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[San_Belgium]

Hello All,

I am looking into the idea of doing my MBA study in Bangkok.
I know the country a bit, speak some basic thai.

Apparantly there are plenty of places where MBA study can be accomplished.
AIT, Webster university, Bangkok University are just a few of a long list...

Does anybody know which institutes are 'good' or 'bad', 'easy' or 'difficult' etc ...

Anything in particular I should know before I get into an MBA-in-Thailand study ?

Any advice ?


Thanks in advance!

San

[kwiz117]

Do you want your MBA to be Internationally recognized or you want to gain knowledge and understanding about the subjects you learn?

If you need recognition in Thailand, all those uni's you have mentioned will serve the purpose. For International recognition, AIT is the one that comes closer.  You can also consider reading for an online MBA from a leading recognized US, UK university.

If you are a knowledge hunter, then AIT will serve the purpose. It has many international students compared to other universities that you have mentioned.

Anyway, if you plan to move to Thailand to do a MBA, then you should think twice. If your intention is to be with your Thai gf or Thai wife, that's well worth it and MBA will add more flavor to it.  

[dekestone]

The tops for MBA international programs is probably Chula's Sasin, which is jointly supported by Northwestern and U of Pennsylvania. It is very well established -- maybe twenty years now -- and has a high reputation in Thailand. I know of at least one large multi-national company which sends it's people there to groom them for higher management positions.


Good luck!  
Sasin

[Storekeeper]

San_Belgium, on Fri 2004-07-30, 21:25:32, said:

Does anybody know which institutes are 'good' or 'bad', 'easy' or 'difficult' etc ...

I've been trying to get these same questions anwered for over a year. I think you'll never really get a straight answer cause the schools aren't Tier "A" schools and sure as ###### ain't going to tell us they're easy either. If you search hard enough you'll find an article (Escapeartist) by a fella named Scott Hipscher who attended Bangkok University on the GI Bill and received his MBA from that particular school. I visted the school this past March and it's a nice campus. Planning to visit Webster next year. I've got brochures from all of them and I'd say they rank in this order...rigorous to least:

1.  Sasin
2.  Chula
3.  Webster
4.  BANG "U"

** Don't know about AIT

[paully]

Sasin is part of Chulalongkorn Univ.   Don't forget there are many other places to do MBAs here, as good as Bangkok Univ if not better (don't be fooled by the nice campus).  NIDA, Mahidol (Salaya campus), Thammasat and ABAC around Bangkok spring to mind.   But frankly, a distance MBA from a western university will be better.

[Storekeeper]

paully, on Thu 2004-08-19, 15:03:45, said:

Sasin is part of Chulalongkorn Univ.   Don't forget there are many other places to do MBAs here, as good as Bangkok Univ if not better (don't be fooled by the nice campus).  NIDA, Mahidol (Salaya campus), Thammasat and ABAC around Bangkok spring to mind.   But frankly, a distance MBA from a western university will be better.

Yes, you're right...my bust. In my haste to post a response I should have put Thammasat # 2. Thanks for the input...I'm truthfully looking for an EASY program to just waste 36 months of GI Bill benefits...use it or lose it. I already have a MA so if I don't find something low on the Rigor scale...I'll just use it on a low level BA/BS program. Thanks.

[mbkudu]

My younger brother graduated with an MBA in international business from Assumption (ABAC) University in Bangkok. He chose it because it is all in English
(He is American) and is recognised worldwide. He said it was very extensive and quite challenging to get through. The tuition fees are quite reasonable compared to an American university as well.

[caughtintheact]

If anyone is looking for an "easy" MBA here, I doubt there is one.  I did the Exec MBA (called a Masters in Management) at Sasin and the Masters in Marketing at Thammasat.  Sasin had a much more professional program at the time I attended, but they both required a lot of time, because there is a lot of group work outside of class hours including weekends.  For Storekeeper, it should be no problem getting the GI Bill.  I used it for both - but you will have to do most of the paperwork yourself because the schools won't do it, although they will sign just about anything you give them.

[astral]

paully, on Thu 2004-08-19, 15:03:45, said:

..... frankly, a distance MBA from a western university will be better.

That is the essence of it.

[richb2004]

Has anyone got any experience doing Open University courses?

I am 32 years old and currently work in oil & gas, and spend all of my working time away from home. I have a home in Thailand and would like to work close to home i.e. 9 to 5 job (or close). For some time, before coming to Thailand, I toyed with the teaching idea as a satisfying career change in the UK. It now seems like an ideal time for me to put the wheels in motion and make the change. I do not have a degree or any teaching experience. Unfortunately I do not have the time or the finances to quit work to go to University full time and therefore was looking at the Open University option. Ideally I would do an OU degree in Science, as this is a subject I enjoy and therefore might get through the work a little more quickly. I realise that this will take quite some time, but I see this as a long-term plan. Upon completion I will follow my degree with a TEFL qualification.

Before I start I would like to know if the OU degree would be recognised and do you think it is a good path into teaching both in Thailand and in the UK.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[andyadam]

To teach in the Uk you would also need to do a PGCE course after the degree, it is full time. Have a look at the DoE website in UK or local your local education authority.
Teaching in Thailand, I couldn't tell you.

[Ajarn]

Frankly, why waste your time getting a degree in Science that would have no relevence to teaching English? If your only reason for going back to school is qualify to teach English, then I'd suggest you at least study something that will be useful as an English Teacher

[richb2004]

Thanks for the advice. I understand that a PGCE course is required in the UK as well as the degree in order to teach.

From other post I have read I understood that and relevant degree together with a TEFL would be sufficient to teach English and other subjects. In this case the other subject being based around science. I also read in other posts that Science teachers where required in Thailand and that qualifications to teach science would be useful. If this is not the case, and that only a full-blown teaching degree is of any use then I will rethink my plan. I would however like to have the option to teach English, as the majority of jobs are for English teachers. If having a Degree in Science and a TEFL isn’t realistically going to give me this option then I will take another route.

[andyadam]

I was under the understanding from other posts here that ANY degree would be ok here if you have a TEFL, IN MY OPINION, i think a science related degree would give you an advantage, what about the dual language schools who teach all subjects in thai and english, what about places like ABAC Uni, who teach all their subjects only in english.
Have a chat to "Ijustwannateach" he is very well informed about things here.
You teach science, leave the english to nearly ALL the rest.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

P.S. If you are thinking about teaching in the UK, I have a very good contact who specialises in made to measure body armor, good prices aswell!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[maitembot]

A TEFL certificate is not a degree. Only a BA or BS is cool, under the law. It is not just a requirement for foreigners. It is the same law for Thai teachers, too. To the goverment, a tefl has no meaning, only a degree. If it's different for you, then you are special

It's easy to dream about real life here, and it is easy to assume 'because you think that's the way it is'. So many here talk about stuff they are only guessing and assuming about. Very little experience talking here that I can see, except for Ajarn, but even he admits he is 'out of the loop' on many of these current issues.

A little bit of knowledge is dangerous, even here. Buyer Beware.

Get real, folks  

[kenkannif]

maitembot, on Sun 2004-09-05, 03:17:23, said:

A TEFL certificate is not a degree. Only a BA or BS is cool, under the law. It is not just a requirement for foreigners. It is the same law for Thai teachers, too. To the goverment, a tefl has no meaning, only a degree. If it's different for you, then you are special

^ Actually this isn't true. It is possible to get a teachers licence and thus work permit with only a TEFL (or other qualification for example a HND!). Yes the exception rather than the rule, it can depends on who, where and what you're teaching as well. Also they must mean something to the MoE as if you're degree is unrelated to teaching there's a good chance nowadays that you'll have to show a TEFL as well to obtain the teachers licence and thus work permit.

Check other threads to verify this!

Edited by kenkannif, 2004-09-05 10:59:05.

[Ajarn]

kenkannif, on Sun 2004-09-05, 03:57:33, said:

maitembot, on Sun 2004-09-05, 03:17:23, said:

A TEFL certificate is not a degree. Only a BA or BS is cool, under the law. It is not just a requirement for foreigners. It is the same law for Thai teachers, too. To the goverment, a tefl has no meaning, only a degree. If it's different for you, then you are special

^ Actually this isn't true. It is possible to get a teachers licence and thus work permit with only a TEFL (or other qualification for example a HND!). Yes the exception rather than the rule, it can depends on who, where and what you're teaching as well. Also they must mean something to the MoE as if you're degree is unrelated to teaching there's a good chance nowadays that you'll have to show a TEFL as well to obtain the teachers licence and thus work permit.

Check other threads to verify this!

I agree. The TEFL paper does have value now, as I was recently clued-in on. Maybe maitembot is a dinosaur, too  

I sure agree with his(?) other point about Buyer Beware, though. Many pitfalls for the unwary, and not all advice is good advice, even from another teacher  

[Sunburn]

Going back to the original question, I've been looking at an OU degree myself as a plan B if I can't find anything suitable when I return to LOS in December.
As far as I know with BA (English) from ANY English university or the Bsc you mentioned + TEFL you can walk into any teaching job.
It's the 3 years extra I'd have to wait that's putting me off though.

[Ajarn]

Sunburn, on Sun 2004-09-05, 22:57:11, said:

Going back to the original question, I've been looking at an OU degree myself as a plan B if I can't find anything suitable when I return to LOS in December.
As far as I know with BA (English) from ANY English university or the Bsc you mentioned + TEFL you can walk into any teaching job.
It's the 3 years extra I'd have to wait that's putting me off though.

I wouldn't say you could walk into any teaching job, but it should at least get your foot in the door, in most schools.....

[Kan Win]

Ajarn, on Sat 2004-09-04, 09:06:28, said:

Frankly, why waste your time getting a degree in Science that would have no relevence to teaching English? If your only reason for going back to school is qualify to teach English, then I'd suggest you at least study something that will be useful as an English Teacher

Teacher, (Ajarn)

Me think you missed a little point in richb2004 post:-
--------------------------------------------------------------
“I have a home in Thailand”  
--------------------------------------------------------------
So lets read on from his post, if you please:-
--------------------------------------------------------------
1. I am 32 years old and currently work in oil & gas, and spend all of my working time away from home.  

2. Ideally I would do an OU degree in Science, as this is a subject I enjoy and therefore might get through the work a little more quickly.  
--------------------------------------------------------------
There is a shortage of Science Teachers not only in Thailand but, all around the world and together with the so called TEFL qualification ((I call it Teflon qualification,   not many have then in TH BTW, and it is just like water of a ducks back anyway (non stick, like teachers in their jobs)) should really, in my mind, give credence whichever way richb2004 chooses to teach.

Both for me would suit richb2004, me think…………… but then again I am only a Pole….lak.

richb2004 you Kan Win if you try both ways with Science and TEFL certificates here in Thailand.... Or elsewhere in the world.

Chok Dee.  

Happy Days.

P.S. x-cues me Ajarn ""only my "Sam Bahts" worth of input into this Fred""

[Ajarn]

Be carefull about any assumptions that just because someone has a degree in Science and a TEFL, that they will be able to get a job teaching Science as a subject in Thailand....

A degree and TEFL does not make one a qualified teacher in the eyes of some employers. IME, the best International schools only hire Govt-certified (like in your home country) teachers w/experience..... And because they pay well, the competition is fierce.

Granted, anything is possible in Thailand, and having beat the odds plenty of times myself here, I still say this guy should focus on the likely reality here...

In this guy's case, he's asking for honest feedback. I feel that whether he gets a degree in Science or in something else, it won't make much difference here- unless he is very lucky.

I feel that if someone in his position wants to start a new career in Thailand as a teacher, with just a simple degree in anything and a TEFL, they should realistically not expect to be teaching anything other than basic English to the masses, like the clear majority of people in similar situations, ime. Exceptions could exist, but I don't know of any, and I've yet to read anyone here showing differently. Lots of opinions, but based on what? Where is there someone here in a similar situation, teaching Science as a subject in English (truth, please!)?

My advice is still only my opinion, but my opinion is based on having taught in Thailand for 16 years or so. My agenda here is to learn, and to share and be supportive of others. I'm open to learning if I'm wrong, too. Which has happened, on occasion.

Edited by Ajarn, 2004-09-07 01:25:46.

[kenkannif]

Actually in some ways I'd agree with Kevin. With all the bilingual programs popping up there is a shortage of science (and other subjects) teachers. A TEFL and a science degree can land him pretty good money at a bilingual school (or on a bilingual program) in some ways 'science' teachers are more in demand than BEds and MA TESOLS in the long run. Yes, he might not get a job at a big international school, but as the requirements (as far as I know) to teach science are basically just a science degree (and possibly a TEFL) he should be okay finding a pretty good job!

"Just thought i'd let you know theres a grade 5/6 math job available at the moment, the guy they had lined up pulled out today so theyre frantic. Its 50 a month, plus 50 bonus (25 at xmas, 25 end of contract), 17000 for a flight at the end plus 5000 a month after school (optional), plus more privates than you can handle (800-1200 an hour). Couple of things though, must have a GENUINE maths degree or something with heavy maths content (engineering)."

"As I said theres a good chance for a grade 3 maths and science position in the next couple of months and they need a PE guy for about july."

^ Sample jobs!

[Ajarn]

Great! Especially since experience isn't required, right?

Anyway, still hoping for some real-life people in his situation, doing such teaching here in Thailand, to stand up and be counted...

[kenkannif]

Actually the jobs mentioned above (from my friend who also wasn't experienced but had the correct science degree and TEFL) aren't for experienced maths, science etc. teachers (although they may have got priority!)! Not bad for a first job really?

[Ajarn]

kenkannif, on Tue 2004-09-07, 03:37:29, said:

Actually the jobs mentioned above (from my friend who also wasn't experienced but had the correct science degree and TEFL) aren't for experienced maths, science etc. teachers (although they may have got priority!)! Not bad for a first job really?

Sounds like your friend got lucky. As I mentioned, I believe luck does play a role. I hope your friend is in a good job.

But, I still so no evidence to support your theory that there is a shortage of farang Science teachers to teach in English, or that a TEFL and Science degree "can land him pretty good money at a bilingual school (or on a bilingual program)". As you've suggested, there is a lot more to getting hired than simply having a Science degree and a TEFL. Let's not forget that there are also many Thais (not to mention the MANY excellent Filipino and Indian teachers working in Thailand who speak English quite well- and generally work cheaper than farangs), and could also teach Science as well. Unlike an English teacher, farangs have nothing over Thais when it comes to teaching Science, or most anything else  

And of the few people whom I've known who've taught Science courses in English in Thailand, none had a TEFL. Why would they need it? They were Science teachers, not English teachers...

Anyway, I think I've said all I can say, and unless there is some other solid evidence to give this guy some realistic expectations, I'd still suggest he focus on simply being the best English teacher he can, if he wants to teach here. The more training and experience you have, the better your chances for a decent job. If his plan is to just teach in Thailand, then I'd also suggest one of the local TEFL program certs rather than the CELTA. Get the Science degree if you want, but don't count your chickens before they hatch....

And best of luck whichever path you follow!