Seoul National University

Unique study opportunities

• Choose from over 400 courses taught in English.
• Coursework taught in Korean is available in a wide range of fields.

Language

Korean Language Study: Optional

Korean language courses at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced level are available through the Department of Korean Language and Literature. There is no language placement test; you can self select your level and make adjustments after arrival, if necessary. Typically only one section for each level is offered and enrollment is competitive. Therefore, this program is not recommended if your focus is on Korean language study.

The majority of courses are taught in Korean but each college or department offers a number of courses taught in English. For courses taught in Korean, you may need to provide proof of Korean language proficiency.

Courses and credit

Requirements While Abroad

To successfully complete this program:

• Take a full-time course of study: Minimum 18 quarter/12 semester UC units (three to four courses). Most courses are 3 SNU credits. 3 SNU credits equal 4.5 quarter/3 semester UC units. 
• You may take up to a maximum of 27 quarter/18 semester UC units per term (five to six courses).
• If you take 18 UC quarter units, you may take a maximum of one course for pass/no pass credit. If you take 22.5 UC quarter units (5 or more courses), you may select pass/no pass for two courses up to a maximum of 9 UC quarter units.

Current Program Courses

Most courses are open to exchange students, unless otherwise noted. Some courses require proof of requisite knowledge and some are restricted to particular majors. Undergraduate students can enroll in graduate courses, if they are not restricted, but you must contact the course instructor for permission in advance of registering for the course. Some departments require exchange students to provide proof of Korean language proficiency (at the time of application).

SNU course numbers don't correlate with a year or level for UCEAP. The “academic year” field in the SNU Course Catalog is helpful in determining lower or upper-division credit. 1 and 2 are beginning courses and are usually lower division; 3 and 4 are for advanced students and are usually upper division. Courses with a 0 are masters/doctorate courses. However, this is only to be used as a guideline. Most courses offered through the Faculty of Liberal Education are general education/foundation courses and are assigned lower-division credit by UCEAP.

You will complete course registration before arrival. Fall registration occurs in early August; spring registration occurs in early February. You can adjust your schedule the first week of classes during the add/drop period.

Independent study, internships, and research are typically not available on this program.

Course Restrictions

• Courses in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the College of Business Administration are highly impacted. 
• Admission to the College of Fine Arts is very challenging. 
• The College of Medicine is not open to exchange students.
• The College of Law is not available to undergraduate level students; instead, the School of Law, a specialized law school for graduate level students, will be open to undergraduate students.

Note: Individual courses may also have restrictions, such as courses that are only open to students in a specific major. Most restrictions can be found in the SNU course catalog (course restrictions and remarks sections), but it is advised that you contact instructors in advance to ask whether it will be approved to register for courses outside your major or SNU department.

Catalogs and resources

• SNU Office of International Affairs: See an overview of Seoul National University's academic exchange program.
• SNU Undergraduate Programs: Browse SNU’s 15 colleges offering various undergraduate programs.
• SNU Course Catalog: No login required to browse courses; refer to the SNU Course Search Instructions. Fall course information is available in July and spring courses are available in early January. Until then, refer to the catalogs of the previous semesters.
• UCEAP Course Catalog: See a list of courses students have taken on this program. This is not a current representation of course offerings on this program. Reference the above links to review recent course offerings. 

Academic culture

Respect for professors and university rules is a hallmark of Korean academic culture. Respect is seen in attendance and interactions in class. Students are expected to be polite, never confrontational or demanding. Some professors are more traditional than others. Try to be sensitive to the style of each professor.

Grades

You will earn direct UC credit and grades for all coursework.

The majority of courses at SNU utilize curved grading, while some courses will use an absolute grading system. Your work will be assessed primarily by exams, but assessments may also include attendance, participation, papers, group and individual projects, and class presentations. Attendance is also usually an important factor in assigning the final grade.

Grades for the fall term are typically available from early February to early March. Grades for the spring are typically available from late July to late August.