Study Korean in Korea - questions and answers
We can help you to study Korean in Korea and take Korean Language Classes at universities and private language schools. Here you find the answers to all common questions.
I have worked with language schools and Korean university language programs since 2010. DreamStudies can help you to study Korean in Korea. Here we answer all common questions.
Do I get a diploma? How can I use this?
How much money do I need? Must I send a bank statement?
How much does it cost to take a Korean language course in Korea?
How do I apply to study language in Korea?
What grades do I need? Can I apply if I have not graduated yet?
How long are the courses and when can I start?
Can I work when I take a language course in Korea?
Will I get a student visa? When can I go to Korea?
How many lessons do I have each week? How intense are the courses?
Do you help with accommodation? Where can I live?
How long does it take to learn Korean? Which level do I need?
Where can I study?
Most Korean universities have a KLI, Korean Language Institute, where they offer Korean Language Classes to foreigners. Here you can study Korean from 20 to 60 or 80 weeks on a student visa. Once you master Korean at Topik 3 level or higher you can continue your studies degree programs in Korea.
We can help you with the application to the following Korean university Language programs:
It is also possible to study Korean at private language schools where the courses are more flexible and they put more focus on spoken Korean and practical language usage.
We can help you to with short term language courses and summer courses at recommended private korean language schools:
Do I get a diploma? How can I use this diploma?
Yes, after you have finished your language course you will get a diploma stating which course you have taken, your course dates and the language level you have achieved.
You can use this diploma to prove that you have studied in Korea and which Korean level you have achieved. Many undergraduate programs in Korea will allow you to submit your language school diploma instead of a Topik test. 10 weeks study at a Korean university language institute is equivalent to 1 Topik-level, if you pass your exams.
Korean language courses are not considered academic studies so usually you cannot convert them to college credits in your home country. But if you want to continue to study Korean language at home you might be able to get some credits, and you will have a big advantage over your classmates after having studied Korean in Korea.
Are there any exams?
Yes, before the course starts you are given a placement test to determine which class you will be placed in. Then there will be one or two exams during each semester to determine whether you are ready to move on to the next level.
How much money do I need? Must I send a bank statement?
If you want to study at a Korean University with a student visa you will need a bank statement showing that you have at least $10,000 USD. There is no exception to this. If you do not have this amount the Korean universities will not accept your application and we cannot help you.
Private language schools like Lexis do not issue student visas, therefore you do not need any fixed amount to study there, but you must be able to pay for your tuition fee, accommodation, and living costs.
For a good living standard I would recommend that you have at least $15,000 USD/year.
How much does it cost to take a Korean language course in Korea?
The cost depends on how long you want to study. Here is a price table for our partner universities:
|
School |
20 weeks |
30 weeks |
40 weeks |
|
Konkuk University Seoul |
3750000 KRW |
5550000 KRW |
7350000 KRW |
|
Yeungnam University Daegu |
2650000 KRW |
3950000 KRW |
5250000 KRW |
|
The prices above include the school’s tuition fee and their application fee of 50,000 KRW, but accommodation and other costs are not included so you will still need a bank statement showing $10,000. There are no exceptions to this. |
|||
Private language schools are more flexible which also makes their prices more complex. Here you can find the prices for Lexis Korea.
How do I apply to study language in Korea?
You can apply directly with DreamStudies. For more information see the school you are interested in:
- Konkuk University in Seoul
- Yeungnam University in Daegu
- Lexis in Seoul and Busan
- LTL Language School in Seoul
To apply for language courses with a student visa at a Korean university you usually need to submit the following documents to us:
- Application form
- Passport copy and profile photo
- Bank statement (US$ 10,000 or more)
- Diploma/degree copy of your highest level education
- A personal statement
- Proof of study abroad insurance
- Application fee
Fill out an info request to get help from us.
What grades do I need?
For language schools, you do not need any specific grades, but to get a student visa you must have finished secondary school/high school and studied for at least 12 years, so you need to have achieved the equivalent of British A-levels, American High School Diploma, or Swedish Gymnasium. Alternatively, you can submit a Diploma of a Bachelor’s Degree. GED is not accepted. You can usually apply and get conditionally accepted to the course before you have graduated, but you will not get your student visa documents until you have submitted your diploma.
If you have not graduated from high school you can still study at a private language school like LTL or Lexis where you don’t get a student visa. They take everyone who is willing to learn Korean and can finance their course, regardless of your academic background.
If you are interested in degree programs see which grades do I need to study abroad in Korea?
How long are the courses and when can I start?
The course length is up to you. The Korean universities’ language institutes give four semesters per year where each semester is 10 weeks long. You need to study at least two semesters, 20 weeks, and the upper limit is 6 or 8 semesters of Korean language classes depending on which school you choose. The semesters start in March, June, September and, December.
At a private language school like Lexis, you can start any Monday. The minimum length is 2 weeks and the maximum length is determined by your visa (90 days on visa waiver, unless you leave Korea and come back again) or one year on a working holiday visa.
Please note that visa waiver and working holiday visas are not available for all nationalities. During Covid, they have been suspended for most nationalities. Contact the Korean Embassy in your country to find out which visas are available.
Can I get a scholarship?
Scholarships for language courses in Korea are very rare. Sometimes our schools have discount offers and you can apply for DreamStudies’ scholarship of 1000 Euro for courses starting next year, but you will still need the bank statement of $10,000 USD for university courses and your own funding to pay for all other costs.
For more information about scholarships see our article study in Korea.
Can I work when I take a language course in Korea?
On a student visa, you can work part-time after 6 months with a permit and approval from your school. Read more about that here.
On a Working Holiday visa, you are allowed to work, but you are not allowed to work if you come on visa waiver.
Will I get a student visa? When can I go to Korea?
You can apply for a student visa if you take a language course that is 20 weeks or longer at a Korean Language Institute at a Korean University. This is a process in several steps:
- First, you send us a complete application to a Korean University KLI (currently we can help you with university language courses at Konkuk University in Seoul and Yeungnam University outside Daegu)
- Then we help you get admission to the school
- Once you pay for your tuition fee the school will issue a Certificate of Admission or a Confirmation of Visa Issuance
- With this document, you can make the final visa application at the Korean Embassy in your home country
We can never guarantee that you get a student visa to Korea (or any other country). But so far none of our students who have been accepted by the universities have been rejected a visa. However, it is harder for students aged 40+ to get a student visa to Korea. Read more about student visa to Korea.
The purpose of a student visa is to let you stay in Korea while you study. You can usually arrive a couple of weeks before your course starts and stay a couple of weeks afterwards. For more details on this contact the Korean embassy in your country.
How many lessons do I have each week? How intense are the courses?
In Korean university language programs, you have 20 lessons per week, 4 lessons per day, Monday to Friday.
In Lexis you can choose between 15 or 25 lessons per week, 3-5 lessons per day, Monday to Friday.
Studying at a university KLI can be more demanding than going to a private language school. You should be prepared to study a couple of extra hours after school each day to keep up, but you will still have plenty of free time.
Do you help with accommodation? Where can I live?
You can either book accommodation through your school or arrange student housing on your own.
Most Korean Universities offer dormitories where international students can stay. You will live on or right next to the campus and you can often get your housing and a meal package at reasonable prices. The drawback is that you usually have to share a room and there are a lot of rules including curfews when the residence is locked at night.
If you prefer to arrange accommodation on your own we can help you with Share House in Seoul. There you live independently without curfews in furnished apartments shared with other international students and young Koreans in Seoul. We do not recommend renting an apartment in Seoul since the moving in fee (key money) is very high and most apartments are unfurnished. There are serviced and furnished apartments for rent but it will cost you a lot more than other options.
Private language schools like Lexis are more flexible offering many different kinds of accommodation including Homestay, Goshiwon, Serviced Apartment, or Residence. Read more about Lexis accommodation.
How long does it take to learn Korean? Which level do I need?
If you are a beginner you will need to study for 30-40 weeks at a university KLI to master Topik 3 which usually is the minimum level to study in Korean at the undergraduate level. However, if you want to live and study in Korea we recommend that you learn Korean to a higher level since this will help you a lot in your life and studies there.
Read more about the Korean Language and the Topik test.
How do I get help from you?
We can help you to apply and get accepted at selected language schools in Korea if you have the funding you need to pay for your course and accommodation (minimum $10,000 USD for university language programs with a student visa).
We will send you instructions if you fill out an info request and let us know which school you are interested in.
More information
You can find a list of universities and schools in Korea here.
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