Academic Information

Approximately 40% of courses at Korea University are taught in English, providing access to a comprehensive array of academic disciplines. Korean Language courses are offered every semester at six different levels.

Courses are available in English in the below disciplines. Students enroll in 4–5 courses per semester (3 credits), which usually transfers as 12-15 U.S. semester credits (or 18-22.5 quarter credits). Students will enroll in courses approximately 2 weeks prior to departure and will have the opportunity to make changes during the add/drop period once classes begin.

For detailed instructions on how to find courses and syllabi, please see our course selection instructions.

PROGRAM MODEL IN SOUTH KOREA

TEAN has established an integrated direct enrollment model with Korea University. By enrolling our students directly, we are able to give you access to a majority of the courses offered throughout the university’s academic departments. Forty percent of KU’s courses are taught in English, so TEAN students will get the opportunity to attend many of the same classes as local students who are looking to improve their English-language skills.

Please Note: Korea University does not typically release their course selection options until a couple weeks before you depart for the program. We are able to provide you with courses that have been offered during previous semesters so you can gain approval from your home institution in advance. Your program manager will work hard to distribute the course details as soon as it is released from the university. You will enroll in your courses about two weeks prior to the start of the semester.

CONTACT HOURS

All students are required to undertake a minimum of 12 credits per semester. Most courses are 3 credits and meet for three hours per week. As the semester is 15 weeks in length, courses are typically 45 contact hours total for the term. Final credit allotment is at the discretion of each student’s home university and is typically based off of the total number of contact hours for each course.

COURSE REGISTRATION

Students will complete an online course registration process prior to arriving on campus, which allows students to register into classes at the same time as local Korean students. This will be one of the most important steps you will encounter throughout this entire process.

Korea University also has a very strict add/drop period, which occurs once students arrive on campus during the second week of classes. When it comes time to register, you will choose from the list of 8+ classes you have been approved for at your home university. If you choose to register for courses that have not been pre-approved by your home university, it is your responsibility to communicate with your university to gain the necessary approval.

More information about course registration will be made available closer to your departure for Seoul.

SELECTING YOUR COURSES

1. Click HERE for Korea University list.

   • Close out of the pop-up box that will appear

   • In the white box titled ‘Course Registration’, select the ‘English’ box.

   • Scroll down and click ‘Search course more +’

   • In the Year and Season boxes, enter the term one full year prior to your program.

   • Campus – Seoul

   • College Section – College

   • Classification – You will review courses under ‘Major’ or ‘General Studies’. Most department-specific courses will be under Major.

     • The Korean language courses are found in General Studies – Electives. The course codes are IFLS108 (Beginner’s Korean I), IFLS109 (Beginner’s Korean II), IFLS110 (Intermediate Korean I), IFLS111 (Intermediate Korean II), and IFLS112 (Advanced Korean I).

     • The second dropdown menu lists the Schools/Colleges and the third menu lists the departments within that School/College.

   •  All courses taught in English will have ‘(English)’ at the end of the Course Name.

   • Only courses with a check mark in the ‘3)X’ column are open to visiting students.

   • When you click on the Course Code, the course information will pop up. If a syllabus is available, it will be attached near the bottom of the page.

Remember, the courses you choose MUST have a checkmark in the ‘3)X’ column and must list ‘(English)’ in the course name (unless you are fluent in Korean or it is a Korean language course).  Please also review the Special Notes on Courses section below.

2. Arrange for a meeting with your academic advisor in order to have these courses approved for credit transfer at your home university.

3. Once you have made your course selections, submit them online in your TEAN online application. Please be sure to include the KU College and Department in the comments.

EXAMPLE

Course Name: DEMOCRACY AND CAPITALISM (English) 
Course University: Korea University 
Course Code: POLI431 
Course Period of Study: Fall or Spring Semester that you are attending 
Course Credit Points: 3 
Course Comments: College of Political Science & Economics/Department of Political Science & Int’l Relations

SPECIAL NOTES ON COURSES

COMPETITIVE​ CLASSES

Business, Media, and International Studies courses (course codes beginning with BUSS, JMCO, and DISS) at Korea University are extremely competitive and space is often limited. These courses often fill up very quickly during registration. If you are expecting to take courses in these subjects at KU, please be sure to have a few options that you can choose from, and alternative courses in case you are placed on a waiting list or denied entry due to class size.

COURSES THAT ARE NOT AVAILABLE

Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Law, Teacher Education, Division of Information Security, Exercise Science, and Art & Design courses are not open to study abroad students.

KOREAN LANGUAGE CLASSES

Korean language courses are offered each semester in five levels, from beginner to advanced. Anyone planning to take a Korean course above the first level will take a placement test at KU orientation to ensure you are placed into the correct level.

• Beginner’s Korean 1 (IFLS108) is designed to give students basic knowledge of simple everyday Korean, listening and correct pronunciation practice, the Korean alphabet and fundamental sentence structure.

• Beginner’s Korean II (IFLS109) provides students with more expressions in Korean, listening and correct pronunciation practice, reviewing and building upon basic grammar, and beginner composition.

• Intermediate Korean I (IFLS110) focuses on conversation, constructing Korean sentences, expanding vocabulary, and broadening students’ understanding of Korean life and culture.

• Intermediate Korean II (IFLS111) aims to expand on vocabulary and expressions necessary for business dealings, understanding the culture more in depth, and improving reading, writing, and listening skills.

• Advanced Korean I (IFLS112) provides students with knowledge and discussions of social issues, enhances ability to effectively communicate with idiomatic expressions, and gives tools to research and present on advanced topics.

POPULAR COURSES

Please note: These courses are not guaranteed to be offered every year.

POPULAR COURSES OFFERED IN ENGLISH

BUSINESS

COMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA

EDUCATION

ENGINEERING

ENVIRONMENT

HEALTH

HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

SCIENCE