Korean Studies

The Department of Korean Studies is located in the School of Languages and Cultures (SLC). It offers Korean language units and Korean studies units.

Program structure and content
The Korean Studies program provides a broad foundation in Korea-related fields, encompassing not only 'language' units but also a range of 'studies' units such as Korean history, media and communication, culture and society, translation and interpretation, and linguistics.

Junior units of study
KRNS1621 Korean 1 and KRNS1622 Korean 2 are offered for complete beginners or those with very limited exposure to Korean language. These units introduce students to the study of Korean language, culture and society and equip them to undertake a major in the program. Students who have studied Korean language at high school, have lived in Korea for any period of time or speak Korean fluently can enrol directly into senior units of study.

Senior units of study
Students who have a minimum of 12 junior credit points in Korean or an equivalent mastery of Korean can enrol into senior units of study at the 2000 level or above.

Requirements for a major
Students who wish to major in Korean Studies must complete at least 36 senior credit points from a combination of language and studies units in Korean Studies (course code KRNS) and/or the following Korea-related Asian Studies (ASNS) units:

• ASNS2641 Traditional Korea
• ASNS2642 Modern Korea
• ASNS2670 Mass Media in East Asia.

Students may take other Asian Studies units in addition to completing a Korean Studies major to provide breadth in their major sequence. This applies particularly to students in the senior levels of the Beginners stream.

Students who have completed first-year language studies in advanced streams may be able to commence learning a second language alongside their major from second year onward. Mid-year entry students may need to exceed the junior credit point limit of their course in order to commence a language in their second year, in which case special permission will be needed. If you are not sure, consult with the Student Advisers in the Faculty office.

Beginners:
Learners of Korean as a foreign language (hereafter KFL) who start KRNS1621 Korean 1 and KRNS1622 Korean 2 must take a minimum of 24 credit points from senior language units and a minimum of 12 senior credit points from Korean studies units and/or the fore-mentioned Asian Studies units.

Heritage speakers:
Heritage speakers of Korean who have Korean parents and have less than two years of formal education in Korea must take 36 credit points from senior Korean studies units and/or the fore-mentioned Asian Studies units.

Native or near-native speakers
Native or near-native speakers of Korean who have more than two years of formal education in Korea are not permitted to take language units of study, but to major in Korean Studies they should take 36 credit points from senior Korean studies units and/or the fore-mentioned Asian Studies units.

Honours
Students who achieve results of credit or better in their first year Korean units are encouraged to pursue Honours in Korean Studies. In order to enter the fourth year Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (Honours IV) in Korean Studies, candidates must obtain a credit or better average in 48 senior credit points, including their Korean Studies major and ASNS3690: Approaches to Research in Asian Studies. Intending honours students should consult with the course coordinator as early as possible.

Contact/further information
Department website: sydney.edu.au/arts/korean

Chair of Department: Dr Ki-Sung Kwak
Email: