Masters or Hdip!?!?

elle

Hi guys
Just looking for opinions/advise on this one - in the final yr of my degree, had planned on going straight into do a hdip next year but the more I think about it I reckon maybe I would be better off leaving it for a year so I can gain some sort of teaching experience ( volunatary, etc) and do a TEFL course so I have a few other qualifications. I know the hdip can be tough to get, and reckon I will improve my chances if I have these.

Anyway, I am considering maybe doing a masters next year instead. That way I can cover the TEFL over the summer, fit a few hrs of teaching in next year and have all this to add to my application for hdip the following year. Treid explaing this to careers officer who just told me to send away for hdip application, not really the advice i was after.

Basically I am asking anyone who has done the masters if they would recommend it? Do ye think this masters-tefl-exp-hdip thing is a better plan of action? Just need opinions.

Thanks
x

Rosita

First of all in relation to the H Dip, if your second year marks are not in the region of average at least 63-65% you are wasting your time applying. On the other hand if they are in that ballpark you have nothing to lose by applying and would have a good chance if you were at the 64-65% mark. (For business graduates who are subject to a quota this standard is higher)

Having said that if it is a case that even your third year marks might not reach this, a Master's is worth a massive amount - 6 points in the NUI H Dip system - which equates to getting astonishing 15% extra on your under-graduate degree result.

In practice, of course, in order to guarantee getting into a Master's you'll probably need to be in the general region of the H Dip score anyway so the 15% bonus is in a sense neither here nor there, but a Master's would guarantee you entry to the H Dip.

As for the TEFL, I know little of this qualification and considering that one doesn't even have to be an English graduate to do it, I am not sure if it is taken very seriously at all. Maybe I am wrong on that but it certainly carries no weight for H Dip purposes. Any certificate course to be considered for H Dip purpose has to be a year long course full-time or two-year part-time.

elle

Thanks .. I'm thinking of applying anyway and then even if I do decide to go ahead with the masters at least I've nothing to lose by sending off an application. TEFL is useful to have on the application purely as a teaching experience reference and it gives the impression you really wanna teach , etc. This is what I have been told anyway. I have a few contacts so can find work once I have the tefl just being my final year, it is not likely to happen anytime before the hdip application goes off. Thanks again for the reply though!

ixus

You should also bear in mind that if you apply for, and receive a grant for the Masters, you will not be entitled to a grant for a HDip. That's a lot of money to miss out on.

Also, would your Masters be taken into account when applying for the Dip or your final year results?

I know someone all of the above happened to.

What if you had a significant number of hours worked up in teaching practice, wouldn't this be more beneficial?

What would your teacing subject be? is it in demand?

Rosita

ixus wrote:

You should also bear in mind that if you apply for, and receive a grant for the Masters, you will not be entitled to a grant for a HDip. That's a lot of money to miss out on.

Also, would your Masters be taken into account when applying for the Dip or your final year results?

I know someone all of the above happened to.

What if you had a significant number of hours worked up in teaching practice, wouldn't this be more beneficial?

What would your teacing subject be? is it in demand?

The message from the postgraduate applications website is that a Master's is additional to - rather than an alternative to - a primary degree for the purposes of totting up points for the NUI H Dip.

You would need almost a full time job teaching for a year to get the experience necessary to gain the same points as a Master's. Realistically that means probably two years in the classroom. The value of a (relevant subject presumably) Master's for H Dip purposes is clear.

The money issue is of course important and very much a personal judgement.

elle

My masters would certainly be relevant to the subject I intent on teaching and I think you get something like 7 points for a masters.

If I apply this year (have to apply before dec 1) last years results are considered. If I apply next year then this years results are considered. I did ok last year and am considering maybe applying anyway and still apply for masters just to keep options open. Nothing to lose really! I reckon this yrs result should be betterr than last since I am working my ass off, all work no play, gotta get me somewhere!

Money thing yeah that is going to be a problem, hopefully I will get some sort of grant for whatever I do next year and if worst comes to worst I can take a year off as I have a f/t job which I can fall back on, just bit of a set back, would like to get all the qualifications out of the way so I can get a real job and teach!

Anyway guys thanks again , appreciate the help!

Caychadh

ixus wrote: »

What would your teacing subject be? is it in demand?

A dumb question, but what subjects are in demand? I'd like to do a hDip and maybe teach English but as far as I know it's very hard to secure a post afterwards..