Yonsei University

The Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Program at Dartmouth College has an undergraduate student exchange program with Underwood International College, Yonsei University. This program enables undergraduates from Dartmouth to take advantage of the unique academic and cultural opportunities offered by Yonsei University.

Yonsei University is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in South Korea. Founded in 1885, it is located on a campus near the center of the capital city of Seoul, a dynamic and modern city of over 10 million residents. Underwood International College (UIC) at Yonsei University is the first four-year college in Korea to make English the language of instruction, providing an international undergraduate program with a full range of liberal arts majors across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. UIC seeks not only the top students in Korea, but attracts students from East Asia more broadly, allowing access to connections and lasting contact with students from the entire region. The UIC faculty has over 100 members, including Yonsei scholars with exemplary teaching and research experience abroad.

Yonsei Academic Calendar

The application process for this program is competitive, every year about 5 students are selected for this program. Students first apply through the Guarini Institute by the February 1st application deadline. After February 1st, faculty from the Department of Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages will review applications and make acceptance decisions. Students will be notified of their acceptance decisions on March 1st.

Successful applicants who are accepted and commit to the program will receive a nomination from the Guarini Institute. Applying for an exchange program involves two steps: if you receive a nomination from the Guarini Institute you will also need to complete the host institution's application, which is administered and reviewed by the host institution. The host institution makes the final acceptance decision. The Guarini Institute will provide further instructions on this second step to students after they are accepted and commit to a program.

For more information about applying for this program, see our webpage on How to Apply & our FAQs under section 2 (How to Apply: Application), or contact the Guarini Institute.

Students accepted for exchange will be enrolled as full-time students at Underwood International College and will be able to select courses from its English-language curriculum. They will also be allowed to enroll in language courses, as a valuable aspect of the exchange program will be the opportunity to advance the students' Korean language ability.

Because UIC is on a semester system, Dartmouth students will leave for UIC prior to the beginning of the fall quarter at Dartmouth in accordance with the beginning of the semester at UIC.

Language
All courses will be taught in English. Dartmouth students should take ASCL 10.02/HIST 5.04 ("Introduction to Korean Culture") prior to participating in the exchange program (or should receive an exemption from the program director) in order to gain some familiarity with Korean culture and history before going to Seoul. Though students will be given the opportunity to study Korean while on the exchange program, prior knowledge of Korean is not a requirement.

Students will have access to many different facilities and activities on Yonsei's campus. For housing, students will apply to and live in Yonsei's dorms for international students, although they can also choose to identify and secure off-campus housing independently. These dorms are self-serviced, meaning that students prepare their own meals in shared kitchens, though students can also make use of the many cafes and cafeterias on and near Yonsei's campus. 

Budget Sheet for Yonsei University