Master's Degree question.

[Deleted]

Greetings.
I had this question on my mind for some time now: I'm from a country in central Europe (wich shall remain nameless), and I'm studying History, in wich I'm planning to get my master's degree; if I'm going to work as a teacher in..let's say the US, will my master's degree be recognized there, or even the fact that I graduated a University?

[obdigore]

I would imagine if the school is accredited then yes it well be recognized. I would ask the school and do some research yourself though instead of relying upon a message board.

[v2prwsmb45yhuq3wj23vpjk]

Unless the employer has a particular distrust of the education system in your country, it should work. Degrees are just a symbol that lets others know you know your shit. Countries are irrelevant to that unless they are particularly bad. Even inside the country degrees from particular schools are seen as better.

[Collegeguy]

Master's degree will only hurt you in the U.S. as a k-12 teacher because they are required to pay you more for it. They would rather hire a bachelor degree and pay less. Unless you're trying a college instead.

[Deleted]

Master's degree will only hurt you in the U.S. as a k-12 teacher because they are required to pay you more for it. They would rather hire a bachelor degree and pay less. Unless you're trying a college instead.

So, if you are a doctor, forget about it?

[obdigore]

So, if you are a doctor, forget about it?

I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but being trained as a doctor in a different place than the 'states does not mean you can't be a doctor in the 'states. Collegeguy was responding specifically to the OP's question.

[Deleted]

A master's degree often makes it very hard to find jobs, especially in central European countries. If you live in Germany for example and study chemistry like I do you won't get a single job with a master's degree apart from going abroad. I'm currently doing my promotion in chemistry and if I fail there I won't be having good times with my master's education right now.

Technically speaking history is pretty much a useless major unless you're doing it together with education and you won't get a teaching job unless you study education. If however you're majoring history and education together, you won't be happy with your live aswell because in most central European countries you are required to have atleast two subjects to teach. I haven't had a teacher in my entire life who only taught one subject.

Another interesting fact: your degree from a European university values a lot more than a college degree in the US. The only thing which surpasses your degree are elite universities. Basically having a good degree from let's say a German university will make American employers feed you with their hands. I had a practical Semester in America in a renowned chemistry orientated company and they offered me a job upon finishing my bachelor's degree.

To sum things up: You need an education (pedagogics) major + a main subject i.e. history and atleast one side subject or another major one.

And if you really care about your future: don't study history. Study something industrial orientated or go into science.

[Tepesch]

A master's degree often makes it very hard to find jobs, especially in central European countries. If you live in Germany for example and study chemistry like I do you won't get a single job with a master's degree apart from going abroad. I'm currently doing my promotion in chemistry and if I fail there I won't be having good times with my master's education right now.

Well that's especially the case with chemistry where you really need a PHD.

For history I wouldn't bother that much. I don't know about the school system in USA but for Germany and Switzerland I know that you need 1 year of pedagogics to teach.
If I were you, I would inform myself about that.

[Deleted]

Well that's especially the case with chemistry where you really need a PHD.

For history I wouldn't bother that much. I don't know about the school system in USA but for Germany and Switzerland I know that you need 1 year of pedagogics to teach.
If I were you, I would inform myself about that.

Well that's what my teachers told me aswell. Don't bother doing the master's degree unless you really try hard and go into the PHD mode. Atleast the salary during the promotion is pretty ordinary in my university.

[Deleted]

I'm not sure what you are trying to say, but being trained as a doctor in a different place than the 'states does not mean you can't be a doctor in the 'states. Collegeguy was responding specifically to the OP's question.

I mean doctor as in PhD, not as in Medicine BSc.
If MScs have a harder time than BScs finding a job as high-school teacher, i was kinda deducing that if you are a PhD it has to be even worse...

[obdigore]

I mean doctor as in PhD, not as in Medicine BSc.
If MScs have a harder time than BScs finding a job as high-school teacher, i was kinda deducing that if you are a PhD it has to be even worse...

Ahhh I see a doctorate. Yes. You wouldn't be able to teach anywhere except Universities/Colleges with a PhD, and probably not most of those.

[Deleted]

Ahhh I see a doctorate. Yes. You wouldn't be able to teach anywhere except Universities/Colleges with a PhD, and probably not most of those.

Sucks... in Spain, having a PhD gives you a (very small) bump for the competitive exams to become a public high-school teacher.

[Anakso]

Sucks... in Spain, having a PhD gives you a (very small) bump for the competitive exams to become a public high-school teacher.

Really
I think it would be rather strange having to call my teacher Dr (insert last name here) instead of Mr/Miss/Mrs (insert last name here) and it also seems strange to go through all the effort of getting a phD to teach high school, as with a PhD you could become a professor and teach university, which is most likely much better pay. My uncle was offered a job at the university he studied at after completing his phD anyway, but turned it down.

[Deleted]

Really
I think it would be rather strange having to call my teacher Dr (insert last name here) instead of Mr/Miss/Mrs (insert last name here) and it also seems strange to go through all the effort of getting a phD to teach high school, as with a PhD you could become a professor and teach university, which is most likely much better pay. My uncle was offered a job at the university he studied at after completing his phD anyway, but turned it down.

Becoming a university professor in Spain is still a matter of influences rather than resume.
And btw, in Spain high school teachers very rarely ask for formal treatment. They often ask to be called by their first name. Which does no good at all, because they get called "teach", in any case.

[Deleted]

Depends of university and if it's acknoleged in other nations. You need to research this first.

[Auloria]

Private high schools really like to hire people with master's degrees. That's where a lot of the people who wash out of the PhD program go. I don't see any issue that would arise out of your having a foreign degree.

The culture for Master's degrees in STEM fields is a little strange and probably doesn't translate very well to fields like History.

[semaphore]

I remember 3/4 of my high school's teachers had masters degrees. Maybe some schools dislike it but I'm pretty sure there's plenty of other schools with an eye on quality.

[Scathbais]

You are better off doing your masters here in the US. Get a Masters in history and education. Too much of a risk that you wont get a teaching job here unless you go to school here.

There are too many eastern European cab drivers here in New York city that were professionals in their home countries for you to take such a risk.

[Collegeguy]

I remember 3/4 of my high school's teachers had masters degrees. Maybe some schools dislike it but I'm pretty sure there's plenty of other schools with an eye on quality.

The way I believe it works: Get your job as a teacher with tenure, and then you get the masters while teaching. That is what the increased pay is there for. Having a masters with no tenure? That might hurt.

It's not the end of the world, but it will hurt.

[Pull My Finger]

They have bachelor and master degrees in the US, but the requirements are different from those in Europe. Basically, it's just the same names. The Bologna Process doesn't count in the US. American academic degrees are usually acknowledged in Europe without any hassle, but unfortunately it isn't that way the other way around. In other words: it might work and it might not. You should seriously double- and triple-check your specific case.