Investigate your options. You basically have two choices for getting your master's when you are teaching abroad: You can apply to and complete a program at a local university, or you can apply for and complete an online program at a traditional or for-profit U.S. institute or university. 4 International Colleges and Universities (4icu.org) can help you search for colleges abroad. Gradschools.com can help you find online programs in the U.S., and you can actually filter schools by field, degree level (master's, PhD, Ed.S), and state.
Verify accreditation. Not all colleges and universities are created equal. If you plan to return to North America, you will want to make sure that your college of choice is recognized in the U.S. or Canada or wherever you call home. If you choose to go with an online program, you will also want to make sure that your university or institution of choice is fully accredited. Keep in mind that U.S. colleges and universities are regionally accredited, so you will want to verify with an admissions representative that the university is regionally accredited, not just nationally accredited. If you are pursuing a professional degree (counseling, education, law, engineering, etc.), you will want to verify that your program of choice meets the professional requirements of that particular field so that you can exercise your degree upon graduation.
Be realistic. If you plan to complete your degree at a local university abroad, keep in mind that you will probably have to pay international tuition rates. You will want to contact the local university that you are interested in to find out information such as tuition rates, residency requirements and admission requirements. Unless you are going with an American university abroad, you will probably have to be fully fluent in the local language in order to successfully complete your degree. Also, keep in mind that although your university of choice may be internationally accredited, it may not have the same name recognition as a U.S. college if you plan to move back to the states. Also, recognize that if you plan to go with an online or distance program, you will need to have a lot of self-motivation and discipline to complete the coursework and readings on your own. Also, there is still a stigma when it comes to online education, which may create issues when you enter the U.S. workforce in your chosen field. Fortunately, many traditional brick-and-mortar schools are offering online degrees nowadays, and your diploma will not be differentiated from a traditional program.
Gather the necessary paperwork or documentation. Now the college application process is usually online, although universities abroad may require you to mail in your application. Either way, you will want to contact the universities and institutions you are applying to in order to find out if GRE or GMAT scores, transcripts, essays, work portfolios, recommendations or proof of residency or citizenship are required. Foreign universities may have different requirements than U.S. universities. Either way, you will probably have to contact your undergraduate institution in order to request transcripts, proof of graduation and recommendations.
Apply and start your program. Fill out the online or paper application and submit it to your university of choice. Whether you choose to go with a local foreign university or an online U.S. or Canadian program, you will likely have to pay an application fee, which generally varies between US$30-$150 depending on the school and program you choose. These can add up and teacher's salaries tend to be low all over the world, so you will want to narrow down your university choices before going through the application process.
Once you've applied for and been accepted to a graduate program, you'll want to get started. If you're living abroad, buying books can be a real issue, so you may have to order books online and have them delivered to your home abroad, which can be quite costly.