So you’re
stuck in a boring job and yet dream of having an exciting international
career in an exotic location, but realize that you don’t have the skills
or experience necessary for the type of profession you want. What should
you do? Why not go back to school and get a post-graduate degree?
If you are thinking about going back to school, why not think about
going to an overseas university? Studying for a master’s or doctoral
degree abroad will give you some great international experience that can
put you ahead of others in the job market, and it will also provide you
with numerous contacts that can be so very helpful in finding those much
sought after ex-pat jobs.
Ok you may
not be able to afford the tuition and living expense of going off to Europe
or Japan for a few years to get a master’s degree, but what about Thailand?
There are
a number of universities in Thailand that offer international programs,
both undergraduate and graduate level, that are taught exclusively in English.
Many of these programs are priced fairly reasonably. At Bangkok University
(www.bu.ac.th), where I’m currently working
on an MBA, the overall cost of a master’s degree, tuition, fees and books,
is only around $5,000 and takes approximately two years to complete.
While no one
confuses the universities in Thailand with Harvard, MIT, or Oxford
you shouldn’t think of them as unaccredited diploma mills either. Most
of the more prestigious universities in Thailand are recognized
throughout Asia and many have exchange programs with universities
throughout the world. All the professors I have studied under so far
have doctoral degrees from universities in either the United States
or Europe and many have held impressive positions in the world of commerce,
government as well as academia. Being an international program, the
instructors as well as the students come from a multitude of countries,
however the majority of students are obviously Thai. If you happen
to be a veteran of the US Armed Forces, you can use your GI Bill to go
to school in Thailand since many of the universities have been approved
by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
(I figure
my GI Bill payments cover all my tuition, books, university fees as well
as my rent. For a master’s degree in the USA, the payments won’t
cover 50% of my tuition.)
There are a
number of well-respected universities in Thailand offering programs
in English. Most of these are in Bangkok, however Chiang Mai University
(>www.cmu.ac.th)
in Northern Thailand does have a few programs taught in English.
Besides Bangkok
University, Chulalongkorn University (>www.chula.ac.th)
offers an MA program in Thai Studies as well as degrees from the highly
respected Sasin Graduate School of Business Administration.
The acceptance
process usually isn’t too difficult for foreigners since many of the universities
Really want
to have as many foreign, especially European, Australian, and North American,
students as possible to give the programs a real international flavor.
Once accepted, obtaining a student visa with the help of the university
is fairly simple and with a student visa, you can work, at least part time,
without having to go through the process of getting a work permit. Many
of the native English-speaking students in Thailand work as English teachers.
Even
if you don’t have any experience teaching don’t worry. With a degree,
any subject, from any university or 4-year college, a native English speaker
shouldn’t have much trouble finding a teaching job or two in Bangkok.
Myself, I’m teaching part-time at Bangkok University during the day while
studying there in the evenings. I also have another part-time teaching
job on the weekends.
The cost
of living in Bangkok can vary widely depending on your lifestyle, I
believe this is true in most “developing” countries. Single
apartments can cost less than $50 per month, or they can be extremely expensive,
it depends on what you want and can afford. Most foreign students
pick something in between, a descent clean single air-conditioned furnished
apartment shouldn’t be over $250. Thai food is known world wide for
its delicious if somewhat overly spicy flavor and is very reasonably priced.
Try it, you
will keep your living expenses lower if you don’t eat farang (western)
food all the time.
Obviously,
studying/working/living
overseas isn’t for everyone, if you want everything to be the same
as it is back home, well than you’d better stay home. As far as studying
goes, In Thailand classes rarely start on time, unless you have
a foreign instructor, and classes rarely end on time either. The Thai’s
“mai pen rai” concept of time carries over into the educational system
as well as into all other aspects of life.
Also Thai professors
tend to use a lot more subjective grading than the professors do in the
USA. Don’t expect a lot of free discussions in the classroom with students
questioning the teachers either, the idea that the professor may be wrong
isn’t something that Thai students usually feel free to express.
Almost all
graduate level classes in Thailand have a number of group projects, if
you don’t like to work in groups and be graded as part of a team, going
to
school in Thailand isn’t for you. Individuality, non-conformity and
creativity aren’t looked upon very highly in the Thai educational system.
While studying in Thailand, students can express their opinions, however
a student should be a little culturally sensitive and think before speaking,
a lesson I’ve learned but haven’t be able to put into practice very well.
Living in
Bangkok can be a trying experience. The traffic, my commute while under
15 miles rarely takes less than an hour and a half and is often substantially
longer, the heat, highs in the low 90s during the “cool” season,
the pollution, and the noise can make living in Bangkok so very frustrating
and irritating.
However, there
are many great things about living in Bangkok, the combination of
the exotic east with many of the comforts of home. Here you can spend
the day visiting beautiful famous temples, eating spicy hot soup in a noodle
stand in a back soi (lane), or shopping at the local market for exotic
fresh food. Then in the evening go out to McDonalds, see the latest
Hollywood blockbuster, in English, at the local theater or maybe go ice-skating
or bowling. There is never a reason to be bored in Bangkok, with
it’s world famous nightlife districts, five star gourmet restaurants, concerts,
endless shopping arcades, delicious noodle stands, movie theaters, friendly
people, sporting events, etc… Bangkok truly offers something for everyone.
Prior
to moving to Thailand, I spent around 10 years in the US Navy and was
able to visit many places throughout the world, which included spending
three years in Japan, but I find Bangkok unique. I think that just about
everyone who has ever lived in or spent much time in this city would agree.
Going to an
overseas university gives you not only a classroom education, but also
real life experience living and working in a foreign culture.
Living and studying in a foreign country gives a person an opportunity
to learn and use a foreign language on a daily basis. If you are
thinking about furthering your education in Thailand I suggest, that you
at least have enough money saved for tuition, fees, books, plus a few months
living expenses. You should be able to find enough work to pay for your
room, board and entertainment, as long as you spend some time studying
instead of spending every night enjoying Bangkok’s (in)famous nightclubs,
discos, and bars. If you want to pursue an advanced degree in an exotic
location, but don’t have a lot of money, coming to study in Bangkok may
be for you.
Scott Hipsher English Teacher/MBA
student Bangkok University
>scotta@loxinfo.co.th
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