"ACCREDITED CHEAPEST MASTERS" in the WORLD. +Online Degree

[bjcheung77]

BJ, Am I the only one who finds the repeated solicitations for direct messaging concerning? They feel spammy to me.

Some people want to volunteer and provide extra advice, it may be easier with a private message for follow up. I would just update the thread if there are any questions that members want to be answered, PM is good if there are specifics that aren't or shouldn't be shared, such as demographic or personal info.

Are these even degrees worth anything if you live in the US?

It really depends on the person looking for these type of degrees, as they are cheaper, easier, faster and may have similar accreditation when evaluated by one of the FCE. Someone may want a specific foreign degree at a budget range that can't be had at similar UK or US institutions.

[Geonho Lee]

Are these even degrees worth anything if you live in the US?

If you live in a first world country, I seriously question the value of having any Korean education unless you plan to live and work in South Korea. My dad graduated from Seoul National University (Ranked #1 in South Korea) and while he was studying in the US for his PHD, he only really got recognition from other Koreans who were also working on their graduate studies. I also did 1 undergrad semester at Yonsei Underwood. Although the courses may be in English, you could get unlucky and get a Korean native professor trying to speak English. I’ve heard the master’s is a lot better but can’t confirm.

I'm only questioning the value of the degree overseas. For those who don't know, Yonsei is the #2 university in Korea and is therefore extremely (VERY VERY) difficult to get into as a Standard Korean Applicant. For context, at my standard public Korean middle school (not in Seoul), we only had one other alumni (Number 1 Academically Ranked Student in middle school, Number 3 in high school) out of 400+ in our grade get in. The native students might not be able to speak fluent English (some magically do, one classmate that never left Korea even spoke fluently with an English accent) or write anything that doesn't look formulaic, but they are literally the smartest people you will ever meet. If you go to Yonsei University and a classmate tells you “Oh, I didn’t study that much for that test,” you are legally required to slap them and scream “LIER” (In reality, you say “Yeah, me too.” and stare into their blatantly lying eyes). When I was at Underwood, the student population was 75%+ Korean with the rest being international students.

Thanks for sharing. Yonsei is best private school in Korea and as you know about 20% of them graduate from foreign language high school so they are very fluent in English. For your information, After secondary, 1% students will be accepted to 과학고 Science High school(I do not know this is a right translation) and 10% top students go foreign language high school. I went Foreign Language highschool near Seoul and 1 out of 5 class mates were bilingual or native English speaker and most of the classes conducted in both Korean and English.

[Hotdogman1]

The only schools that really implemented English and Korean classes well (equivalent or better than average US public schools) were those Global high schools. I failed to get into one (nervously stuttered and flunked the interview stage) so I had to go to a foreign language high school instead. As a “native English” student, I became friends with other school’s native English speakers during English debates and contests (you’re competing against the same people over and over again). Nobody knew more than 5 students that had that magic touch. Sure, most students can sound somewhat competent, but any deviation from the standard script and everything goes to hell. It seems like you have the touch but it’s definitely not a “graduate from foreign language high school so they are very fluent in English.”

[Hotdogman1]

Reading this back, it seems like we got off topic. We are probably the only two foreign language high school graduates on this entire website so discussing this further seems meaningless.

The only reason I went to Underwood was despite being a US citizen, I would be considered an International Student or out of state at best as I didn't have a resident state. As I always planned to live and work in the US, I realized it would be better to go to a community college to establish a domicile for instate tuition and transfer into a in State 4 year University after getting an associates. So I left (and then proceed to take the most random courses and bounced around multiple CCs/universities). I've never even used my HS diploma after leaving Underwood as it was just easier and faster to take the GED for admission into community college. I only used the GED afterwards.

I still don't see the value in any Asian master's degree if you plan to live in the US. Like bjcheung77 mentioned, it's might make sense if you were looking for a specific program. However, if you're just looking for a degree if you really didn't have the financials, wouldn't ENEB serve as a faster, easier, cheaper, and equivalent checkmark? Of course, if your goal is purely learning, throw everything I stated out the window.

[Geonho Lee]

The only schools that really implemented English and Korean classes well (equivalent or better than average US public schools) were those Global high schools. I failed to get into one (nervously stuttered and flunked the interview stage) so I had to go to a foreign language high school instead. As a “native English” student, I became friends with other school’s native English speakers during English debates and contests (you’re competing against the same people over and over again). Nobody knew more than 5 students that had that magic touch. Sure, most students can sound somewhat competent, but any deviation from the standard script and everything goes to hell. It seems like you have the touch but it’s definitely not a “graduate from foreign language high school so they are very fluent in English.”

Thanks. Its actually about Rank of the school. I do not know what Foreign Language Highschool you went, but like Daewon Foreign Language Highschool, more than 50% students are "Bilingual". They are brightest students of the Country. You have to make sure also, Maybe because I am native in Korean and English is my second language, ah...I consider myself as a 'Bilingual' but, probably you are right, Surely my Korean is slightly(or much) better than my English and That is the reason why I believed my classmates were very fluent. for your information, my TOEFL iBT score was 106 when I accepted to college. thanks.

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Reading this back, it seems like we got off topic. We are probably the only two foreign language high school graduates on this entire website so discussing this further seems meaningless.

The only reason I went to Underwood was despite being a US citizen, I would be considered an International Student or out of state at best as I didn't have a resident state. As I always planned to live and work in the US, I realized it would be better to go to a community college to establish a domicile for instate tuition and transfer into a in State 4 year University after getting an associates. So I left (and then proceed to take the most random courses and bounced around multiple CCs/universities). I've never even used my HS diploma after leaving Underwood as it was just easier and faster to take the GED for admission into community college. I only used the GED afterwards.

I still don't see the value in any Asian master's degree if you plan to live in the US. Like bjcheung77 mentioned, it's might make sense if you were looking for a specific program. However, if you're just looking for a degree if you really didn't have the financials, wouldn't ENEB serve as a faster, easier, cheaper, and equivalent checkmark? Of course, if your goal is purely learning, throw everything I stated out the window.

Unfortunately ENEB or Elmwood Institute, they are not accredited really, Elmwood insists that they were accredited by DEAC, but not really.
The degree that got from ENEB may not be accepted in prestigious ones. I learned that DEAC accredited degree accepted in Yonsei recently.


As soon as I get DEAC accredited degree next year, I consider applying for Yonsei Theological Seminary, or Seoul National University Religious Studies or
Graduate School of Korean Studies, Religious studies major.

You been Korea for a certain time and you may know, about the degree from CC or Online program, Apparently there is a 'Discrimination'.
I currently working as a English LMS developer in Christian education firm and my job is stable.
I am going to write papers about the cults in South Korea and I plan to be, associate professor of Theological School, or Seminaries in East Asia.
I been US for 5 years, lived in Sub-urb in California, of course I loved it but since there is dream to become a scholar and missionary,
I'd rather live in 3rd world and want to be a respected instructor.

[Hotdogman1]

I'm not sure you are bilingual if you can't understand my point.

[Geonho Lee]

I'm not sure you are bilingual if you can't understand my point.

I understand your point. since we are talking about "Foreign Language High School" in Korea,
and the thread is about the 'Cheapest Accredited Masters'.

The thing that I want to mention is,
As you may understand, I spend way more years in South Korea and born and raised.
I was smart and I called smart. Maybe because I grew up in Korea, people always told me I sound like a native.
I worked really hard for foreign language school, (2000~2006, something like that), I thought I was a bilingual.
because all the people in Korea said like that and even in Highschool, they mentioned same thing.
Of course I went state college in California and hung out with Korean, they never mentioned about my accent or stuffs.

It seems like you are real Korean American, I reflect myself that I was living inside of small world.
In the ear of Korean people, I was Bilingual not by you.
That is my point.

You went Yonsei Underwood, and if you were Korean national then you maybe on another level.
TOEFL iBT 106 is meaningless. Just tell you are able to be accepted UCSD nothing more.
When I talking to you, my faith and decision to not stay longer in the US became concrete.
I was right, I am valuable in Here Asia not the states.

[Hotdogman1]

Are you okay?

[Hotdogman1]

I have never mentioned your accent. I have never heard your voice. I never said you were dumb. 

If you read my first post, I also mentioned "they are literally the smartest people you will ever meet." For Koreans to participate with the rest of the modern world, we needed to learn English. As a result, English was strongly emphasized in schools to the point where it was more important than Korean itself. These foreign language high schools excelled at creating Korean students that could speak English. The downside of these Foreign Language high school is that it also cultivated an identity around their English ability. The point should have been to learn English so we could efficiently communicate our intelligence but it turned into some twisted form of competition for the best English. The truth is half the world already speaks English. Nobody cares how well you can speak English. As long as you can communicate your ideas, nobody in the US cares about your accent. Nobody is looking down on you. You struggled and it seems like you won. 

It appears that somehow you are as bitter as me. I was the smartest kid when I went to school in the US and it was so easy. It was so hard in Korea. I just wanted to take classes in English again. When I failed to get into the Global high school, I heard about a foreign language high school that provided classes in English. It was so low quality that I never learned a thing. I decided to focus on applying to US schools, so I went to SAT hagwon, ACT hagwon, short essay hagwon (for the SAT Essay writing portion), and a different essay hagwon that specialized in Common app. After 3 years and multiple attempts, I finally got a 2300 SAT and 33 ACT scores and I got accepted at every school I wanted. Then the realities of the financials kicked in and I got really depressed. My mom heard about Underwood and how they provided classes in English. In my first class, the professor was a Korean professor trying to speak English. I remember bawling in the middle of the lecture room.

I wish you well. My dream is to become a pilot and I am also going to flight school on top of grad school. If I make it to the airlines, I'll give you a free flight to Korea from wherever you end up when you miss home.

[Geonho Lee]

I have never mentioned your accent. I have never heard your voice. I never said you were dumb. 

If you read my first post, I also mentioned "they are literally the smartest people you will ever meet." For Koreans to participate with the rest of the modern world, we needed to learn English. As a result, English was strongly emphasized in schools to the point where it was more important than Korean itself. These foreign language high schools excelled at creating Korean students that could speak English. The downside of these Foreign Language high school is that it also cultivated an identity around their English ability. The point should have been to learn English so we could efficiently communicate our intelligence but it turned into some twisted form of competition for the best English. The truth is half the world already speaks English. Nobody cares how well you can speak English. As long as you can communicate your ideas, nobody in the US cares about your accent. Nobody is looking down on you. You struggled and it seems like you won. 

It appears that somehow you are as bitter as me. I was the smartest kid when I went to school in the US and it was so easy. It was so hard in Korea. I just wanted to take classes in English again. When I failed to get into the Global high school, I heard about a foreign language high school that provided classes in English. It was so low quality that I never learned a thing. I decided to focus on applying to US schools, so I went to SAT hagwon, ACT hagwon, short essay hagwon (for the SAT Essay writing portion), and a different essay hagwon that specialized in Common app. After 3 years and multiple attempts, I finally got a 2300 SAT and 33 ACT scores and I got accepted at every school I wanted. Then the realities of the financials kicked in and I got really depressed. My mom heard about Underwood and how they provided classes in English. In my first class, the professor was a Korean professor trying to speak English. I remember bawling in the middle of the lecture room.

I wish you well. My dream is to become a pilot and I am also going to flight school on top of grad school. If I make it to the airlines, I'll give you a free flight to Korea from wherever you end up when you miss home.

 Thank You. I was too picky. I am not “Bbi Jim”
Anyway I spent 4 and a half year in Central California,
You may understand if you grew up in Seoul.

I thought Los Angeles and Hollywood could be magical
when I was in Highschool. I am a native YDP Seoul citizen,
Seoul was even bigger modern city and I learned it after I arrived LAX.

Also I learned I was smart enough, rich enough in Seoul,
But in the states, I was average Asian and nothing special.
I became special when I went Danang Vietnam for my job,
Christian Education firm employee, they so eager to come and study in below average Christian Universities in Korea,
And they were being so nice to me and my boss,
We awarded scholarship of $4,000 for 5 top students in Vietnam, they were faithful Christian and they told me
saving $4,000 for average vietnamese, took least 5 years.

Then I decided if I work for Christian foundations in Korea,
I became “so needed, Very important person” for those students, that is why I need Masters in Theology or missiology or Religious studies.

I want to be in place where I respected, needed, worth.
That is why I work for this firm and help those students in Vietnam, Philippines, India, Kazahkstan.