Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for Exchange Students 2023

The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is a fully-funded scholarship for exchange students. It is awarded for undergraduate and Master’s studies for the 2022 – 2023 school session. Global Korea Scholarship covers the living expenses of the student, settlement allowance, airfare, and medical insurance.

Seoul National University (SNU) is Korea’s most prestigious university. And studying at SNU International Summer Institute provides students with a unique opportunity to experience academic life at Seoul National University.

Seoul National University ISI is taught by members of the university and also some visiting faculty members. Here, students are offered a chance to learn in-depth a wide range of topics from Economics, Business Management, History, Politics, Sociology, Arts, and more.

This program was established in 2007, and since then, more than 2000 international students have participated in the SNU ISI program. The main purpose of this exchange program is to provide experiences that are meaningful to exchange students, with regard to education, and the Korean culture, and also strengthen the global competence of universities in Korea.

Level of Study: Undergraduate and Masters.
Institution(s): Seoul National Universities partner universities.
Country: South Korea
Duration: 4 months or 10 months (This depends on the student’s exchange period).
Deadline: September / February(Annually)

Courses Offered at Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for Exchange Students

These are some of the courses offered at the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for Exchange Students:

College of Humanities

Korean Language and Literature.
English Language and Literature.
Language and Literature.
French Language and Literature.
Russian Language and Literature.
German Language and Literature.
Hispanic Language and Literature.
Asian Languages and Civilizations.
Korean History.
Linguistics.
Asian History.
Philosophy.
Western History.
Religious Studies.
Aesthetics.
Archaeology and Art History.

The College of Social Sciences

For the college of social sciences, we have:

. Political Science and International Relations
- Political Science
- International Relations
Sociology.
Economics.
Anthropology.
Geography.
Psychology.
Communication.
Social Welfare.

College of Natural Sciences

Here we have:

Statistics.
Mathematical Sciences.
Physics and Astronomy.
- Astronomy.
- Physics.
Biological Sciences.
Chemistry.
Earth and Environmental Sciences.

College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

Applied Biology and Chemistry.
Plant Science.
Biosystems & Biomaterials Science and Engineering.
Forest Sciences.
Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
Food and Animal Biotechnology.
Landscape Architecture and Rural System Engineering.

College of Business Administration

Business Administration

The College of Education

The college of Education, they have:

Korean Language Education.
Education.
English Language Education.
French Language Education.
German Language Education.
Social Studies Education.
Mathematics Education.
History Education.
Ethics Education.
Geography Education.
Physics Education.
Biology Education.
Chemistry Education
Physical Education.
Earth Science Education.

The College of Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Computer Science and Engineering.
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Materials Science and Engineering.
Architecture and Architectural Engineering.
Nuclear Engineering.
Industrial Engineering.
Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering.
Energy Resources Engineering.

The College of Fine Arts

Painting.
Oriental Painting.
Sculpture.
Crafts and Design.

The College of Liberal Studies

Liberal Studies

The College of Human Ecology

Food and Nutrition.
Consumer and Child Studies.
Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design.

The College of Music

Composition.
Vocal Music.
Korean Music.
Instrumental Music:
- Piano.
- String.
- Wind.

The College of Nursing

Nursing.

The College of Pharmacy

Pharmacy.
Manufacturing Pharmacy.

The College of Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary Medicine.
Preliminary Veterinary Medicine.

Interdisciplinary Programs for Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for Exchange Students (Undergraduates)

Computational Sciences.
Information Science and Culture Studies.
Entrepreneurship.
Media Art.
Global Environmental Management.
Comparative Studies for East Asian Humanities.
Technology Management.

Some Restrictions for the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for Exchange Students

The College of Business Administration restricts students who are currently majoring in business or economics at their home university.
Students applying to the Korean History / Psychology / Statistics Major have to provide their proof of Korean language ability. A level deemed satisfactory in the Korean language is either:
- Level 5 or above on the official Korean Language Proficiency Test.
- Level 5 or above on the Korean Test conducted at the SNU Language Institute.
The College of Law has been closed to undergraduate students from Spring 2018.

Students who are applying to study Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Music, and MBA must first seek advice from SNU coordinators in advance. This is done to assess their eligibility.

The College of Medicine is also no longer open to exchange students.
College of Dentistry is only open to Masters-level students who are currently enrolled in a master’s program at the School of Dentistry or its equivalent at their home university. This exchange program is NOT available for undergraduate studies at the College of Dentistry.

GKS Scholarship Coverage

This award provides recipients with the following benefits:

Living Expenses: 500,000 won paid per month.
A Round trip Airfare: This is reimbursed within the set amount.
Settlement allowance: 200,000 won that is paid upon arrival.
Medical Insurance: 20,000 won per month. This is paid for by each of the universities.

Eligibility Criteria for Global Korea Scholarship for Exchange Students

To be eligible for this scholarship, the student must meet the following requirements:

Required Language: English.
All world countries are eligible.
The students must be currently enrolled in at least the second semester of their home university program. The students should have completed at least one semester before applying.
The Students must also fulfill the following GPA requirement. (from Fall 2020’s admission)
- Undergraduate: GPA 2.5/4.0 (equivalent to 2.7/4.3) or percentile rank 83
- Masters: GPA 3.0/4.0 (equivalent to 3.3/4.3) or percentile rank 89

How to Apply for GKS Scholarship?

Follow these instructions to apply for this scholarship:

Students have to be nominated by their universities. The application package should also be sent by the university via e-mail, with a formal nomination letter for the Global Korea Scholarship.
The students nominated will get detailed information on how they can log in and apply online from the designated SNU coordinator.
You can apply to the scholarship exchange program through the On-line Application Form. Enter your details in the application, then upload the scanned copies of the documents below to the application system:
- A Certificate of Enrollment from the current university you are attending.
- Official University Transcript.
- Letter of Recommendation from a professor at the current university.
- A Statement of Purpose (a free essay in English or Korean).
- Copy of the Applicant’s Passport.
- For Fine Arts, Music, and Physical Education applicants: Photographs of works/recording of performances
For more information on the exchange program, read more on the Office of International Affairs.

Then submit the application.