Admissions

The University of North Korean Studies is a specialized educational institution in the field of North Korea and unification. It is a graduate school that operates Master’s and PhD programs excluding undergraduate programs. The University of North Korean Studies is located in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Those with a bachelor's degree can apply for a master's program and those with a master's degree can apply for a doctoral program. You can apply even if the major of your bachelor's or master's degree is different from North Korean Studies.

Applicants must take an entrance examination. The entrance exam consists of a document screening and an oral exam. The oral exam is conducted in Korean for the evaluation of scholastic ability. Therefore, applicants to the University of North Korean Studies must be able to communicate in Korean.

In the oral exam, one applicant answers the questions of three to five interviewers. The interviewers ask questions based on the submitted documents, taking into consideration the characteristics and circumstances of each applicant.

In the oral exam, questions about reasons for application and study plans take up a large proportion, and there may be questions about recent issues related to North Korea and unification. These measure the applicant's scholastic ability, logical ability, clarity, and so on.

Foreign students entering the University of North Korean Studies must be able to attend classes taught in Korean. To evaluate Korean language proficiency, the entrance examination (oral examination) is also conducted in Korean. In general, a level 5 or higher in the Test of Proficiency in Korean (TOPIK) is required.

There is no dormitory at the University of North Korean Studies. Foreign students entering our school should arrange their own accommodation.

The majority of students admitted to the University of North Korean Studies work during semesters. People from various fields such as government agencies, private companies, newspaper broadcasting, educational institutions, research institutes, domestic and foreign NGOs, and international organizations are entering our school. We offer classes from Monday to Saturday. You can earn credits after work or on weekends. For detailed class times, please refer to the class schedule on the website.

The University of North Korean Studies offers a wide variety of scholarships and 40% of students receive scholarships each semester.

In the case of new students, the school selects recipients of scholarships through admissions without a separate scholarship application process. In the case of current students, scholarships are offered only to selected applicants for each semester by the school after screening.

Foreign students may be eligible for "Academic Excellence" scholarship or "International Students" scholarship.

Admission for the first semester starts in October and the second half begins in April. For detailed application guidelines, please check the notice on our website during the application period.

The term of study to complete the degree program is 4 semesters (2 years) for a master's program and 5 semesters (2 years and 6 months) for a doctoral program. The minimum number of credits required to complete the degree program is 27 credits for a master's degree and 36 credits for a doctoral degree. You can earn up to 9 credits (3 courses) per semester, and in special cases, you can take more.

Even if the minimum credits for completion are met before the last semester, registration for the term of study (4 semesters for master's program, 5 semesters for doctoral program) is mandatory.

There are 6 concentrations in the master's and doctoral programs. Students choose their desired major while attending school. Students must complete at least 2 courses in the master's program and 3 courses in the doctoral program that correspond to the major they choose from among various courses.