Tenure Track Positions in Korean Universities

An interesting question from one of the people who attended my recent KOTESOL presentation on How to Get a University Job in South Korea. She asked about the possibility of tenure track positions for foreigners in Korean universities.

My short answer was that while it's not impossible, it's quite unlikely. For example, during my 8 years working at unis I've only met 2 foreigners who were in these kind of positions. The vast majority are on 1-2 year contracts and there are also a few visiting professors who plan to return to positions in their home countries.

Part of it is that there are so many Koreans who are qualified for these jobs and the other thing is the language barrier. Any university who hires you will want you to be an active member of that department-attending MT, counseling students, going to meetings, working on committees, etc. Nobody will want to translate for you during all of these things and so you will basically be side-lined unless you are fluent in Korea. In addition, if you teach anything other than English, it will be really difficult for you to effectively teach your students who likely don't have the English ability to be able to understand lectures on anything besides the most basic of topics.

So, is Korea the answer for someone with a PhD unable to find work in their home country? Probably not and I wouldn't count on being able to get anything besides short-term, 1-2 year contracts.

Job Security in South Korean Universities

Job Security in South Korean Universities?

 A reader question:

"I recently bought and read your book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea. I really enjoyed it and found that it answered many of the questions I’d had about applying for university work in South Korea. While reading the book, I was hoping that you might touch on the topic of tenure for university jobs. I’m currently teaching at a Japanese university and have found that - for foreigners - securing a tenured position is extremely difficult if not impossible in most institutions here. Working in South Korea, have you found that most employment is rotational, contract based with limitations on renewal? Are there stable, tenured positions with upward mobility? If you have the time, I’d really appreciate your feedback on these questions. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your response."

Thanks for checking out How to Get a University Job in South Korea and also sending me your excellent question. I didn't include this topic in the book simply because there are no positions teaching English in South Korean universities for foreigners that are tenure-track, and upward mobility is extremely limited in almost all cases. Most universities offer one year contracts (a limited number 2 years) and your renewal depends on the whims of the powers that be and until you've been at a place for a few years, you really should have some back-up plans come contract renewal time.

The exception to this would be if you have a PhD in a field other than TESOL, but you'd still have a hard time getting tenure and moving up the ranks if you don't speak Korean. It's all about relationships here and greasing the right wheels and lack of language skills would limit you significantly. Competition even for adjunct professor positions is fierce here, as it is in the west.

It sounds to me like the situation regarding tenure in Japan is basically the same as in Korea, so I wouldn't recommend making a move based on that alone.

Teaching Content Classes instead of Conversation at Korean Universities

Teaching Journalism at a Korean University

A reader question:

"I have several graduate degrees (Master's degrees in Journalism, Counseling Psychology and a PhD in Health Education and Promotion.) My first passion is teaching journalism. Do you think it's possible I could teach any of these courses at the university level or do you think my only option is ESL?"

My answer:

You are certainly well-qualified to teach something besides ESL at a Korean Uni and I'm sure you would do a fabulous job of it. However, the big problem will be finding this job because they are extremely rare and the people that have jobs teaching something besides ESL generally hold onto them for year, after year, after year. And once they do decide to let it go, it's often filled from the "inside," that is someone already working at that uni or a friend of a friend of some kind. These kind of jobs are almost never advertised, from my perusing of places like ESL Cafe.

(Join the Facebook group: Foreign Teachers in Korean Universities)

In addition, you are in Canada now and most of the places that are offering these kinds of jobs will probably want an in-person interview, although you might luck out and get a Skype interview. That said, check out The Chronicle of Higher Education and see what you can find. You might just find yourself at the right place at the right time. Another strategy would be to come to Korea and take any university job that you can get, network with all the right people during that year and make a move up in the world a year or two later.

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Reader Question: PhD to Get a University Job in Korea?

PhD to Work at a Korean University?

"I've just finished my masters in TESOL and want to make a smooth transition into a university job in Korea. Any advice on how to get into the game without any current uni teaching experience because it seems like every position requires it.  Is it worth it to get a PhD?"

Thanks for the question- it's a position that many people in many industries around the world find themselves in. They have the education, but lack the experience to get them the job in the field. The catch 22. 

Anyway, because your masters degree is in TESOL it will be possible for you to get a university job in Korea, eventually so don't give up. I talk about this very question in my book, How to Get a University Job in South Korea: The English Teaching Job of Your Dreams and give some suggestions such as working at a unigwon for a year or two or at a lower level uni out in the countryside. I give an abundance of detail in the book, so check that out if you haven't already.

As for the PhD thing, I've been around Korean universities for the past 8 years and can count the number of foreigners with PhD's working there on 2 hands, and possibly 1. The people that I have met were those who studied something else besides TESOL such as English Literature, Social Welfare or Engineering and were working in those departments teaching content classes, as opposed to general English classes.

Since you have a masters in TESOL, I'm assuming that is what you'd do your PhD in. In this case, it is a total waste of time and money if your end goal is to get a job at a Korean university; it just doesn't matter to Korean universities when they hire an English conversation instructor. If your goal is to make teaching ESL your career and move on to other countries or back home, then yes, possibly it is a good idea but it really depends on your individual circumstances.