2024 GKS (Global Korea Scholarship)

Application Guidelines for Graduate Degrees

- The Graduate School of Korean Studies,
The Academy of Korean Studies -
1. About the Graduate School of Korean Studies
The Graduate School of Korean Studies is an affiliated institution of the Academy
of Korean Studies(AKS), which is funded and administered by the Korean government.
It was established in 1980 to nurture scholars contributing to the development and
globalization of Korean studies, through a liaison between the AKS’ research capacity
and graduate education.

As a research-oriented institution in the fields of humanities and social sciences

pertinent to Korea, the Graduate School of Korean Studies has maintained its
commitment to the highest quality teaching and research through eminent professors’
close mentoring of students for the past 45 years. Our graduates are playing pivotal
role in the various educational and research organizations of Korean studies around
the world with their academic excellence.

Currently, approximately 200 students are enrolled in the Master’s and doctoral
degree programs at the institution, including about 100 international students from 25
countries.

◦ A research-oriented, government-funded graduate school in the fields of humanities

and social sciences pertinent to Korea
◦ IEQAS(International Education Quality Assurance System)-certified graduate school,
recognized by the Ministry of Education for its international-student-friendly and
supportive environments
◦ A 5:1 student-faculty ratio, enabling professors’ close one-on-one guidance of
students
◦ Korean language courses as well as various cultural activities available free of
charge
◦ Various programs such as tutoring and writing clinic, supporting student’s academic
performance

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2. Recruitment of 2024 GKS(Global Korea Scholarship) Grantees
The Global Korea Scholarship(GKS) is a scholarship program supported by the Korean
government and implemented by the National Institute for International
Education(NIIED). By providing international students with opportunities to study at
higher educational institutions in Korea for graduate-level degrees, GKS aims to enhance
international education exchange and deepen friendship between Korea and participating
countries.
The Graduate School of Korean Studies, the Academy of Korean Studies, has been
selected as one of the designated Korean universities which applicants can choose to
study for their Master's or doctoral degree program with the support of GKS.

3. Programs Offered and Period of Scholarship

Program Period of Scholarship Remarks

Master’s 3 years 1 year of Korean language program
Degree (2024. 9. 1. ~ 2027. 8. 31.) + 2 years of degree program
Doctoral 4 years 1 year of Korean language program
Degree (2024. 9. 1. ~ 2028. 8. 31.) + 3 years of degree program

4. Available Fields of Study

Divisions Majors
Korean History, Diplomatics and Bibliography, Philosophy,
Humanities
Korean Linguistics·Korean Literature
Anthropology·Folklore, Religious Studies, Musicology,
Culture and Arts
Art History, Cultural Informatics·Human Geography

Social Sciences Political Science, Sociology, Education

Korean Cultural Studies

Global Korean Studies
(Only available for a Master’s degree program)
4 Divisions 13 Majors for Master’s Degree / 12 Majors for Doctoral Degree

For detailed information on the curriculum of each major, please visit grad.aks.ac.kr,
click 대학원 소개(Introduction to the Graduate School of Korean Studies), 전공 안내
(Majors), and select a division and a major of interest.

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 An academic year consists of two semesters and courses are provided for 15 weeks
per semester. A spring semester begins in March, a fall semester in September.

Most courses are taught in Korean, while courses in Korean Cultural Studies major
are provided in English.

Depending on the field of study in which a doctoral degree program applicant

majored for his/her Master's degree, admissions can be restricted. Please refer to
the [Attachment] for the recognized similar fields of study for the applicants of
doctoral degree program.

5. Number of Candidates to Be Recommended to the NIIED

Maximum 15 candidates (Maximum 4 candidates from one country)

6. Selection Timeline
Selection Steps Dates (Korean Remarks
Procedure Standard Time)
Application documents should be sent by
Application Deadline Wed 3 Apr 17:00
registered mail.

Announcement of the
University Tue 16 Apr 17:00
Interviewees List
Track
Video Interview Fri 19 Apr Via zoom

Announcement of
Wed 1 May
Selection Result
To be conducted via Zoom for successful
Video Interview Fri 24 May
Embassy candidates of 2nd round of the Embassy Track
Track Announcement of
Fri 7 Jun
Selection Result

※ The above schedule may change under the unforeseen circumstances.

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7. Important Notes for Applicants

A. For general application guidelines, please see [Appendix 1] ‘Application Guidelines for
Graduate Degrees’ offered by the NIIED. It is also essential that applicants
additionally meet the language requirements as follows:

Language Requirement Depending on Majors

Time All Majors Except Remarks
Korean Cultural Studies
Korean Cultural Studies

Applicants with a
valid TOPIK certificate
of level 5 or 6 are
TOEFL 80, IELTS 6.5, or exempt from the
When applying -
TEPS 301 mandatory Korean
language program and
will begin the degree
program in Sep 2024.

Korean language
program will be
Before GKS
taught at Pai Chai
grantees complete
TOPIK level 3 TOPIK level 4 University
the Korean
(www.pcu.ac.kr/eckfl),
language program
an AKS’ commissioned
institution.

Those who have scored

70% or higher of the
requirement to attain
TOPIK level 3 can be given
If GKS grantees one-time-only six-month Their admission to the
fail to meet the extension of Korean Graduate School of Korean
above language program, provided Studies as well as the
requirement that they have been scholarship is revoked.
granted admission from
their Korean language
institute and obtained
approval from the NIIED.

In order to Students who fail to

graduate from reach the required
TOPIK level 4 TOPIK level 6
the degree TOPIK level are not
program eligible to graduate.

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 1) Applicants for Korean Cultural Studies must have English language proficiency
equivalent to or higher than TOEFL* 80, IELTS 6.5 or TEPS 301 which is valid as
of 1 Mar 2024.
* MyBest Scores1) and Home Edition2) are acceptable.
* TOEFL ITP(Institutional Testing Program) is not acceptable.
* The TOEFL Destination Code (Institution Code) for the AKS is 2067.

In the following cases, however, applicants for Korean Cultural Studies are
exempt from providing the above score report.
- Applicants are from a country where English is an official language.
- Applicants obtained a degree at a university or a graduate school whose
medium of instruction was English.
The above English requirement is only applicable to Korean Cultural Studies
applicants.

2) Applicants are eligible to apply for any major without Korean language proficiency.
However, once selected as GKS grantees, they should reach TOPIK level 3(students
of Korean Cultural Studies) or TOPIK level 4(all students other than those majoring
in Korean Cultural Studies) during the Korean language program in order to begin
their degree program at the Graduate School of Korean Studies.

3) GKS grantees (except those of Korean Cultural Studies) who fail to attain TOPIK
level 4 during Korean language program are not allowed to proceed to the
degree program and their scholarship is revoked.

1) MyBest Scores are the highest scores on each section (Reading, Listening, Speaking and
Writing) from all of the test taker’s valid TOEFL iBT test scores from tests taken in the last
two years, and a total score that is the sum of the MyBest section scores.
2) The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is the same TOEFL iBT test an applicant would take at a test
center, just taken from the privacy of his/her own home and monitored online by a human
proctor.

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 B. Required Documents and Certificates

◦ Applicants are required to submit the following documents and certificates by

registered mail and they must be received by the application deadline (3 April).
No. of
Type Details Submission Requirement Documents
to be
Submitted
Application Form,
Personal Statement, Study All forms must be completed in English or
Documents Korean with applicant’s signature. One
Plan, Recommendation
to be original
Letter, Application ※ No need to be apostilled or
Completed copy
Agreement, and Personal consular-confirmed
Medical Assessment

◦ Documents written in English or Korean

MUST be apostilled or consular-confirmed.
◦ Documents written in other languages MUST
obtain apostille or consular confirmation
either on the original document or certified One
Graduation Certificates, translation. Then the document written in apostilled
Required
Academic Transcripts, original language and its certified translation or consular-
Certificates
Proof of Nationality, etc. must be submitted together. confirmed
※ Applicants from a member country of the certificate
Apostille Convention are required to have
their documents apostilled. Applicants can
submit a consular confirmation only when
apostille is not possible.

◦ Addressee
(In English) GKS Student Advisor
The Graduate School of Korean Studies
The Academy of Korean Studies
Haogae-ro 323, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do
Republic of Korea (Postcode: 13455)

(In Korean) 경기도 성남시 분당구 하오개로 323

한국학중앙연구원 한국학대학원 교학실 (우편번호 : 13455)
정부초청외국인장학생 담당자

☎ 031-730-8183  admission_intl@aks.ac.kr

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 C. Letters of recommendation and application documents are acceptable as long as they
are received by the submission deadline.

D. Reasons for failure are not disclosed.

E. Documents submitted are not returned.

F. If it is discovered that applicants applied or were accepted through false information

on the application form, falsification of documents, or other illegal methods, their
admission may be cancelled.

G. The NIIED’s GKS(Global Korea Scholarship) recruitment is held separately from the
general admission process of the Graduate School of Korean Studies for 2024 fall
semester. Hence it is acceptable that GKS applicants apply for the general admission
of the Graduate School of Korean Studies for 2024 fall semester at the same time.
In this case, applicants are required to apply separately at studyinkorea.go.kr by 29
March 2024.

8. Contact Information : Graduate School Office

☎ +82-31-730-8183  admission_intl@aks.ac.kr

[Attachment] Recognized Similar Fields of Study for the Applicants for Doctoral Degree Program

[Appendixes]

1. GKS Application Guidelines by NIIED

2. GKS Application Form

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[Attachment]
Recognized Similar Fields of Study
for the Applicants of Doctoral Degree Program

Recognized Master's Degree Majors

Division Major Which Each Major Accepts for its Doctoral Degree Program
Applicants
Korean History Any majors are acceptable.
Paleography, Library Science, Bibliography,
Library and Information Science, Records Management,
Diplomatics and
Cultural Properties Studies(Ancient Writings),
Bibliography
Korean Studies(Classical Literature, History, Bibliography, or
Translation)
Philosophy Any majors are acceptable.
Humanities Korean Linguistics, Korean Language and Literature,
Korean Linguistics·
Korean Language Education, Linguistics,
Korean Literature
Korean Studies(Korean Linguistics or Korean Literature),
(Korean Linguistics)
Korean Language Education (as a Foreign Language)
Korean Language and Literature, Korean Language Education,
Korean Linguistics·
Chinese Literature, Classical Chinese Education, Creative Writing,
Korean Literature
Korean Studies(Korean Linguistics or Korean Literature),
(Korean Literature)
Korean Language Education (as a Foreign Language)
Anthropology
Any majors are acceptable.
·Folklore
Religious Studies Any majors are acceptable.
Musicology, Korean Classical Music, Music Education, Korean
Culture Musicology
Studies(Musicology), Korean Music
and Arts
Archaeology and Art History, Korean Art History, Oriental Art
Art History
History, Science of Arts, Arts Education
Cultural Informatics·
Any majors are acceptable.
Human Geography
Political Science Any majors are acceptable.
Social
Sociology Any majors are acceptable.
Sciences
Education Any majors are acceptable.

Depending on the field of study in which a doctoral degree program applicant majored for
his/her Master's degree, admission can be restricted. The final decision on the acceptability
will be made on the basis of the courses taken for the Master's degree program as well as
the Master's degree thesis topic.

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