The mission of Seoul National University in the twenty-first century is to create a vibrant intellectual community where students and scholars join together in building the future. As Korea's leading research university, Seoul National University is committed to diversifying its student body and faculty, fostering global exchange, and promoting path-breaking research in all fields of knowledge.
Learn more about the university from the About SNU webpage.
Location
Seoul is the capital and largest metropolis of Korea. Home to over 10 million citizens, Seoul is one of the largest cities in the world. Renamed after the independence of Korea in 1946, the word "seoul" is derived from a Korean word meaning "capital city". Seoul is roughly divided into northern and southern halves by the Hangang (River) and is surrounded by vast mountains. This fast-paced and high-tech city embraces both tradition and modernity, making it a very unique destination.
Academics
Curriculum
Exchange students are free to choose from available courses at SNU, though some courses may have restrictions. The majority of courses are taught in Korean but each college or department offers a number of courses in English. See below for instructions about how to find courses offered at SNU.
Visit the SNU course catalog website
- Click “Course Search” (the magnifying glass icon at the top of the page)
- Click the “Advanced Search” button on the right side of the page
- Choose the year and semester and click on “English Lecture” to see courses taught in English
- Note: 1st semester = Spring Semester, 2nd semester = Fall semester, Summer/Winter semester = extra session (exchange students are not eligible for these extra sessions)
- Final course catalogs (including timetable information), will be available in early January for Spring semester and early July for Fall semester. Students should refer to the previous year’s catalog to choose courses to be pre-approved for transfer credit.
- Exchange students can take almost any course, unless there is a specifically stated restriction on the course.
- If you have questions or would like to find a specific course, ask your Education Abroad Advisor for help
Terms
Spring: March - June
Fall: September - December
Accommodation
The Gwanak Campus is the main campus of SNU. Most colleges and schools are located at the Gwanak Campus except for the College of Medicine, which is at the Yongon Campus. Exchange students have the right to apply for housing at the Gwanaksa Dormitory but are not guaranteed to get a room. Gwanaksa Student Residence Halls feature 17 dormitory buildings that can house about 5,700 students. Gwanaksa includes Undergraduate Dormitory, Graduate Dormitory, Off-Campus Dormitory (cluster) and Family Dormitory for married graduate students. It also has subsidiary facilities such as cafeterias, laundry rooms, a concert hall, study room, indoor stadium and gymnasium, public bathrooms, a table tennis room, and common rooms. Gwanaksa also holds special cultural and educational events for students. See the SNU Gwanak Residence Halls website for more information.
Students who cannot be accommodated at the dormitory or those who wish to have a private place to live can consider off-campus options. It is the student's own responsibility to find accommodation off-campus. Note that most off-campus information and contract processes will be available only in Korean.
UVA Student Experience at SNU
“I learned about digital integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, various algorithms, and I even learned the mechanics of geothermal energy from one of the leading researchers in enhanced geothermal systems. Then, of course, there was what I came for: Korean language. While one can easily imagine how knowing a second language can be useful for a job, learning a new language gives me new perspectives on how people communicate. Already, I’ve visited a career fair where I talked about my experiences abroad with some recruiters there. One of the recruiters even mentioned that his wife is a graduate from the same school that I studied at for my exchange program [SNU], and we later had a small chat about my Korean language studies over email, right before he invited me to have a short interview. I’d like to think that small experiences like this are proof that my time abroad has already been worth it.”
-Alexander Kim, Computer Engineering major at UVA, SNU exchange student Fall semester 2019
This program is open to students from any major, but below is a list of the top five majors at UVA who choose to study on exchange at SNU.
- Computer Science and Computer Engineering
- Economics
- Psychology
- Civil Engineering
- Foreign Affairs
Would you like to contact a UVA student who has studied on this program? See our list of study abroad returnees who want to help you!
Cost
UVA students will pay their regular tuition rate and fees to UVA for the term they are on a UVA Exchange Program. Students are additionally responsible for housing and meals, transportation, and personal expenses. Students will pay the host institution or make their own arrangements for housing. See the “Accommodation” section above for more information about housing.
Students are responsible for booking and paying for their own international airfare as well as researching and obtaining the necessary visa.
UVA students are required to purchase CISI emergency medical and accident insurance.
Expected Expenses
Tuition and Fees: Students will pay their regular tuition rate and fees to UVA for the term they are on a UVA Exchange Program. Tuition and fees will be billed to each student’s SIS account and can be paid as normal.
Housing and Meals: Students are responsible to pay for accommodation and any required or preferred meal plan. Students will pay the host institution or make their own arrangements for accommodations. Check the host institution web site for accommodation and meal plan choices, cost, and application procedures.
Travel and Travel Documents: Students are responsible for booking and paying for their own international airfare as well as researching and obtaining the necessary visa. Students should also budget for in-country transportation costs.
Insurance: UVA students are required to purchase CISI emergency medical and accident insurance. More information can be found on the
insurance web page.
Additional Expenses: Students should be prepared to purchase required books and supplies. Students should also budget for additional personal expenses; examples include laundry, phone costs, personal travel, meals out, etc.
If you are not able to find accommodation costs or application, cost of living, or other information you need in order to prepare for your study abroad program, please contact your Education Abroad Advisor.
Financial Aid
You can find detailed information regarding financial aid and study abroad on the following websites:
Please contact your Education Abroad Advisor with any questions.
Accessibility
The University of Virginia believes in providing reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities on an individual and flexible basis. If you believe that you would require adjustments in order to fully participate in this program, please contact the Student Disability Access Center at 434-243-5180 as early as possible in order to begin this dialogue.
Passport and Visa
All participants will need a valid passport in order to participate in the program. Students must ensure that their passport is valid at least six months past the program return date. US passport holders will need a visa to participate in this program. Begin your research of the student visa application process early. The website of the embassy of South Korea in the U.S. is a good place to start gathering information. International students should meet with their International Student Advisor and Education Abroad Advisor in the International Studies Office as part of the application process.
Health and Safety Information
All students considering Education Abroad should consult the Students Abroad section of the U.S. Department of State’s web-based travel resources and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Traveler’s Health web resources to research health, safety, and security conditions; visa requirements; immunization requirements; and recommendations on staying healthy and safe in their target destination(s). Students should also carefully review the UVA Education Abroad Health & Safety Abroad web page. Parents and guardians are strongly advised to review all of these resources, as well. UVA students and visiting students enrolled in UVA Education Abroad programs are subject to the University of Virginia’s Policy on Student International Travel.
