Korea University

This course theoretically explores the psychology of play and enjoyment manifested through various entertainment-based media—including dramas, films, variety shows, political entertainment, and social networking services. The primary goal is to understand the underlying mechanisms of media enjoyment through empirical research. The curriculum focuses on analyzing media user responses through key concepts of entertainment psychology, such as empathy, immersion, identification, narrative comprehension, and affective disposition. Rooted in psychological perspectives, this course applies traditional media effects theories to the context of entertainment content and provides an in-depth examination of the psychological influence of entertainment in the contemporary media environment. 

This course examines comparative political theories about political institutions and the characteristics of each type of institution. The main topics covered in the course are the presidential system, the parliamentary cabinet system, and the mixed system, as well as the working mechanisms of various electoral systems and their political impact. 

This course surveys political institutions—the “rules of the game”—in various democracies around the world.  An institution is a set of incentives/constraints that affect actors’ preferences and choices.  In order to investigate political behaviors and outcomes, it is essential to understand the effects of institutions.  

The course first introduces students to scientific approaches to analyzing the consequences of institutions.  Then, we discuss constitutional designs to solve the principal-agent (delegation) problem in representative democracies.  Next, we compare the varying effects of different political institutions, including parliamentarism versus presidentialism, federalism versus unitary government, majoritarian electoral system versus proportional representation, two-party versus multiparty systems, unicameralism versus bicameralism, direct versus representative democracy, and majoritarian versus consociational government. We also consider institutions in dictatorships.  Finally, given the consequences of institutions, we deliberate over the origin or the choice of institutions.    

This course offers a multidimensional introduction to the global poverty challenge, examining how poverty is defined, measured, and addressed within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students explore poverty's intersection with global risks such as education disparities, gender inequality, migration, climate change and skills development among others. The course encourages students to investigate real-world poverty reduction projects by international organizations and features projects by the World Bank, UNESCO, etc. to address poverty in the areas of education and skills development.  

Students should expect to form groups and lead a session at a hypothetical international conference titled: “Global Conference on Poverty Solutions: Linking Practice and Evidence.” Each group will be responsible for organizing a panel discussion session to highlight a project implemented by international organizations to address global poverty among other goals.  Students will also write a policy brief based on international organizations’ projects or research related to poverty reduction. 

This course explores the ways in which the usage and perception of Korean varies both within and across individuals. Our exploration of this variation (sociolinguistics) includes factors such as regional origin, age, gender, race, and native status. We also look at many examples of real linguistic studies. 

If you are a native speaker of Korean, please be aware that this class includes a group project, and that many students in the class will be non-native speakers of Korean. If you do not want to work together with non-native speakers, please do not enroll in this class. If you are a non-native speaker of Korean: it is recommended that you only enroll in this class if you have had the equivalent of at least 2 years of college-level Korean.  

Some assignments in this class require you to interact with native Korean speakers (e.g. collecting survey data), and our discussion of various linguistic phenomena will assume that you already have a basic understanding of how the language works. If your Korean proficiency level prevents you from completing the required assignments or understanding the lecture, your grade will suffer. 

This course is the undergraduate introductory course in child development. Topics include: Major theories of child development, Research methods in the field of child development, Biological processes, physical and perceptual development, Cognitive and language development, and Socioemotional development. 

This course provides a comprehensive framework for analyzing the behavior of the aggregate economy. We examine the long-run determinants of national income, economic growth, and inflation, along with the short-run fluctuations in output and employment. The course consists of two main parts. First, we analyze the economy in the long run, focusing on production, consumption, and the monetary system. We also cover the theories of economic growth. Second, we shift our focus to the short run, developing the IS-LM model and the AD-AS framework to understand business cycles, policy stabilization, and the trade-off between inflation and unemployment.  

Prerequisites ECON201 (Microeconomics), ECON173 (Mathematics for Economics) 

This course is designed for learners at the introductory level of Japanese to learn Japanese characters, pronunciation, basic vocabulary, and expressions, so that they can develop basic communication skills that can be used in daily life. 

This course examines quality of life through the study of leisure, life, and happiness in contemporary society. Students explore classical and contemporary theories, research findings, and everyday experiences to understand how leisure contributes to individual well-being and life satisfaction. While the primary focus is on personal meaning-making, the course also introduces a life-course perspective, encouraging students to consider how leisure, work, and happiness may change across different stages of life. Through lectures, discussions, presentations, and reflective assignments, students develop a deeper understanding of leisure as a key component of a meaningful and balanced life. Active participation and several outside assignments are required. 

What is the nature of news? What is the future of democracy? After we survey the literature on media and democracy, the class introduces journalism and communication theories and methodologies developed mainly in the United States and Europe. We apply those theories to explain the relationship between media, democracy, and political development in the era of great transformation through the 4th industrial revolution. The course theoretically and experientially addresses the roles played by the media, old media, and new media during Korea's industrialization and democratization process. The course also discusses gatekeeping and media effects on politics.  

Prerequisite: Any Writing Course, Including Journalism Introduction and Science News Writing 

This course for international students covers Korean language and culture based on multi-media content. In this course, through various forms of content such as videos, visual materials, and text materials, students acquire media literacy suitable for the changing university environment, and furthermore, by understanding Korean culture and their own culture from an intercultural perspective, they cultivate a multicultural perspective and the literacy of being a global citizen. In addition, in the process of understanding multi-media content in Korean, students develop strategic Korean comprehension and expression skills. In addition, by carrying out cooperative activities and tasks, they develop collaboration and communication skills.  

Topics include Korean culture through food, music, performance, the city, stories, and play. It is recommended that students take Intermediate Korean before enrolling in this course.