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Studying in South Korea in Korean or in English

South Korean universities admit international students for exchange semesters and full degrees. The National Institute for International Education (NIIED), an agency of the South Korean Ministry of Education, runs the official portal Study in Korea with information on admission, language requirements and scholarships. The Korean you need depends on the language of your programme.

  • Degrees taught in Korean require proof of Korean, usually as a level of the TOPIK, South Korea's official Korean exam with six levels.
  • Programmes taught in English set their own language requirements, and each university states them in its admission rules.
  • Exchange students take the courses their host university offers in English or Korean, and many add Korean classes during the semester.

Online preparation suits Korean, because Hangul, grammar and the TOPIK can be practised from home long before departure, and local Korean classes outside university towns are rare.

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Even in an English-taught programme, Korean decides how well you manage daily life, part-time work and contact with Korean students. A Korean course alongside the degree covers this gap.

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TOPIK levels for admission, graduation and scholarships

Korean universities use the TOPIK, South Korea's official Korean exam, to admit international students to Korean-taught degrees. Each university sets its own rule, and the usual values look like this.

GoalUsual TOPIK requirementNote
Admission to a Korean-taught degreeat least level 3set by each university
Graduation from a Korean-taught degreeoften level 4check the study regulations
GKS graduate scholarshipone language year, waived from level 5rules published by NIIED
English-taught programmeset by the universitycheck the admission rules

The TOPIK has two parts. TOPIK I awards levels 1 and 2, TOPIK II levels 3 to 6, so applicants for a Korean-taught degree need TOPIK II. A score is valid for two years from the day the results are announced. You sit the exam at a test centre, on paper or as the internet-based TOPIK (IBT), which so far exists only in Korea and a limited number of countries.

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Plan the TOPIK so that the result is still valid when you enrol. A score from early in your preparation can expire before the degree starts.

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One language year before the degree with the GKS scholarship

The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is the South Korean government scholarship that NIIED manages for international students. According to the GKS guidelines of recent years, graduate grantees start with one year of Korean at a language institute on the campus of a Korean university. Grantees who already hold TOPIK level 5 or higher are exempt from this year and start their degree directly.

The language year shows how much Korean a degree demands. Korean universities run their own language institutes, which teach Korean to future students, exchange students and other learners. An online course before departure shortens the start there, because you arrive with Hangul, basic grammar and the polite -yo form already in place. The -yo form is the polite verb ending used with strangers and staff.

1 year
GKS language year
TOPIK 5 or 6
Exemption
TOPIK 3 or more
Korean-taught degree
2 years
Score validity

NIIED publishes the scholarship rules every year, and details such as deadlines and required documents can change. Check the current guidelines before you plan your Korean around the scholarship.

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Academic Korean in the plain written style ending in -da

Academic Korean uses a speech level that everyday courses barely teach. Speech levels are the verb endings that show politeness, and term papers, theses and reports use the plain written style, whose verbs end in -da.

StyleEndingExample for to researchTypical use
written style-nda or -dayeonguhandaterm paper, thesis, report
formal polite-mnidayeonguhamnidapresentation, conference talk
polite-yoyeonguhaeyoconversation with lecturers and staff

Academic texts also use many Sino-Korean words, which are words built from Chinese roots, such as yeongu (research) and nonmun (paper). Learners who know some Chinese characters, called hanja in Korean, recognise these word families faster. Korean also puts spaces between word units, and these spacing rules are a frequent source of errors in written work.

Emails to lecturers use a polite speech level and a form of address. You address professors as gyosunim, the word for professor with the honorific suffix -nim. An academic course practises these phrases, because an email that sounds too familiar comes across as impolite at a Korean university.

The writing part of TOPIK II, the upper part of South Korea's official Korean exam, includes a descriptive text and an argumentative essay. Both train the written style that a degree demands.

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Ask an academic Korean course to correct your texts in the -da style. Essays in the -yo form read like spoken Korean, and academic readers expect the written style.

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A study plan from the first course to TOPIK II

The time you need depends on your target level. With three hours of class a week you collect about 130 class hours a year, which is usually enough for simple conversations and basic reading after one year. A degree taught in Korean needs at least TOPIK level 3, so plan several years of study or an intensive phase.

  1. Months 1 and 2: Hangul, the sound rules and the polite -yo form.
  2. Year 1: basic grammar up to the content of TOPIK levels 1 and 2.
  3. Year 2 and later: intermediate grammar, academic vocabulary and the -da written style towards TOPIK level 3 or 4.
  4. Last 3 to 6 months before applying: TOPIK II mock tests in the format your test centre uses.
  5. After admission: academic writing and listening practice with recorded lectures in your subject.
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A score that just reaches level 3 opens the door to admission. Lectures, readings and seminar discussions in Korean demand more, so plan extra Korean classes for the first semesters if you arrive at level 3.

Frequently asked questions about online Korean courses for university

Is TOPIK level 3 enough for a whole degree taught in Korean?

TOPIK level 3 is usually enough for admission to a degree taught in Korean, but many Korean universities require level 4 to graduate. The exact rule is in the admission and study regulations of each university. Plan extra Korean classes during the degree if you start at level 3.

Do Global Korea Scholarship grantees have to learn Korean before their degree?

Global Korea Scholarship grantees in graduate programmes usually take one year of Korean at a language institute on a Korean university campus before the degree starts. Grantees who already hold TOPIK level 5 or higher are exempt. NIIED, which manages the scholarship, publishes the current rules every year.

Which style do students use for term papers in Korean?

Students write term papers in Korean in the plain written style, whose verbs end in -da. Presentations use the formal polite -mnida form, and conversations with lecturers usually the polite -yo form. An academic Korean course should correct your texts in the written style.

How early should I start learning Korean for a degree in Korea?

For a degree taught in Korean, start learning Korean several years before your application or plan an intensive phase. Korean universities usually ask for at least TOPIK level 3. With three hours a week you collect about 130 class hours a year, and the US Foreign Service Institute puts professional fluency at about 2,200 hours.

Why does Sino-Korean vocabulary matter for academic Korean?

Sino-Korean vocabulary matters for academic Korean because many academic and technical terms come from Chinese roots, such as yeongu (research) and nonmun (paper). Words that share a root form families, so learning roots speeds up reading. Learners who know Chinese characters, called hanja in Korean, recognise these families faster.

Sources

The information is based on these sources. Check fees and dates with the provider before you register.