US Masters CBE While Traveling Abroad[Long Post]

[yb1]

Random shower thought. [Long Post]

How feasible would it be for someone to do a US online CBE Masters (Hodges, WGU, Patten) while also traveling abroad?

At this point- this is just me thinking out loud and looking for recommendations/input.

 I have thought about traveling abroad for a year+ trip for a minute now. I have a family friend who travels and she goes everywhere. It is her thing. Her experience makes it seem like you can do it while being frugal about it.

At some point, I want to start and finish my master’s program.
 
Why not combine the two; travel abroad and finish school at the same time? When employers ask why is there a year gap in my resume I would just say I took time off to go to graduate school.

A lot of traditional graduate students move to their school campus and rent an apartment while going full time and rack up a ton of debt.

So, what about traveling abroad and completing the courses full-time. I could probably do it without going into debt.

If it takes 1 year to complete WGU masters that is 6 grand. If it takes 1.5 years that is 9 grand. Plus 20,000-40,000 for 1 year abroad.


Stay in a country for a couple months. For example, just off the top of my head, but Peru 2 months, Mexico 2 months, Guatemala 2 months.

2 months Thailand, 2 months Philippines, 2 months Vietnam.

That is a year right there.

Most expensive places would be many places in Europe, Singapore.

Not sure how I feel about Africa for this idea. But I am sure there are doable places.  Ethiopia, South Africa

I have been to Thailand the infrastructure in certain areas like Chang Mai is good. I never had issues getting the internet.  It is cheap, especially coming from a major metropolitan East Coast city.

I know you need visas, and immunizations, insurance,

 I guess basic questions I would need to consider.  (not really asking for direct answers, but still curious on your thoughts)

will I be able to take proctored finals and where?

How much money would I realistically need?

How could I make money on the side?

What recommendations/ how to for learning new languages?  

Has anyone on this forum done anything like that?

What are your thoughts?

I remember a while back didn't we have a guy teaching English in China going for his degree. I would how he did it. What his thoughts were.

Please give me the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The experience of traveling abroad could potentially be worth more than the actual masters.

[Thorne]

https://www.reddit.com/r/WGU/comments/3o..._resident/

This is the best information I've found (regarding WGU, can't speak to the rest). Presumably, you could get a high-speed VPN and tunnel to the US, switch your timezone, and keep a US-based number. Do it right, and no one knows. Do it wrong? You won't be able to continue your studies.

[bjcheung77]

I would take a read at this post: http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthre...?tid=27686
The situation is similar but there are differences, you may want to complete your Masters first and then go to work at an NGO overseas in Latin America or in South East Asia, you don't necessarily need to learn a language, but you can teach on the side and work at an NGO while you travel either Latin America or South East Asia.

The main difference is, in your case, I would take a FREE Nations University degree, haha... use the residency of a third world country and see if you can get the Masters in Divinity from them free! But I would finish the Masters at any of the three you mentioned prior to traveling overseas. If you want to do the Masters and travel at the same time, I wouldn't risk it with WGU, Patten/Hodges should be an option as they allow international students located anywhere, for WGU it's selective areas in Canada/Continental US.

[bjcheung77]

There are a few people overseas and taking their Bachelors or Masters. For example, this person:
1) http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthre...?tid=24392
2) http://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/showthre...?tid=24627
He's updated since then, but the thread/post was lost due to the change to mybb from vbulletin

I've traveled extensively in South East Asia (each year at least a month to 3 and up 6 months since 2004). Heck, I met my wife in 2007 and got married in 2010 after flying to see her every year (most was 4 times in one year in 2009). Anyways, if you're frugal like me, you can live very comfy with just $1200USD/month and this is with the occasional splurging with food/nicer hotel.

So a year would cost roughly $15,000USD. I highly suggest staying in one place for the entire year, do a gap year/teaching year overseas and get paid for it, your flight is paid for, everything else is paid for but your "food/stipend and splurging $$". Teaching jobs pay roughly $1500-2500USD depending on where/which school, etc. The terms are usually for 10 months, I would use the two months for "extreme/extensive travel". The internet/infrastructure in South East Asia is fine for your Masters.

If I were in your shoes, not married, nothing holding me back. I would do the Hodges MIS or Patten MBA IT, once I have that in my hands, I would work at an NGO and teach at the same time for extra $ overseas for 1 year, then take another year in another country. During that time, you have "vacation days" and "off time", you can take side vacations (I took a 2 week teach out session in South Korea, everything was FREE including flights in the Winter time). I would suggest doing Indonesia and Philippines, 1 year in one country. If you want to change the countries, try Cambodia and Thailand, again 1 year in one country. Be brave, live by very basic means for those two years and be "enlightened".

[yb1]

@Thorne that WGU link was useful. Thank you.

@BJCheung -That is awesome advice.

Where do you suggest finding/searching for these NGO jobs?

Also as for teaching English. I thought ASU had a TOFEL Certificate course through EDx. It looks like it is no longer there. Do you have recommendations for cheap TOEFL courses I could while here?

How reasonable do you think it would be to find an IT job in one of these situations as a desktop support, network, anything entry level hands-on helping out. I'd like to keep skills current for when I eventually make my return.

I guess I am open to a lot of things.

That is awesome that you have traveled. I would love to go to South East Asia again.


Edit: I read through the post you linked and realized it was TESOL I was looking for. https://www.coursera.org/specializations/tesol which ASU does still have the course

[CamXoai]

@Thorne that WGU link was useful. Thank you.

@BJCheung -That is awesome advice.

Where do you suggest finding/searching for these NGO jobs?

Also as for teaching English. I thought ASU had a TOFEL Certificate course through EDx. It looks like it is no longer there. Do you have recommendations for cheap TOEFL courses I could while here?

How reasonable do you think it would be to find an IT job in one of these situations as a desktop support, network, anything entry level hands-on helping out. I'd like to keep skills current for when I eventually make my return.

I guess I am open to a lot of things.

That is awesome that you have traveled. I would love to go to South East Asia again.


Edit: I read through the post you linked and realized it was TESOL I was looking for. https://www.coursera.org/specializations/tesol which ASU does still have the course

Hey Yb1, I am the one Bjcheung was referring to in his post about the other guy finishing a degree abroad. I know this thread it old, but please feel free to reply here or private message me if you have any questions about cost of living in Asia, TESOL, job opportunities, etc. I'm currently based out of Vietnam and would love to help you if you have anything I can help you with. Hope your Master's is coming along well!

[Ideas]

I don't have much to add, except go for it!

Well one thing. Pearson has many international test centers. It might be an option. http://www.pearsonvue.com/es/locate

[burbuja0512]

I didn't read through all of the links in the thread, but I would say GO FOR IT. I would, however, strongly caution against spending much time in South Africa right now. I was there for two weeks last year and out of the 60 countries I have been to, I can say that I felt less safe there than anywhere else. (Even staying in a nice area right near the convention center)

Aside from the minor details, I think you could easily make a couple thousand a month with online ESL teaching. I'll spare everyone the boring details, but as I mentioned in another post, I just discovered it and it is a really cool way to supplement income and have FUN. There are tons of nomads that do this and depending on your need for flexibility and your skills (native speaker with North American accent is top) you can make from 11 - $25 dollars an hour.