Yonsei University

The University of Florida’s College of Liberal Arts and Science offers students the opportunity to study at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. Students may choose to participate in the exchange for the Fall semester, Spring Semester, or the whole academic year. Founded in 1885, Yonsei University is the oldest private university in Korea, as well as Korea’s most internationalized and liberal institution of higher learning. Yonsei University is located on a 245-acre campus in Sinchon in western Seoul. Sinchon is a very livable neighborhood, catered to its large student population. The spacious and picturesque university campus incorporates the beauty of nature, while being located only minutes away from Seoul’s metropolitan area. Recognized as the business and cultural hub of South Korea, Seoul is a vibrant city with a fascinating mix of modern and historic architecture.

Yonsei University is Asia’s highest ranked private university and is ranked 73rd in the world by The World University Rankings 2023. Yonsei is home to over 37,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. The university maintains an extensive international network with over 700 partner institutions in 77 countries and educates the largest number of international students among Korean universities, with over 6,000 in 2022.

Requirements/Eligibility

• Open to all majors.
• Languages of Instruction: English and Korean.
• Required GPA: 3.0.
• Official Transcript.
• Personal Statement.
• Letter of Recommendation.
• Students must have completed two semesters of coursework at the University of Florida prior to the application deadline.
• Each applicant must be nominated by the University of Florida and then apply to the exchange partner as an international exchange student.

Credits/Courses

Additional Yonsei Course information

A large number of Yonsei University courses have been pre-approved to transfer course credit (see samples of course equivalents by searching the table on this page for “Yonsei”). Additional course equivalents are possible by contacting your CLAS department advisor.

Available Courses: Liberal Arts, Commerce and Economics, Business (business majors only), Science, Engineering, Life System, Theology, Social Science, Human Ecology, Sciences in Education, Korean Language (KLI).

Restricted Courses: Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, Music, MBA, Law, Global Leadership Division.

Computer Science Courses: Although Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence courses are in high demand, their course availability for exchange and visiting students is extremely limited. Students must know that obtaining such courses will be highly competitive, thus should consider taking courses from other departments as potential alternatives.

Tuition

Tuition at the host school is waived for exchange students. Students participating in an exchange pay tuition directly to the University of Florida at their usual tuition rate. All financial aid, scholarships, and fellowships are applicable. Students incur no additional tuition cost while they are on an exchange.

Housing

Students interested in on-campus housing are encouraged to submit a separate online housing application as soon as it opens. The provision of on-campus housing is NOT guaranteed due to limited spaces and rooms will be reserved on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more details, see https://dorm.yonsei.ac.kr/en/ or contact SK Global House at skghouse@yonsei.ac.kr.

The International House (GukjeHaksa), one of the on-campus housing for international students at Yonsei University, can accommodate up to 232 students in double rooms with separate floors by gender. The House is available for international students, on a priority, of exchange/visiting program, Yonsei undergraduate and graduate students, and KLI students. The primary language in the House is English. Additional information: Yonsei University Housing.

Financial Aid

University of Florida students needing financial aid should apply through UF Student Financial Affairs. Normal eligibility for aid may be used while studying abroad as an exchange student. This includes using the Bright Futures scholarship and the Florida Pre-Paid College Plan.

Scholarships

For fall, spring, and academic-year scholarships administered by the University of Florida International Center, the deadlines for application are: early March for programs starting in fall; and early October for programs starting in spring. Application forms are available on the UF International Center website.

Health Insurance

Students will be billed for mandatory international health insurance which includes emergency medical assistance. International students with D-2 visa will be automatically registered to Korean National Health Insurance (NHIS) once their D-2 Alien Registration Number is issued by the Korean Immigration Office according to the new Korean government policy applied from March 2023. Once they receive the bill, students must pay for their Korean National Health Insurance even if they have their own insurance plan.

Fees

A $425 non-refundable service charge is assessed for students participating in single semester or Academic Year programs. (The $425 fee is refundable if student is not accepted to the program). This charge is due within 21 days of the application. Students will be charged regular UF tuition while participating in the program.

Application Information

See the application deadline and dates on the International Center website.

Work Requirements and Volunteer Opportunities

International students holding a D-2 visa must receive approval from the immigration office prior to beginning any part-time work. Undergraduates may work no more than 25 hours per week. Additional information: https://oia.yonsei.ac.kr/campus/preVisa5.asp.