MOE scholarship - attainability

Language Learning Chinese
1

Hey I was wondering if anyone had any experience attaining the MOE scholarship? I’m curious as to how difficult it is to attain. My GPA was only a 3.2 as an undergrad, so although it wasn’t bad, it isn’t ‘exceptional’ by any means. Might this be a hinderance to my attaining the scholarship? What sort of acceptance rate do they boast? Also, how long after applying does it usually take to hear back as to whether or not you’ve been granted the scholarship? Can I apply extra early and find out sooner?

Also, regarding the application - I, much like others on this forum seem unable to find the application form, even through specific school’s websites. Must we attain the form in person from each specific school, or is it possible to find it as a .pdf anywhere via the school’s website?

2

Stitch, welcome.

Go to the nearest TECO office and apply there. They have the info regarding all the scholarships availoable, not just MOE -there are several kinds. No, the schools do not have the links. Yes, in person it is better. They want to see how interested you are.

Grades are not the only criteria. A good plan reagrding what you will do after you finish your studies is very important. Volunteer work or other extra activities also count.

3

I was the only applicant for the scholarship a few years ago (Canada), and so I got it by default. I don’t think the requirements are all that high.

4

Cool, thanks for the advice both of you! I will definitely go head over to their office in person right away and get the scoop :bow:

Considering that I’m already in Taiwan, perhaps it would be best to go straight to the MOE office in Taipei? I don’t think they have TECO offices locally. 'Twould be a bit silly to set up a foreign affairs office on domestic soil me thinks

5

…in which case they might give you a song and dance about having to go back to your home country to apply there… Please do not listen to this one. People have succesfully applied in Taiwan.

As said, depending on your nationality, there may or may not be a lot of comeptition. It also depends on teh kind of scholarship and what school you wsih to apply for. A good reccomendation letter, hopefully from someone within the local academic community, would also be a big push.

6

Did you find out the means of applying while living in Taiwan? I am in the same situation - currently studying at Shi Da but in need of a scholarship to continue. I am looking into this further and need to find the means to apply while here.

7

In that case, try to find out if the Taipei City Government scholarship is still available. It covers tuition.

8

Ill keep this thread alive with another question :smiley:

Does a university degree mean anything if it is from a University in Taiwan? As in, do Canadian or American companies recognize it, or is it mostly a waste of time to apply for that scholarship? (since they provide up to 5 years of $ for study)

I want to move back to Taiwan, so I was thinking of getting the 1 year mandarin study scholarship as I want to learn Mandarin better, and then looking for a job near the end of the scholarship.

9

Depends on the company and how snobby they are. Companies won’t NOT recognise it (as in, they’ll know that you studied and have a degree).

If you want to study anything in Australia they won’t recognise it, but then Aussies won’t recognise anything that’s not Australian. Because an Australian degree is worth SO much :unamused:

Employers here won’t mind. In fact, it’s a WOW factor - Wow, you studied University in Taiwan, that’s amazing!

10

[quote=“tsukinodeynatsu”]Depends on the company and how snobby they are. Companies won’t NOT recognise it (as in, they’ll know that you studied and have a degree).

If you want to study anything in Australia they won’t recognise it, but then Aussies won’t recognise anything that’s not Australian. Because an Australian degree is worth SO much :unamused:

Employers here won’t mind. In fact, it’s a WOW factor - Wow, you studied University in Taiwan, that’s amazing![/quote]

What makes you think a US company will recognize, or as you put it won’t not recognize, a degree from a foreign university? I can’t speak for Canada, but in the US it’s illegal in several states (OR, WA, ME, IL, MI, ND, NJ, NV, IN and TX) to use credentials from an unaccredited university. The company won’t simply take your degree at face value unless they have some way to verify it. They have to determine, somehow, that it wasn’t from a diploma mill. Here’s what the state of Oregon does.

[quote=“Oregon Office of Degree Authorization”]
Use of unaccredited degrees in Oregon

In many jobs and professions, degrees from unaccredited suppliers are not acceptable, because a degree from an accredited school is required. Oregon law (ORS 348.609) defines accreditation to include only those accreditors recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Most public employment, professional licensure, teaching, admission into a graduate school and degree use in other areas requires a degree from an accredited school. Any employer may impose such a requirement on job applicants or employees if a degree is required for employment. The State of Oregon requires accredited degrees for state employment. A list of accredited schools is maintained by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

To determine whether a degree from an accredited school is required for employment or licensure, check directly with the responsible entity.

In addition, an individual using an unaccredited degree, even if the employer allows use of such degrees, must disclose on resumes, letterheads, business cards, announcements and advertisements that “(Name of school) does not have accreditation recognized by the United States Department of Education and has not been approved by the Office of Degree Authorization.” ORS 348.609(2)(a). The only exception is for schools approved by ODA. See ORS 348.609(d) and OAR 583-050-0014.

It is a Class B Misdemeanor under the Oregon Criminal Code to use a degree in violation of ORS 348.609.

[/quote]
and

[quote=“Office of Degree Authorization”]
How does ODA evaluate foreign colleges?
ODA uses three principal screening tests to decide whether a non-U.S. college issues degrees legitimate for use in public or licensed employment in Oregon. In order to be allowed in Oregon, a degree must meet ALL of these tests.

  1. Can the school’s degrees be used as credentials within the host country? That is, if the school issues an M.D., can the person use that degree to become licensed to practice medicine in the host country? In many cases the country has a formal list of its approved schools. Unfortunately, in some cases this list includes some stowaways owing to inadequate screening.

  2. Does the host country have adequate academic oversight practices? Under Oregon law, ODA determines this on a case-by-case basis. Our list of unaccredited schools provides an idea of which countries have doubtful oversight.

  3. Do accredited Oregon colleges generally accept credits or degrees issued by the foreign school?

ODA can advise Oregon residents as to whether a degree from a foreign school is likely to be accepted here. Our principal consultant on foreign school evaluations is the international office at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers in Washington, D.C.

Note that the UNESCO database is no longer reliable as an indicator of the legitimacy of foreign schools because UNESCO has no screening function and has permitted some doubtful schools to be listed. [/quote]

So based on your post Dan2006, before you put down your money for any kind of degree in Taiwan, you need to be sure that it will be accepted in the US or Canada. You don’t want to waste your time and effort on a degree that will not be accepted elsewhere. For the US, here are a couple places to start:
US Department of Education
List of Education Accreditation Agencies World Wide
Department of Education: Foreign Credential Evaluation

11

thanks for the info :thumbsup:

12

As far as I know in order to apply for the MOE scholarship you must be a student in your own country, i.e. you must belong somewhere. Non-students are not granted the scholarship. The application form is available in your home country school. In my country the whole application process ends in December. As others already said whether it is difficult to get the scholarship or not depends on a country you are coming from.

The Taiwanese degrees are not recognized in most parts of the world. It means that if you go somewhere else at best you will have to pass the degree exam.

13

[quote]The Taiwanese degrees are not recognized in most parts of the world. It means that if you go somewhere else at best you will have to pass the degree exam.

[/quote]

Again, this is not true. Taiwanese degrees are recognized as valid anywhere. Any lawyer , doctor, engineer, from a foreign university who wants to work in another country of course will need to take a test and present docuumentation to practice fully. Each country would have set lregulations regarding ALL foreign degrees. He/she would need a license to do so, in the same way as Taiwanese who get a degree abroad still must tale a test here to be able to practice. Gee, even back home, even a US degree holder would stil need to have his skills tested, not just show a piece of paper.

Please do not diminish the validity of a Taiwanese degree. Certainly, it is no Harvard, but even a Harvard lawyer cannot practice here without passing the test. Ask Ma.

14

[quote=“Icon”][quote]The Taiwanese degrees are not recognized in most parts of the world. It means that if you go somewhere else at best you will have to pass the degree exam.

[/quote]

Again, this is not true. Taiwanese degrees are recognized as valid anywhere. Any lawyer , doctor, engineer, from a foreign university who wants to work in another country of course will need to take a test and present docuumentation to practice fully. Each country would have set lregulations regarding ALL foreign degrees. He/she would need a license to do so, in the same way as Taiwanese who get a degree abroad still must tale a test here to be able to practice. Gee, even back home, even a US degree holder would stil need to have his skills tested, not just show a piece of paper.

Please do not diminish the validity of a Taiwanese degree. Certainly, it is no Harvard, but even a Harvard lawyer cannot practice here without passing the test. Ask Ma.[/quote]

I agree about the doctors, lawyers, etc. that they need to take a test if they received their diploma from a foreign country. This is a common practice. Nevertheless, if I had a diploma from any European university in Art, and I would like to work in the field (at the university) in any other country, no one would ask me to take a test. However, if I would have the same diploma from Taiwan, then the story is different.
This is where Taiwanese diplomas differ. I don’t know if each kind of diploma has this problem (e.g. I don’t know about the MBA). I am now at the end of my postgraduate battle and I know that I will need to take test anywhere I go from here. Here is the thing about this test: it is really not that difficult! It is good to take this test in your alma mater. At least it works this way in some countries.
So if you want to study here, just do it.

15

As far as I know, arts are a different kind of beast. They have a special international test for piano, for instance -went out with a musician myself.

Blame it on teh field, not on Taiwan. My classmates who went home have had no problem with their MBAs.

16

I disagree with the above. U.S. employers, and individual recruiters, vary a lot. Some will see years spent in Taiwan as the moral equivalent of smoking hash in India. Others will be impressed that you’ve learned Chinese, and negotiated the intricacies of a foreign education system. (Of course they’d be even MORE impressed if you’d gone to Harvard, but that’s life.)

U.S. accreditation does not apply to foreign institutions, and as long as you are not commiting some sort of fraud, you are not committing a crime by claiming foreign degrees (not even in Oregon, which has unaccredited colleges). A U.S. university admissions office (distinct from the academic department you might be applying to) would likely decide whether or not to recognize a particular foreign degree, according to whether the school concerned appears on their list. (They’ve got a book for this.) In the case of Taiwan, this would basically boil down to whether it was listed on the MOE’s list.

Distance education still meets with a lot of resistance. Taiwan’s MOE flatly rules out recognizing such degrees. Degrees from universities known primarily for conventional residential study would be better received than those from exclusively online or correspondence schools.

By the way, Australian universities DO routinely recognize foreign degrees.