South Korea's capital city of Seoul has vibrant offerings, from celebrated museums and festivals to delicious street food and lively pop culture. Witness South-North Korean relations firsthand and travel to the demilitarized zone, Jeju Island, or Busan. Explore centuries-old palaces, enjoy delicious street food, and discover new pop music. Just hours from Beijing or Tokyo, the city also serves as a base for affordable and easy travel throughout the countries and areas of Eastern Asia, including Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Academic Planning for Study Abroad
Stay on Track to Graduate
Studying abroad integrates into your degree when you plan ahead. Discover how UC credit transfers, explore courses that satisfy major or general education requirements, and read student tips on planning what courses to take abroad. Connect with your campus advisor early to build a schedule that aligns with your graduation timeline.
Family and Support
Involve Your Support Network
Bringing your family into your study abroad plans early helps everyone feel confident and prepared. Share key details about health, safety, finances, and academic credit using our family and support network guide. For advice on starting informative and constructive conversations, check out our tips for talking with your family and friends about your global goals.
Questions about study abroad?
Get Application Support
Connect with our advising team to get your questions answered and start planning your study abroad experience! Here are some of the advising options available:
- Interactive workshops to set goals, explore academic and funding resources, and prepare your application.
- Drop-in advising to speak with region-specific advisors.
- Individual virtual sessions for specialized guidance focused on your target region.
- Don't forget to meet with advisors at your home UC campus for academic planning, major credit petitions, and campus financial aid.
Planning Steps to Study Abroad
Mapping Your Study Abroad Journey
Preparing to study abroad takes up to a year, and the best way to avoid missing out is to start right now. Deadlines for program applications, travel documents, course approvals, and scholarship applications arrive quickly. Check our interactive timeline to pinpoint your next step for this term and keep your plans on schedule.
Funding and Affordability
Paying for Study Abroad
Your UC financial aid, grants, and scholarships travel with you, and some programs cost less than a term on campus. Explore the Making Study Abroad Affordable Guide (written by UC students who've done it) for budgeting tips, estimating your expenses, and making your global experience fit your financial plan.
This internship was excellent exposure to the Korean healthcare system and has positively impacted my journey to pursue a career in medicine.
My internship showed me that I am capable of learning challenging tools and technologies on my own. While I struggled at times, it gave me the opportunity to learn about a technology I had been afraid to learn alone.
I always heard people say study abroad changed their lives, but I didn't truly understand until I did it. There were moments I was confused, uncomfortable, and even frustrated and those didn't come close to the feelings of fulfillment, excitement, and pure happiness I felt throughout my time abroad!
Study abroad can be lonely and scary. This trip will test you in ways you never asked for; and in return, the rewards are indescribable.
My internship experience at Ethiopian Airlines not only provided insight into the intricacies of the airline and marketing industries but also served as a transformative journey that expanded my perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Embracing differences and fostering a spirit of collaboration at both personal and business levels emerged as essential elements in creating strong connections between diverse entities.
As a civil and environmental engineering major interested in natural landscapes, I enjoyed the discussions in my environmental planning class as well as visits to national parks such as Bukhan Mountain. There is so much to see in Seoul. The subway system is easy to use to get around. I love Korean food. Study abroad is definitely something undergraduates should experience, and both Yonsei and the city of Seoul have a lot to offer.
As an Asian-looking person who's not Korean, the most interesting experience has been people asking me for directions. When they realize I don't speak Korean well, they are bewildered. Even more so when I explain my parents aren't Korean either.
I had a wonderful time at Dreamfora as a software engineer intern. My role was to oversee the backend infrastructure and set up the testing module for our development team. I learned a lot about industry standards and tools that help run present-day applications. Much of this experience can't be gained in a classroom and it was extremely beneficial for me. Having the chance to intern in a Korean startup was also culturally enriching and I would highly recommend it.
The biggest lesson I learned was to always remember why we do what we do. I learned that we do not send a hundred emails or struggle with contracts simply because it's work. We have a responsibility and the work we do actually affects peoples' lives. I came to realize this as everyone in the office was incredibly professional yet also encouraging and intentional with each other. Ultimately, working for Hyundai Corporation was a precious opportunity to speak Korean and understand a different approach to academics, career, and life.
