Korean Job Discussion Forums

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

A guy I know is taking some classes at a branch of Syracuse U. over here and it piqued my interest as to whether there are other Unis in Seoul from the US. It'd be nice to get some coursework done and then transfer back to the US, or just complete my Masters over here. Any help is appreciated.

alibuch · Joined: 18 Apr 2007

I'm not sure about that but Yonsei and Korea Uni do have a GSIS program where you can get your MA in International Relations and the program is taught in English.

purple_buddha · Joined: 18 Apr 2003

A while back, Yonsei U. had a joint MBA program with the Sloan School of Management (MIT); Hanyang U. has a joint MA-TESOL program with the University of Oregon; Sejong U. has a joint MBA program with Whitman School of Management (Syracuse U.), and the list goes on.

The only way to know for sure about the transferability of any such program is to contact the affiliated school back home. Find out if a) the partnership is well established and legitimate, and b) what is the ratio of accepted transfer credit, as it most certainly will not be a 1:1 deal (more like 2:1 or 3:1 in their favor).

A friend of mine was going to enroll in one of the aforementioned programs before finding out, that after a year of full-time study, only 6 graduate level credits would be awarded in transfer to continue the program back home.

If you decide to take the plunge and do the whole program over here, you'll want to make sure the diploma has the US school's name on the diploma, not just the Korean issuing institution. Also, if the US affiliated school issues any sort of diploma for completing the program here, check the level, as it may only be a graduate certificate (a one year graduate diploma). For example, an MBA could take 2-2.5 years to complete over here but may only receive up to one year of full-time credit at the affiliate school back in the states. Paying full tuition rates here (say $7500 per semester), it could cost over $35,000 for the equivalent of 1 year of a graduate management or business school - hardly a bargain. (You may as well go to the source.)

If you do decide to enter and complete a program at a Korean university, make sure it's one of the SKY universities. You may not get a full credit-for-credit transfer, but at least people overseas will have heard of the school and know it has some reputation. A SKY master's degree may even get you into a PhD program back in the states without any further investment needed at the master's level.

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

That looks pretty good but I'm not sure if I'll be here for that long to complete the whole thing. If I do something like what my friend is doing, I can go back to the States with the coursework, or at least be sure that my coursework is accredited so I might be able to transfer them. Are the Korean univeristy programs accredited in the US? Thanks for the info.

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

Thanks Purple Buddha I'll do some more poking around and see what I can find.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

Credits from the big G.S.I.S. programs fully tranfer to insitutions back in N. America. I know of several people who have tranfered their grad credits back into Ph.D. programs without a problem.

Don't know about the Sejong/Syracuse degree, though. That would be something to check out before taking the plunge.