Soonchunhyang University offers opportunities to university students for study and cultural internships in Korea. Students intern as a "Cultural and Language Ambassador," in which they participate in individual and group meetings with Korean students for up to 15 hours per week and live with Korean students in specially designated dormitories. Exchange students can select classes on various topics in International Studies such as language, culture and history, politics and diplomacy, business and economics, Taekwondo and calligraphy.
Locations
Located in a rural town on the central west coast of South Korea, Soonchunhyang University is surrounded by quaint mountains and is located near historical and cultural attractions. International students will find Soonchunhyang University to be an ideal place to study and experience Korean culture.
Originally founded as a medical college in 1978, Soonchunhyang University is now recognized as an excellent educational institution with undergraduate programs in humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, engineering and medicine.
Accommodations
Students stay on-campus in the Global Village, a residence hall for Korean students who are learning English as a second language.
Admitted participants are required to register themselves in the temporary study abroad placeholder course, ARTSSCI 5797. Specific registration instructions will be provided in the nomination letter.
Soonchunhyang University lists a full roster of Asian Studies Course Requirements on its website. Exchange students at Soonchunhyang University are required to take minimum of 16 credits and maximum of 19 credits. Korean classes are not mandatory, and students have the option of choosing either two classes (Speaking & Writing or Listening & Reading) or all four Korean classes (Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening).
Students wishing to earn credit for Korean language will be obliged to take a placement exam upon their return to Ohio State. To learn more about this process, interested students should contact Dr. Yon-Soo Kang. Students are strongly encouraged to review the credit transfer process in full and to discuss their overall academic goals with their academic advisor(s) beforehand.
Eligibility
Application Requirement
In order to be eligible to apply for this program, students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA, have Junior rank, have completed one year at Ohio State at the time of application, and meet OIA's General Eligibility Requirements and Conditions for Participation. All students will also be required to participate in on-campus pre-departure orientations organized by the Office of International Affairs.
Complete applications will include a letter of recommendation from a recent instructor; the preference is for a referee who can comment on the applicant's Korean language abilities.
Once the application deadline has passed, eligible applicants may be invited for an interview. Nominated students will need to fill out additional documents for the host institution, by whom the final acceptance decision is made.
Passports
Passports are required for every Ohio State education abroad program. For many study abroad destinations, passport information is required to apply for an entry visa early as 6 months prior to departure). For information about apply for a passport, go to travel.state.gov.
Financial
Program Costs
Ohio State students nominated to participate on an exchange will pay their regular tuition and fees to Ohio State. A fee for the required supplemental health insurance will also be included. In addition, these students are also responsible for arranging and paying for international airfare, room and board, and all other living or personal expenses. Students are advised that payments for room and board will be in the local currency.
In addition, English-speaking university students who participate in the Cultural and Language Ambassador internship can receive a scholarship that offers airfare reimbursement up to $700, full waiver of on-campus housing costs and a weekly living stipend of 120,000 KRW (about $100 US).
If students withdraw or become ineligible any time eleven days after the acceptance notification, they will be held responsible for a cancellation fee. Please refer to OIA's Cancellation Policy.
Scholarships
Student should begin researching funding opportunities before they have been accepted into a study abroad program. Grants and Scholarship deadlines may occur before the study abroad program application deadline.
Students who receive or are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant are encouraged to apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. This program is Gilman eligible. Interested students should first verify their existing award package and make an appointment with Student Financial Aid as needed. After researching the scholarship, students wishing to apply for the Gilman International Scholarship should be in touch with the listed education abroad coordinator to begin working on a competitive application.
Announcements
Information Sessions
Tuesday, September 25 from 4-5:30 pm in Enarson Classroom Building 100
Websites
U.S. Department of State: travel.state.gov (travel advisories/country-specific safety information)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov/travel (pre-travel health guidance)
Ohio State reserves the right to change without notice any statement contained herein, concerning but not limited to rules, policies, tuition, fees, curricula and courses. In the event of a change to an existing U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory, CDC Travel Health Notice or other risk designated criteria, the Office of International Affairs reserves the right to cancel any program prior to departure or while in progress. Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status is prohibited.
