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Eligibility Exams for Dissertation

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Eligibility Exams for Dissertation
Graduate Dissertation

Comprehensive exam

1. General rules (Article 39 of the Constitution of the Graduate School - Detailed Enforcement Regulations for the Graduate School)

General rules
Program Eligibility for Exam Date of Examination
Master’s Completed at least 12 credits, GPA 3.0 or higher Spring exam: late March (application due early-March)
Fall exam: late September (application due early-September)
Doctoral Completed at least 21 credits, GPA 3.0 or higher
Integrated (master’s and doctoral) Completed at least 30 credits, GPA 3.0 or higher

2. Special rules for each department

  • Please check the academic affairs administration and internal relations of each college or department for each department’s examination methods (written, oral), number of exams, and grading.

Foreign language exam

1. Applicability

  • Students registered in either the master’s, doctoral, or integrated programs

2. Examination subjects

Examination subjects
Nationality Program Foreign Language Exam Secondary Foreign Language Exam
International Students Master’s Degree Choose 1 of followings:
Korean or English or German or French or Chinese or Russian or Japanese or Spanish or Classical Chinese
None
Doctor’s Degree & Integrated Master
- Doctoral Degree
Korean or English Choose 1 of followings:
Korean or English or German or French or Chinese or Russian or Japanese or Spanish or Classical Chinese
(only for 15 departments)
Korean Students Master’s Degree Choose 1 of followings:
English or German or French or Chinese or Russian or Japanese or Spanish or Classical Chinese
None
Doctor’s Degree & Integrated Master
- Doctoral Degree
English Choose 1 of followings:
German or French or Chinese or Russian or Japanese or Spanish or Classical Chinese (only for 15 departments)

* International Students can not choose their own language as a first or secondary language exam. Please check the internal regulations of each department.

3. Second foreign language for doctoral degrees

  • The 15 departments that require a secondary foreign language exam are
Law, Korean Language and Literature, English Language and Literature, Chinese and Japanese Language and Literature, Russian Language and Literature, French Language and Literature, German Language and Literature, Spanish Language and Literature, Historical Studies, Sociology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Visual Culture (interdisciplinary), Theory of Comparative Literature and Comparative Culture (interdisciplinary) and Comparative Literature & Comparative Culture(interdisciplinary).
  • ※ The above-mentioned departments shall have their students take a corresponding foreign language examination.
  • ※ A second foreign language exam for Cultural Heritage Studies (interdisciplinary) shall be required from 2011 Spring Semester onwards.

4. Dates for foreign language exams

Dates for foreign language exams
Spring Fall
First Saturday of September (tentative)

5. Exam details

  • English : Consult the Institute of Foreign Language Studies’ Foreign Language Center website
  • Second foreign language : written short-answer questions, translation and composition

6. Passing the foreign language examination

Passing the foreign language examination
Exam Method Implementing authority Notes
English Written examination Institute of Foreign Language Studies Consult Institute of Foreign Language Studies website
Lecture substitution Institute of Foreign Language Studies Score "B" and higher
Substitution by authorized transcript The Graduate School TOEFL, TEPS, IELTS, TOEIC
Second foreign language Written examination The Graduate School Once a year (September)
Lecture substitution Institute of Foreign Language Studies German, Japanese, Korean, et al.
Substitution by authorized transcript The Graduate School See Exemption Standards

7. Authorized transcript standards for foreign language examination waiver (by course)

Authorized transcript standards for foreign language examination waiver (by course)
Language Program Exams Authority Standards for waiver Notes
English Master’s/Doctor’s Degree & Integrated Master
- Doctoral Degree
TOEFL,TEPS, IELTS, TOEIC ETS et al. TOEFL PBT 550, TOEFL IBT 80, TEPS 660(New TEPS 361), IELTS level 6, or TOEIC 800
German Master’s TestDaf Goethe-Zertifikat Germany governmen TestDaF TDN 3 and higher Goethe-Zertifikat B2 or higher ZMP (applies to new students before 2018)
Doctoral TestDaf Goethe-Zertifikat Germany governmen TestDaF TDN 4 or higher Goethe-Zertifikat C1 or higher ZMP, TestDaf TDN3 (applies to new students before 2018)
French Master’s DELF/DALF French government DELF B2 or higher DELF A1, A2 DELF B1, B2 (applies to new students before 2015)
Doctoral DELF/DALF French government DELF B2 or higher DALF C1, C2 (applies to new students before 2015)
Chinese Master’s/Doctor’s Degree & Integrated Master
- Doctoral Degree
HSK Chinese government New HSK level 5 (180) or higher Decided by the Taiwanese government’s Chinese Language and Literature Professors’ Council
Spanish Master’s/Doctor’s Degree & Integrated Master
- Doctoral Degree
DELE Spanish government C1 or higher
Russian Master’s/Doctor’s Degree & Integrated Master
- Doctoral Degree
Russian government Authorized level 3 or 4 (within the past three years) on the TORFL examination
Japanese Master’s/Doctor’s Degree & Integrated Master
- Doctoral Degree
JLPT/JPT YBM LPT N1 or higher, JPT 715 or higher Variable
Korean Master’s/Doctor’s Degree & Integrated Master
- Doctoral Degree
TOPIK NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION Level 4 or higher on the TOPIK For international students beyond the quota

8. Korean Language Examination

  • In case of Korean Language Exam, you can pass the exam in the following three ways.
  • * For Inquiries in Graduate School : email "graduate2@korea.ac.kr"
  • ① Achieving Level 4 or higher in the Test of Proficiency in Korea (TOPIK): Students should upload their test scores at KUPID within the designated period (Please check the homepage, early March & September)
  • ② Completing Korean language course(s) at the Korean Language Center (alternative to the TOPIK exam)
  • - Completion of the regular course during the spring/fall semester with a grade of “B” or higher
  • - Completion of an 8-week course during the summer/winter semester with a grade of “B” or higher.
  • ③ Passing the Korean language exam administered by Korea University (exams are implemented every September)
  • - Students can apply through the Portal website one month before the exam starting.
  • - The exam is comprised of multiple-choice and short-answer questions.

9. Exemption for Foreign Language Exam

Korean Language Center(http://klc.korea.ac.kr) offers to be exempt from the Korean Language Examination among the below 3 options.

  • ① Option 1. Passing the General Course Level 2 or higher
  • ② Option 2. Passing the 8-week Course(Summer or Winter period)
  • ③ Option 3. Receive Level 4 or higher for TOPIK