Sookmyung Women’s University – Seoul, South Korea

Sookmyung Women’s University (SMU) is a private university located in downtown Seoul, South Korea, within close distance to the city’s major attractions (10 minutes from Seoul Station). The university’s name is derived from Hanja characters of ‘sook’ and ‘myung’, which mean ‘elegant’ and ‘bright’ respectively.

First established in 1906 during the latter stages of the Korean empire, it was Korea’s first national women’s private school. Currently it has a diverse student population of 13,000. The university’s main goal is to foster creative leaders with power of thinking, delivered through rigorous academic training and opportunities for student leadership against the backdrop of the exciting capital city of Seoul.

Please note, male students are eligible to apply to study on exchange at Sookmyung Women’s University.

Learn more about Sookmyung Women’s University here.

Programmes of study

Sookmyung Women’s University provides the opportunity for students of the following subject areas to study modules in English: Business, Marketing, Management, Economics, Law, English Language, Literature, TESOL, International Relations, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering.

There are also complementary Korean Studies courses available, to allow students to learn more about Korean language and culture. Full details of courses available can be found here.

Exchange students will be required to follow a full programme of study for the academic year based at Sookmyung Women’s University.


Travel & accommodation

  • Travel – The nearest major airports to Sookmyung Women’s University Gimpo Airport or Incheon Airport. An SMU buddy can pick you up at either airport and guide you to your accommodation for 50,000 Korean won (approximately £33).
  • Accommodation – You will need to apply to live in SMU on-campus dorm. For more information check out the SMU website.

Visas & insurance

  • Visas – To take part in this exchange you are responsible for ensuring that you meet South Korean entry requirements.
  • Insurance – DMU insurance is not sufficient for studying on exchange in South Korea, and students are required to purchase health insurance.

Costs

Living costs in South Korea tend to be similar to those in the UK. We recommend that you do further independent research to gain a better understanding of the cost of your year abroad. To help you, we have a created a simple cost comparison between the UK and South Korea:

Accommodation

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Transport

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Food

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