As one of the Asian tigers it has enjoyed rapid economic growth and avoided the worst
effects of the recession of the post-2008 period. Unemployment is low and public
services such as transport are cutting edge. The proportion on non-Koreans in the
population is increasing rapidly. English is widely taught and spoken.
There are 43 national and almost 180 private universities and universities.
Undergraduate programmes normally last four years (six years for medicine and dentistry).
In 2010 there were 83,842 foreign students from 171 countries studying in South Korea.
Compared with the US, Canada, and UK, Korea has lower tuition and living costs.
International students do not have to pay higher fees and there are many scholarship
programmes to assist international students financially.
The Korean government has recently announced substantial support and deregulation for
foreign students in areas such as scholarships, dormitory provision, part time jobs, and
employment after graduation.
Variety, that’s why! In South Korea you have not only an endless number of options for
careers, activities, cuisine, and weekend trips; you also have plenty of university options
to select from. In fact, just in South Korea alone, you can discover hundreds of university
options, each offering different types of training, research, and instruction that will suit
whatever you are looking for.
Based largely on an American education model, the universities in South Korea offer 4-
year Bachelor’s degree programmes, with Master’s degrees giving you an additional 2-3
years of education. So there’s plenty of time to acquire necessary skills and knowledge
before you’re tossed out there on the job market.
Documents to be prepared from Korea:
Since the 2008–09 academic year, student visa holders in degree courses of more than one year's duration at tertiary institutions may take up short-term internships that are study/curriculum-related (and be arranged or endorsed by their university), and up to one year’s duration with no restriction on the nature of work, level of salary, location, number of working hours and employers.