We both know the deal, KJ, but those in far away places, people who may run schools where we may find ourselves working someday, may not.

These guys don't care if your master's was/is "cheap" or not. They don't care if you got it at Wal-mart in thirty days or earned it from Stanford University in two years. They only care if you have one and your face is white. That's about it.

If you spend big on a master's, you'll feel duped later at some places (Thailand immediately comes to mind), places where spending big is simply not worth it. These are places whose students don't give one rat's behind what your credentials are. They don't want to learn English. Period. Throw in all the hassles these places will heave at you, and you'll see that going "less expensive" is best if you plan on staying a while.

Which way would I go? I'd go "not cheap/not expensive". I wouldn't spend big money on a master's because of certain "third-world realities", but I'd also want it to be a respectable piece of paper that could get me a job in Western Europe if I ever went there to teach.