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Gain insights into the South Korea higher education framework, academic culture, teaching methods, and grading system to prepare for your studies.
2 years (3 in some fields)
Offered by colleges. They teach the skills for a particular job.
4 years (6 for medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and some others)
The first university degree.
2 years or more
Advanced study and research after a bachelor's.
2 years or more
Research degree after a master's.
Korea's universities offer associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, plus Korean language courses for foreigners.
Korea's 16-year path: 6 years of primary school, 6 of secondary, then university.
The first university degree.
Needs a bachelor's degree or a matching degree.
Universities give letter grades from A+ to F and turn them into a grade point average (GPA, your average grade). The top of the scale differs: 4.5 at Korea University, 4.3 at Seoul National University.
| Letter Grade | GPA | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 4.5 | Korea University scale |
| A | 4 | - |
| B+ | 3.5 | - |
| B | 3 | - |
| C+ | 2.5 | - |
| C | 2 | - |
| D+ | 1.5 | - |
| D | 1 | - |
| F | 0 | Fail |
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is your average grade. Credits are points for each course, and a course with more credits counts more.
| Designation | Meaning | Effect on GPA |
|---|---|---|
| P (Pass) | For pass or fail subjects. | Not counted in the GPA at Korea University. |
| I (Incomplete) | The final mark is delayed. | Becomes an F if you do not finish the work in time. |
Each university writes its own grade rules.
Korea University: A+ is 4.50.
Seoul National University: A+ is 4.3.
Korean universities run two semesters: spring from March and fall from September. A semester is half of the school year.
A Seoul National University bachelor's needs at least 130 credits and at least 8 semesters of registration (being registered as a student).
Credit definition:
Check that the university and programme accept international degree students.
Check on the government study website.
The Korean government website for study in Korea, run by the National Institute for International Education (NIIED).
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