentally. For me, it actually is fascinating to be in the middle- trying to reconcile both sides of a painful transition. I want to be a teacher, but I also want to teach in decent conditions with a decent contract. I want realistic expectations from both sides of the contract. I want an end to the quixotic possibilities of one side and the selfishly arbitrary of the other.

Am I nuts ? Of course.

Dave

Re: Degree Titles | Sue Wood | October 29th, 2004

Hi to All,

I've been following the discussion with interest and thought I'd add my comments.

I've more or less decided to opt for the general TESOL title. I, like Dave, sit on two sides of the fence. I'm Head Teacher of quite a large private school specializing in In-Company teaching. My Head Teacher roles involve course development, teacher training and supervision, client relationships, special projects etc. I also teach about 15 classes a week.

Based on the above, I've decided to look study MET, CMD, GLE and EMT. At the moment, I've no definite plans for a dissertation title, but it´s most likely to be related to EMT or CMD. I think the degree title should relate to your final specialization if this is already known. If not, then I feel that TESOL is the most appropriate title as it allows for (the natural) changes of mind that will occur.

Sue

Re: Degree Titles | Dave Mackie | October 31st, 2004

Hi-

Another little thought about degree titles is that, especially in the kind of mixed context that Sue and I seem to share, teachers ARE managers.   It's a long time since I just prepared lessons and went into a class and did the lesson at them. And even without other responsibilities, trying to teach constructively puts one in a leader/manager position.

Handy's book, "Understanding Organizations" has a lot of food for thought.

Dave

Re: Degree Titles | Dawn Grant-Skiba | November 2nd, 2004

Hello Everyone!

Thanks a lot for the interest and the responses regarding my question about degree titles.   It has been eye-opening for me and I'm still mulling over what you have all said.   All the best with your choices too.

Dawn

Poland

 

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