Seoul National University was founded in 1946. The South Korean national university’s main location is the Gwanak campus in the city of Seoul. It also has a medical campus and a campus for agricultural education and research. Tuition costs are the same for domestic and international students and vary by subject area. Many of the university’s international students receive support from various types of scholarships that cover some or all of their tuition costs. International students can also participate in a work-study program in which they work on campus for 40-60 hours a month. University housing is available for both undergraduate and graduate students.
The university has 16 colleges for undergraduates, a graduate school that offers numerous master’s and doctoral programs and 10 professional schools. The professional schools offer studies in business, environmental studies, convergence science and technology, dentistry, international agriculture technology, international studies, law, medicine, public administration and public health. The primary language of instruction at Seoul National University is Korean, though somewhere between 10 to 20 percent of university courses are English-taught. The colleges of engineering and business have the highest proportion of courses taught in English. Nearly all of the school's faculty members – around 95 percent – have doctoral degrees. The university’s academic calendar is semester-based with the school year beginning in March. The university’s research organizations include the Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies, the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies and the Big Data Institute.
Seoul National University (SNU) honours the ideals of liberal education and aims to teach students a lifelong love of learning that will form the basis for continuous personal growth. At the same time it is committed to preparing students to work and live in an increasingly competitive global environment. As South Korea’s first national university, Seoul National University has a tradition of standing up for democracy and peace on the Korean peninsula. Graduates serve as public servants in key positions of the Korean government. In teaching, research and public service SNU continues to set the standard of excellence. The mission of SNU in the 21st century is to create a vibrant intellectual community where students and scholars join together in building the future. Seoul National University is committed to diversifying its student body and faculty, fostering global exchange and promoting research in all fields of knowledge.
The 35th best university in the world according to the QS World University Rankings® 2016-2017, Seoul National University is widely considered to be the most prestigious university in South Korea. Comprised of 16 colleges as well as a graduate school and nine professional schools, the university is ranked in the top 50 in the world for over 30 subjects in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017. In most cases, teaching at undergraduate level is available in English.
UNDERGRADUATE
The 16 colleges at Seoul National University offer over 80 undergraduate courses in total, including some interdisciplinary programs. Subjects available at undergraduate level include:
Political Science
Psychology
Business Administration
Medicine
Materials Science and Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Law
POSTGRADUATE
SNU’s one graduate school offers 99 different programs, covering five different fields of study. Most subjects are available to study at both master’s and doctorate level, although there are some exceptions. Teaching is in Korean, unless the university website says otherwise. Available subjects include:
Korean History
Oriental Philosophy
Economics
Chemistry
Dental Studies
Computer Science and Engineering
Law
Business Administration
