About
Yonsei University's Exchange/Visiting Student Programs offer opportunities to students who plan to study for a year or a semester in Korea's top university located in the heart of Seoul, the dynamic capital city of Korea.
Yonsei University in South Korea's oldest university and one of its three SKY institutions. Yonsei enjoys top 100 world rankings in many subjects including arts and humanities, modern languages, management and social sciences (QS).
Location
Yonsei is situated in a spacious, quiet, and well-wooded environment with a mountain, located 6km to the west of the centre of Seoul's metropolitan area.
The capital and largest city, Seoul, is the centre of Asia's third-largest economy. This round-the-clock city is constantly on the move. Yet there are plenty of areas to escape the crowds. Popular tourist spots include the ancient palaces and royal shrines of the Joseon Dynasty, the historic Namhansan Mountain Fortress, the Han River which runs to North Korea, and the Seoul World Cup and Olympic Stadia.
Seoul is within comfortable flying distance of Japan and China, with Tokyo, Beijing and Shanghai all less than a three-hour flight away.
Level of competitiveness
Very competitive ***
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
Academic Calendar
Semester 1: from the end of August to December
Semester 2: from the end of February to June
More information on important dates can be found on Yonsei’s academic calendar.
Courses
Yonsei University is not an option for students from the School of Economics and Finance.
Here is a link to the course guideline. Please note the information on restricted/limited majors: https://oia.yonsei.ac.kr/intstd/exCourse.asp
Restricted Majors
Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Music, MBA, Law School, Some courses offered at the Songdo International Campus(mostly UIC courses) However, this may be subject to change from semester to semester.
Choosing your Yonsei Major
Some courses may have major restriction or quotas. When selecting the Yonsei major, please browse the on-line catalog for offered courses and select the major that offers the most number of courses that you will take during your stay at Yonsei.
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. Obtaining such courses will be highly competitive so students should consider taking courses from other departments as potential alternatives.
Business Courses
Business courses(Course Code: BIZ) are in high demand every semester, so they are strictly open to business major students only. There is a maximum of 4 courses on the subject per semester is allowed. (subject to change.)
Other restrictions:
- Medicine / Dentistry / Nursing / Pharmacy
- Music
- MBA
- Law
- Courses offered in Songdo International Campus
Credits
Students must register for 12 credits per semester
Find out more about credit transfer and grade conversions.
Visit Yonsei's Global One-Stop Service Center landing page containing plenty of useful information and details about pre-arrival, visas, student life, campus life, etc.
Queen Mary student feedback
Blog posts on Queen Mary Global Bloggers:
Instagram takeovers
Accommodation
Students interested in staying at on-campus housing must submit a separate housing application as soon as it opens online. Please note that housing is not guaranteed due to limited spaces. Rooms will be served on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Off-campus accommodation options are boarding houses (Hasukjip), private studios and guest houses, although these are general not for long term leasing.
Cost of Living
You can find more general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Seoul compared to London here.
Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
According to previous Queen Mary student feedback, the cost of living in Seoul is generally cheaper than London in terms of rent, eating, drinking, social activities and public transport and to a very high quality. However, students find that groceries are very expensive and so eating in campus cafeterias where possible is a much more feasible way of living. Eating out in restaurants is also a normality in Seoul and inexpensive.
Support Services
More information on accessibility can be found on Yonsei's page for students with disabilities. Further information about support services and on-campus resources at Yonsei such as their Counseling Center can be found here.
