Korea University
Source: https://employability.uq.edu.au/host/korea-university Parent: https://employability.uq.edu.au/exchange-funding
Seoul
Republic of South Korea
Korea University exchange website
Language of instruction
Korean
English
Korea University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prominent institutions of higher education. The university places a strong focus on innovation.
Seoul is the bustling capital of South Korea. It is surrounded by mountains and divided in two by the Han River. KU’s Seoul campus is characterised by sprawling lawns and stately architecture. The leafy campus has many landmarks well-known to students, including Squirrel Path. It is said that “when a man and woman walk along the path together and encounter a squirrel, they will fall in love.”
Semester dates
| UQ Semester | Host Semester | Dates |
| Semester 1 | Semester 1/ Spring semester | March–June |
| Semester 2 | Semester 2/ Fall semester | August–December |
View the KU academic calendar.
Guides and additional information
KU has online resources to help get more from your exchange:
- University information sheet
- Global Services Center
- Buddy and mentor programs
- Step-by-step guide for after acceptance
Campuses
KU has 2 campuses available to exchange students:
- Anam
- Sejong
Exchange deadlines
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:\ Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)\ Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:\ Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Last Chance Apps Close: 31 January 2026 for Sem 2, 2026 exchange
Book your Global Experiences Appointment
Report any problems with this web page
Student testimonials
B Science
Semester 2, 2022
Full-time study load
Undergraduate: 15 credits per semester at KU is equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Postgraduate: 9 credits per semester at KU is equivalent to 8 UQ units.
Host university requirements
GPA\ You will need a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.0 to study at KU.
Study Options\ Not applicable to this university. However, you may be required to take the majority of courses (60%) within a single faculty/department.
Note: Host university eligibility criteria are at the discretion of the host and may change without notice.
Find courses
Search the KU course catalogue
Select English in the Course Registration box > Click "more +" under the Search Course tab > In the Classification field, choose Major or General Studies > Select the College or School; English-taught course has been indicated as "(English)" on the course tile.
The KU course lists will be updated in January for the Spring semester and in July for the Fall semester.
Crosscheck the courses you found in the host course catalogue with the Credit Precedent Database to see if UQ credit has previously been granted. The database should be used as a general guide only. Few courses from each host will be in the database and many course precedents in the database may have expired. Note, the credit precedent database does not replace the host course catalogue. If a course is not listed in the CPD, you can still ask for it to be assessed on your study plan.
Study areas taught in English
Undergraduate
Biological sciences
Biomedical science
Biotechnology
Chemistry and biochemistry
Civil engineering
Communication, digital media and PR
Earth and Geographical Sciences
Economics
Electrical engineering
English
English literature
Environmental engineering
Environmental studies
Exercise science
Finance
Food science
International business
International relations
Leadership and Management
Linguistics
Marketing
Materials engineering
Mathematics and statistics
Mechanical engineering
Microbiology
Physics
Political science
Psychology
Public policy
Sociology
Software engineering
Postgraduate
Earth and Geographical Sciences
Physics
Software engineering
Academic restrictions
Study Load Restrictions\ Students are unable to enrol in a full-time study load in the following disciplines, however, enrolment in one or two courses may be possible:
- Finance / International Business / Leadership & Management / Marketing
- Civil Engineering / Environmental Engineering / Materials Engineering
- Exercise Science / English Literature / Public Policy
- Linguistics
- Biotechnology / Chemistry & Biochemistry / Earth Sciences & Geography / Environmental Studies / Food Science / Maths & Statistics / Microbiology / Physics
Course Restrictions\ Full details of course restrictions can be found on the KU fact sheet (refer to overview tab)
- Business: There is a high demand for Business courses. Students can normally enrol in no more than 3 KU Business courses. KU cannot guarantee your preferred course choices.
- Media and Communication and International Studies: Courses are in high demand. Enrolment is not guaranteed.
- Psychology: Offered through the College of Liberal Arts - Department of Psychology. Full-time enrolment is difficult unless students are very flexible in their UQ program.
- Undergraduate: UG students cannot take postgraduate-level courses.
- Enrolment limits: KU has a set 15% limit on exchange students, meaning that exchange students can only constitute 15% of the whole class. This generally means there are only 5–7 positions available for exchange students in each class.
- Flexibility: Students applying to KU must have flexibility in their UQ program requirements. Students with only compulsory courses to complete will not be able to apply to KU.
Disciplines/Faculties Restrictions \ The following are not open to exchange students at Korea University:
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Pharmacy
- Law
- Teacher Education
- Division of Information Security (Department of Cyber Defence)
- Art & Design
- All Business School graduate programs
- All courses offered in Sejong Campus
Additional academic information
Credit-bearing Korean language courses
- Available at 6 different levels from Beginner, Intermediate to Advanced levels. Students are required to sit a placement test on the first day of the language class.
- Course list and syllabus are available under "General Subject" - "General Studies" - "Electives" on KU online course catalogue, course code starts with "IFLS".
Free Korean language classes (4 weeks) are offered to exchange students who have completed a regular semester at KU, i.e. after (not before), your exchange semester. Spring semester students can do the free language classes in June, and Fall semester students in December.
Course Numbering\ KU doesn't distinguish their courses by levels, the course code only shows the department/division the course is under. KU courses are categorised into three groups: Major required, Major Elective, and Elective. The Major required courses are more intensive compared to Major Electives or Electives relatively.
Additional Academic Resources\ KU has online resources to help navigate its academic policies:
Exchange deadlines
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:\ Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)\ Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:\ Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Last Chance Apps Close: 31 January 2026 for Sem 2, 2026 exchange
Book your Global Experiences Appointment
Report any problems with this web page
Accommodation
KU has 3 dormitories for international students, however, spaces in these facilities are limited. KU's Global Services Center provides information about these residence halls and tips for finding private accommodation.
Students who are assigned on-campus housing will be required to take a tuberculosis test (x-ray or blood test or skin test) dating after July 1st for fall semester intake and January 1st for spring semester intake.
Cost of living
KU provides students with a guide to the cost of living, including average monthly fees and common expenses students can expect to encounter while studying in Seoul.
Additional Mandatory Fees
Korea University has a non-refundable application fee of USD$50 applicable to all exchange students. This fee is part of the application requirement and is to be paid when submitting your application. This fee cannot be waived.
Financial support
A range of funding for student exchange including scholarships, grants and loans are available to UQ students.
Host Scholarships\ Exchange students may be able to receive a scholarship while studying at Korea University. KU Global Services Center has information on student eligibility and application details.
Hyun Family Korea Scholarship\ Enables undergraduate students studying Korean who have an interest in journalism, media and/or communications to participate in semester-long exchange programs in South Korea. Read the Hyun Family Korea Scholarship page for full details including the eligibility criteria.
Insurance
Students approved to participate in a Semester-based Exchange are automatically covered by UQ’s Travel Insurance for the country of their host university only.
For more information, read the Student Travel Insurance Policy Summary on UQ’s Travel Insurance web page (login required).
If you plan to travel outside of your host country, you should purchase additional insurance.
It is now required by the Korean Ministry of Education that all incoming international students are covered by private health insurance during their stay in Korea.
Exchange deadlines
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:\ Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)\ Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:\ Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Last Chance Apps Close: 31 January 2026 for Sem 2, 2026 exchange
Book your Global Experiences Appointment
Report any problems with this web page
Organise your visa
It is your responsibility to ensure you have the correct visa for the country where you will be studying. As the Global Experiences team is not a visa-issuing authority we cannot provide visa advice.
KU provides visa and immigration information for incoming exchange students.
Contact the Korean Embassy for more visa information.
Travel risk levels
The University of Queensland cannot and does not allow students to travel to any country with a risk level of 3 (Reconsider your need to travel) or above, as assessed by the Australian Government.
If a country's risk level changes to 3 or above, experiences to that country are suspended until the risk level improves.
Find out the risk level and travel advice, and sign up to receive updates for your host country on the Smartraveller website.
Exchange deadlines
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 1:\ Open: 24 April (for Semester 1 of the following year)\ Close: 31 May (for Semester 1 of the following year)
Application for Exchange in UQ Semester 2:\ Open: 24 September (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Close: 31 October (for Semester 2 of the following year)\ Last Chance Apps Close: 31 January 2026 for Sem 2, 2026 exchange