Embassy of the Republic of Korea
in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Education System of Korea

• Education system : a single-track 6-3-3-4 system
• Compulsory education : nine years including six years of elementary school and three years of middle school
• School semesters : the first semester-from March to August, the second semester-from September to February
• Vacation : the summer vacation-July to August, the winter vacation-December to February

< Korean Education System >

Higher Education in Korea

Korea's higher education institutions include universities, industrial universities, junior colleges, universities of education, open universities, technological universities, and other miscellaneous institutions.

Korean universities are divided according to the body that established them, ie. into national universities established and run by the Korean Government, public universities established and run by local governments, and private universities established and run by incorporated educational institutions.

As of April 1, 2007, there are 412 universities in Korea. These include 175 universities proper, 152 junior colleges, 36 graduate schools, 17 cyber universities, 14 industrial universities, 11 universities of education, and 7 others.

• Universities
  • The length of the courses are 4~6 years. Medicine, oriental medicine and dentistry each require 6 years of study. There are degree courses in thirty different majors. The total number of credits required for graduation generally is 140 credits. Undergraduate degrees are conferred on those who have completed the course as set out in the school regulations.
• Junior Colleges
  • Junior colleges have a minimum course length of two or three years. 2 year junior college requires 80 credits for graduation and 3 year junior college requires 120 credits. A diploma from the junior college is conferred on those who have completed the course as set out in the school regulations. Those who have graduated from junior colleges may enroll in universities, industrial universities or open universities.
• Masters Course
  • The required course of study for a Masters is two years or more. Usually, students are required to obtain 24 credits. After gaining the prescribed credits and passing the set examination, candidates for a Masters degree submit a Masters thesis which must pass the examination of at least three examiners.
• Ph. D Course
  • The required course of study for a Ph. D is three years or more. Usually, students are required to obtain 36 credits. After gaining the prescribed credits and passing the comprehensive examination, candidates for a Ph. D submit a Ph. D thesis which must pass the examination of at least five examiners.
• Post-Doc Course
  • These courses are for continuing research after completion

Education of International Students

Korean universities are expanding their international cooperation and exchange as well as actively inviting foreign students so as to improve their international competitiveness.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology formed the Study Korea Project (2004), under which it set the target of attracting 50,000 foreign students by 2010. In order to realize this objective, the Ministry is promoting projects for expanding government scholarships, improving study and living conditions for foreign students, building efficient administrative support systems, etc.

According to the statistics on foreign students in Korea, there were 49,270 foreign students studying as 408 universities as of April 1, 2007. By area of study, there were 14,184 Korean language students, 22,171 undergraduate students, graduate students 9,885 and 3,030 other students.

• Education Program
  • Regular Semester Program
    • These courses involve attending classes in the regular semester program, together with domestic students over the regular spring and fall semesters. General courses are held in either Korean or a foreign language.
  • Exchange Student Program
    • Korean universities mutually exchange students based on exchange agreements with sister universities. These exchange student programs allow for study at foreign universities for a set period. Students chosen as exchange students need to have grades and foreign language ability above a certain level.
  • Vacation Period Programs
    • During the summer or winter break, foreign students may take classes, such as ordinary classes or Korean language classes.
  • Lectures in English
    • At present, universities with an interest in internationalizing university education are conducting about 30% of their classes in English. The proportion of classes conducted in English is higher in graduate schools than in undergraduate studies. Some universities have established international faculties in which all the courses are taught in English.
  • Korean Language Courses
    • Many universities run Korean language lectures for foreigners in language schools that they have established as part of the university. Short courses of 3~4 weeks are run with the goal of improving oral communication ability intensively over a short time period. Courses spread over a longer 10~40 week period try to improve study results by improving communication ability through activities related to real life, and broadening the understanding of Korean culture through parallel cultural courses.

  Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK)
  The Test of Proficiency in Korean is aimed at providing directions for the study of Korean to foreigners and overseas Koreans who do not speak Korean as their native language, expanding the diffusion of the Korean language, measuring the ability of students to use Korean and as a result be useful for their study abroad or employment. For the details, please refer to the website http://www.topik.or.kr

• Admissions Guide
  • Qualifications and Lengths of Courses of Study

    Qualifications and Lengths of Courses of Study

    Course	Qualifications	Course Length
    Junior College	Foreigners who have completed courses of primary and secondary education abroad (12 years total)	2 ~ 3 years
    Undergraduate	Foreigners who have completed courses of primary and secondary education abroad (12 years total)	4 ~ 6 years
    Master's Course	Persons who have completed courses of primary and secondary education abroad and have a Bachelor's Degree	2 years or more
    Ph. D Course	Persons who have completed courses of primary and secondary education abroad and have a Master's Degree	2 years or more
    Language Study	Person who has at least graduated from high school	1 ~ 2 years
    Exchange Student	Person enrolled at a partner university	1 semester ~ 1 year
    Short-term Self-funded Study	Study at a Korean university on an exchange program with the home university or as a student on leave or graduate from the home university	1 semester ~ 1 year
    Vacation Study for Foreigners	Foreign students participating in programs related to Korean language or Korean studies held during the summer or winter vacation	2 ~ 3 months

  • Application Period
    • The deadline for spring semester (March entry) applications is usually from September to November, and for autumn semester (September entry) it is from May to June. Since this differs between schools, you need to confirm for yourself the deadline for applications.
• Scholarships
  • Scholarships from Universities
    • Many Korean universities run a variety of scholarship programs for foreign students. Most universities support foreign students for 30~100% of their tuition depending on their academic results. See the website for guidance on scholarships from universities: www.studyinkorea.go.kr
  • Scholarships from the Korean Government
    • Korean Government Scholarship Program for Graduate Students - Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
      • Eligibility: Primarily students from nations who are signatories to cultural agreements with Korea (also includes some other countries)
      • Fields supported: All
      • Period of support: 2 years for Masters, 3 years for Ph. D, 6 months~1 year for Research (6 months~1 year for Korean language study, ifrequired)
      • Support provided: Tuition fees, living costs of 900,000 Won per month, research expenses
      • Quota: 660 people
      • Application dates: December each year
      • Scholarship Provider: National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology T. 82-2-3668-1359 www.ied.go.kr
    • Korean Government Scholarship Program for Undergraduate Students - Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
      • Eligibility : Undergraduate students from Korean EDCF and DAC of OECD recipient countries
      • Fields supported: All
      • Period of support: 4 years for Undergraduate, 1 year for Korean language study provided separately
      • Support provided: Tuition fees, living costs 800,000 Won per month, medical insurance
      • Quota: 200 people
      • Application dates: Late-November ~ January each year
      • Scholarship Provider: National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED), Ministry of Education, Science and Technology T. 82-2-3668-1359 www.ied.go.kr
    • Research Fellowships for International Graduate Student Program - Ministry of Education, Science and Technology
      • Eligibility : All countries in the world
      • Fields supported : Science & Technology Fields
      • Period of support : 2 years for Masters, 3 Years for Ph. D
      • Support provided : 8.4 million Won per year for Masters, 10.8 million Won per year for Ph. D
      • Quota : 100 people
      • Application dates: Mid-June
      • Scholarship Provider: Korea Research Foundation T.82-2-3460-5766www.krf.or.kr
    • Korean Government IT Scholarship Program - Ministry of Information and Communication
      • Eligibility : All countries in the world
      • Fields supported : IT Fields
      • Period of support : 2 years for Masters, 4 Years for Ph. D
      • Support provided : 10 million Won per year for Masters, 14 million Won per year for Ph. D
      • Quota : 130~180 people
      • Application dates: December for the Spring semester, June for the Autumn Semester
      • Scholarship Provider: Institute of Information Technology Advancement, Research Personnel Team T.82-42-710-1320 www.korea4u.org
    • Global IT Policy & Technology Scholarship - Ministry of Information & Communication
      • Eligibility : Information and communication public servants and experts from Asia-Pacific, Middle East, etc.
      • Fields supported : International IT fields (Policy, Technology)
      • Period of support : 2 years for Masters, 3 years for Ph. D
      • Support provided : Tuition fees, living expenses of 1.5 million Won per month, airfare, medical insurance provided
      • Quota : Policy course 15 people, technology course 25 people
      • Application dates: Spring semester - December, Autumn semester - June
      • Scholarship Provider: Institute for Information Technology Advancement, Research Personnel Team T.82-42-710-1323 www.iita.re.kr
      • Implementing Bodies: Seoul Nat'l University(www.snu.ac.kr) - Policy course
    • Art Major Asian (AMA) Scholarship - Ministry of Culture & Tourism
      • Eligibility : Excellent Artists from various Asian countries
      • Fields supported : Arts fields (music, dance, fine arts, film, drama, traditional arts)
      • Period of support : 4 years undergraduate, 2~3 years postgraduate
      • Support provided : 18 million won per year for undergraduate, 18 million won per year for postgraduate
      • Quota: 20 people
      • Application dates: June
      • Scholarship Provider: Korean National University of Arts T. 82-2-958-9042, www.knua.ac.kr, ama@knua.ac.kr
    • Graduate Studies Fellowship for Foreign Students in Korea - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
      • Eligibility : All countries in the world
      • Fields supported : Humanities and social sciences research in fields related to Korea (Korean studies, Korean language literature, Korean history and other Humanities and Social Sciences related to Korea)
      • Period of support : 2 years maximum for Masters, 3 Years maximum for Ph. D
      • Support provided : Tuition fees only
      • Application dates: Deadline January 15, each year
      • Scholarship Provider: Korea Foundation www.kf.or.kr
    • Korean Language Training Fellowship - Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade
      • Eligibility: All countries in the world
      • Fields supported: Korean language training
      • Period of support: 6 months~1 year
      • Support provided : Living expenses 900,000 Won~ 1.1 million per month, entry assistance 300,000 Won, tuition fees, travel insurance.
      • Quota: 70 ~ 80 people
      • Application dates: Deadline July 31
      • Scholarship Provider: Korea Foundation www.kf.or.kr
  • Scholarships from Private Foundations
    • The International Scholar Exchange Fellowship - Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies
      • Eligibility: University professors and researchers from Asian countries
      • Fields supported: Humanities/Social Sciences, Energy, Telecommunications
      • Period: About 1 year
      • Support provided: 2.2 million Won research expenses, entry expenses, return airfare and insurance
      • Quota : About 50
      • Application dates: Deadline February 15
      • Scholarship Provider: Korea Foundation for Advanced Studieswww.kfas.or.kr
    • Scholarship for Students from Abroad - Korea Scholarship Foundation for Future Leaders
      • Eligibility: Foreigner currently enrolled at a general university graduate school who have completed at least the second semester of their Master course
      • Prerequisite qualifications: Persons with GPA of 3.0/4.5(2.8/4.3) or more across all semesters
      • Period of support: Maximum of three semesters
      • Support provided : 100% tuition fees and 2 million Won per year study support
      • Application Deadline : Around January~February
      • Scholarship Provider: Korea Scholarship Foundation for Future Leaders www.kosffl.or.kr