In this exchange program, you will enroll directly in classes at Seoul National University. South Korea's first national university, Seoul National University (SNU) is a highly ranked university, with more than 28,000 students, including 1,900 international students. SNU has many notable international alumni, including former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon. The large campus includes a shuttle for students to get around between classes. A variety of student clubs, an international student association, and a buddy program offer opportunities to integrate into campus life.
With more than 10 million residents, Seoul is the South Korean center of politics, culture, and the economy, where ministries, museums, palaces, theaters, and financial markets are located close together. Seoul is also the home to industry giants such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. As a leader of the IT revolution, Seoul is one of the most wired cities in the world.
Scholarship Opportunity: Seoul National University offers a Global Korea Scholarship for exchange students. See here for additional information about eligibility, scholarship amounts, and the application process.
Seoul National University Exchange
Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore or above
Location: Asia, South Korea
GPA: 3.0
Program Overview
Dates and Deadlines
| Term | Year | Deadline | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | 2025 | 02/01/2025 | Late August | Mid-December |
| Academic Year | 2025-26 | 02/01/2025 | Late August | Late June |
| Spring Semester | 2026 | 02/01/2025 | Late February | Late June |
The application process for this program is competitive: GEO staff will review your application materials, and a decision about your enrollment will not be made until after the application deadline. In some cases, an interview is required. If your program requires an interview, you will be contacted with further details about this process after the application deadline. Early applications are encouraged.
Successful applicants will receive an exchange nomination from GEO. Selection will be based on a holistic review of your application. This includes a review of your GPA, transcripts (including courses taken and in-progress), any additional requirements or prerequisites (see section "Additional Requirements"), and written statements.
Applying for an exchange program involves 2 steps. If you receive a nomination from GEO, you will also need to complete the host university's application, which is administered and reviewed by your host university directly. Instructions will be provided after acceptance by GEO. The host university makes the final decision regarding acceptance into the program.
Academic Details
Seoul National University features 16 colleges with more than 80 departments for undergraduate students. This includes a variety of fields such as humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, business, education, fine arts, liberal studies, and music. The majority of courses are taught in Korean, but each college or department offers a number of courses in English. Students can freely choose courses from inside their major or outside their major; however, each department has some classes that are only open to students in that major.
Please Note: The following departments and colleges have additional eligibility requirements: the College of Business Administration is restricted to students majoring in business or economics; classes in the Korean history, psychology, and statistics majors require a high level of Korean language skills, the College of Music has additional eligibility requirements, and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering has additional eligibility requirements and is competitive to get into. It is very competitive to get into the College of Business Administration at Seoul National University. Exchange students who are not accepted into the College of Business Administration will be given an opportunity to reapply for another department.
The course list and syllabi for Spring and Fall semesters will be available on the SNU website around six weeks before each semester begins. In the meantime, you can refer to the courses offered in the previous semesters and check the previous syllabi before the course list is updated. Click on the course search link on the right sidebar of this page. Search for courses here. SNU will provide a course registration guide to students who are offered acceptance. In general, course registration happens at the end of July for Fall semester and at the end of January for Spring semester.
Intensive Korean programs: If you want to focus on rapidly improving your Korean language skills, you can enroll in the Korean Language Program through the Language Education Institute at SNU. Through this program, you can participate in the regular, evening, or 15-week course programs. The 15-week program is tailored to exchange students, and includes around 9 hours per week of instruction. The regular program runs for 10 week sessions and includes about 20 hours per week of instruction, and the evening program runs for 10 week sessions and includes about 6 hours per week of instruction. All programs offer a variety of language levels. For more information, please visit this page.
Note: there is an additional tuition cost to participate in the Intensive Korean programs. Select ‘Regular Program’ or one of the other options at the link above, and click on the ‘Registration’ section to see the costs. Exchange students generally receive a 30-50% discount on the tuition. Exchange students who are a Korean studies major can receive a 100% tuition waiver for the Intensive Korean programs. Since the UO does not have a Korean major, students who are minoring in Korean and have a Korea focus to their major may be able to petition for the tuition waiver. Please speak with your GEO advisor for more information.
On the Seoul National University exchange, you will earn:
• Up to 18 semester credits per semester for undergraduate students, which is equivalent to up to 27 UO quarter credits. Credits listed here are estimates and are subject to change. Please refer to the SNU links for the updated credit information on their classes. One semester credit at SNU is equal to 1.5 UO quarter credits.
Course Equivalencies
UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.
Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.
Additional Requirements
Applicants must have completed at least one term at the UO by the application deadline. There is no language requirement, but one year of college-level Korean is recommended in order to facilitate daily life in Seoul and navigating a Korean university.
Housing Description
Housing for exchange students is available at the Gwanak Residence Halls. SNU Gwanak Residence Halls have 28 dormitory buildings with 2,600 rooms, housing over 5,000 students. The residence halls include double rooms, as well as cafeterias and restaurants. Some residence halls have a kitchen available. Students will apply for on-campus housing after acceptance into the program. Housing in the residence halls is not guaranteed. For more information, visit the OIA on-campus housing website.
Students who cannot be accommodated at the dormitory or those who wish to have a private place to live in can live off campus. Off-campus housing options include apartments and homestay families. Note that most of the off-campus housing information and contract process will be available only in Korean and will typically be more expensive than living in the residence halls. Therefore, if you are not proficient in Korean, you will need to request assistance from a friend or acquaintance who speaks Korean, or from the SNU student Buddy who is assigned to you. For more information, visit the OIA off-campus housing website.