Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) for Exchange Students 2026

The Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is a fully funded scholarship for exchange students. This scholarship is offered for master’s and undergraduate studies for the 2026-2027 session. The scholarship covers living expenses, settlement allowance, airfare, and medical insurance.

SNU ISI presents a unique opportunity for students to experience academic life at Seoul National University, Korea’s most prestigious university and one of the leading universities in the world. SNU ISIs are taught by distinguished SNU and visiting faculty members, offering students a chance to learn in depth about Korea and East Asia, as well as a range of topics from the disciplines of economics and business management to history, politics, sociology, and arts.

Since its establishment in 2007, more than two thousand students from around the world have participated in the SNU ISI program to learn, experience, and enjoy an unforgettable summer of academics, activities, and long-lasting friendships.

Purpose: to provide meaningful experiences for exchange students regarding Korean culture and  education; to strengthen the global competence of Korean universities.

Scholarship Summary

• Level of Study: Undergraduate / Master’s 
• Institution(s): SNU’s partner universities
• Study in: South Korea
• Program Period: 4 months or 10 months (depending on the student’s exchange period)
• Deadline: June / December (Annually)

Courses Offered:

College of Humanities

Education

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

 

College of Social  Sciences

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

College of Natural Sciences

Science

•  Mathematical Sciences
•  Statistics
• Physics and Astronomy
• Physics
• Astronomy
• Chemistry
• Biological Sciences
• Earth and Environmental Sciences

College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

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

College of Business Administration

• Business Administration

College of Education

Education

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

College of Engineering

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

College of Fine Arts

Science

• Oriental Painting
• Painting
• Sculpture
• Crafts and Design

College of Liberal Studies

• Liberal Studies

College of Human Ecology

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

College of Music

•  Vocal Music
• Composition
• Instrumental Music
• Piano
• Wind
• String
•  Korean Music

College of Nursing

• Nursing

College of Pharmacy

• Pharmacy
• Manufacturing Pharmacy

College of Veterinary Medicine

• Preliminary Veterinary Medicine
• Veterinary Medicine

Interdisciplinary Programs for Undergraduates

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

For more information, click here.

Science

RESTRICTION:

• The College of Business Administration is restricted to students who are currently majoring in business or economics at their home university.
• Applicants who apply for the Korean History, Psychology, and Statistics major must provide proof of Korean language ability. A satisfactory level of Korean language ability should be either (1) Level 5 or above of the official Korean Language Proficiency Test or (2) Level 5 or above of the Korean Test conducted at the SNU Language Institute.
•  The College of Law has not been open to undergraduate-level students since Spring 2018.
• The School of Law, a specialized law school for graduate-level students, will be open to undergraduate-level students from Fall 2025. Please note that these undergraduate students will be enrolled as graduate (master’s) students in the SNU law school during their studies.

Applicants who want to study in the disciplines of medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, music, and MBA must, in advance, be advised of the eligibility by SNU coordinators.

Colleges & Universities

• The College of Medicine is no longer available to exchange students.
• The College of Dentistry is open only to master’s-level students currently enrolled in a master’s program at the School of Dentistry or an equivalent at their home university. The student exchange program is NOT available at the undergraduate level for the College of Dentistry.
• The vocal music major is restricted to students who are currently studying vocal music at their home university.

Scholarship Coverage

The GKS Scholarship for Exchange Students provides the recipient with the following benefits:

• Living Expenses: 630,000 won per month.
• Settlement allowance: 200,000 won upon arrival.
• Round-trip Airfare: Reimbursement available within the set amount.
• Medical Insurance: 20,000 won per month (paid by each university).

Eligibility Criteria for the GKS Scholarship for Exchange Students

To qualify for the GKS Scholarship, a candidate must fulfill all of the following requirements:

Education

• Required Language: English.
• Eligible Countries: All countries.
• Applicants must currently be enrolled in at least the second semester of the home university program (i.e., have completed at least one semester before they apply)

* We cannot thus accept graduate students who are enrolled in the first semester of the master’s program at the application stage.

• Applicants must 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
• Master’s: GPA 3.0/4.0 (equivalent to 3.3/4.3) or percentile rank 89

How to Apply for the Global Korea Scholarship for Exchange Students?

Please follow the application instructions below to apply for this scholarship.

1. Applicants must be nominated by their universities, and the application package should be sent by the university by email, along with a formal nomination letter for the GKS scholarship.
2. The nominated students will receive detailed information on how to log in and apply online from the designated SNU coordinator.
3. Apply to the exchange program through the Online Application Form, fill in the application, and 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).
• A copy of the applicant’s passport.
• For Fine Arts, Music, and Physical  Education applicants: Photographs of works/recordings of performances.
4. For more information on the exchange program, click here.
5. Submit the application.

 

Colleges & Universities

Website

To know more about the Global Korea Scholarship for Exchange Students, please visit the official website:

Official Website

 

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