Korean Job Discussion Forums

[pangaea]

I am looking for a university that offers a Master's in Korean language and literature or culture. If I could get a scholarship to a university here, I might consider staying and getting a degree with an eye to going into language teaching or translation. Has anyone studied here or know which universities would be best to look into?

[Cedar]

Yonsei, if you want to study Korean history and society, is the biggest program where you can take your classes in English, though you have to test at a reasonable degree of Korean fluency to graduate from the Korean Studies program. (you can also take classes from other GSIS programs and from the main campus (in Korean)

Seoul National, the program is small, more than half the classes are in Korean, it's also fairly history focused (you can also take classes from other GSIS programs and from the main campus (in Korean)

Sogang and Korea and Ewha, even smaller, but I think they allow you to study just in English (you can also take classes from other GSIS programs and from the main campus (in Korean). Ewha's major is not Korean Studies

Academy of Korean Studies, almost all classes are in Korean. wide range of classes. full scholarship if you get in.

Actually most of the programs have good scholarship opportunities, but the private schools are harder, financially, than the public schools, because the tuition is higher. And I think only AKS normally gives you cost of living stipend as well as covering your tuition with scholarships.

A friend is soon to start in the translating program at Hankuk U. of Foreign Studies or whatever the name is. Translating-- you have to have excellent really excellent Korean to even get in.

[Cedar]

There are other programs, they pop up everyday, it seems. If your Korean is good enough, I'd say stay out of the GSIS programs and go to a main campus program. Or AKS, except it's in the boondocks. I would recommend Yonsei, where I got my MA in Korean Studies (and I've also studied on other campuses, esp. SNU) except the faculty isn't the same as it was for me, several years ago.

If you do well in a Korean MA program there is reason you can't do a Ph.D. in the US. I was accepted to 5 out of the 8 schools I applied to for my Ph.D. in the US and accepted the one with the nice sweet full ride. I wouldn't recommend a Ph.D. here as even the Korean profs at the top schools graduated from US universities (or Canadian, British, Australian, etc. )