Korea Expat Forum

tamahari
Joined 2017
Posts: 3

6 years ago

Foreign Graduates of Korean Universities

6 years ago

I am interested in talking to expats in Korea who have graduated from Korean universities, especially those who have gone through programs primarily using English and whose Korean is not too great.

I am currently in a Master's Degree program at the Seoul National University Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS.) I entered the program primarily because my Korean husband encouraged me to, saying it would help me find work outside of teaching English in Korea. However, I am not sure how true that is.

I am particularly dubious because most of the jobs posted on the school web site require proficiency in Korean. My Korean is okay for conversation, but not for professional purposes. When I took the TOPIK six months ago, I was not even able to achieve a level 3, although I think maybe I could now.

I wonder whether concentrating on my Korean might not be a better use of my time, and basically I am unsure of whether the program will pay off.

Are there any expats out there who have gone through a program like this in Korea (or at least gotten a non-science degree in a mostly-English program?) Were you able to find work after the program, and if so, what kind? What advice do you have for making the most of the program career-wise? I don't have much in the way of skills, other than English (native) and Chinese (advanced; I have worked in a Chinese company before where everything was done in Chinese.)

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