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KAIST - KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY Program Level: Undergraduate Number of Weeks/Term: 16 |
- Background
- Location Information
- Program Dates
- Host Institution
- Academic Information
- Academic Disciplines
- Credit Transfer Information
- Eligibility Requirements
- Program Costs
- Housing and Meals
- Insurance
- Extracurricular Activities
- Climate
- VISA & Passport Information
- Your Next Steps
- Experiences of Former Students
- Contact Details
BACKGROUND
Georgia Tech (GT) has developed a number of overseas programs around the globe. These programs provide students with the opportunity to complete a portion of their academic programs in top-notch foreign universities that are partnered with GT. As a result of immersion in a foreign academic and cultural environment, students have the maximum opportunity to learn to operate effectively in an atmosphere that is wholly different from that of GT and the U.S.
LOCATION INFORMATION
South Korea
Korea lies adjacent to China and Japan. The northern border of Korea is formed by the Amnokgang (Yalu) and Dumangang (Tumen) rivers, which separate it from Manchuria. A 16-kilometer segment of the Dumangang to the east also serves as a natural border with Russia. The west coast of the Korean Peninsula is bounded by the Korean Bay to the north and the West Sea to the south; the east coast faces the East Sea.
Two hundred kilometers separate the peninsula from eastern China. The shortest distance between Korean and Chinese coasts is 200 kilometers and from the southeastern tip of the peninsula, the nearest point on the Japanese coast is also about 200 kilometers away.
Daejeon
Daejeon is the fifth largest city among South Korea's top six cities, including Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, and Gwangju. Its population is 1,390,510 and it covers an area of 539.83 km² at the end of 2000. Comparing areas of the boroughs, Yuseong-gu is the largest borough of the city; the second is Dong-gu; the third is Seo-gu; the fourth is Daedeok-gu; and Jung-gu is the smallest.
The city is located in the center of South Korea: 167.3 km from Seoul, 294 km from Busan, and 169 km from Gwangju. It is also the gateway between Yeongnam province and Honam province. It is in the same latitude as Athens, Lisbon, and San Francisco. It is an important place where traffic diverges into two major expressways, the Gyungbu Expressway going to the east and the Honam Expressway to the west. It becomes the hub of national traffic both in name and reality, after the rapid transit railway started operation in April, 2004.
For more information on Korea, click here
PROGRAM DATES
Fall Term: early September - late December
Spring Term: early February - late May
Academic Year: early September - late May
NOTE: Undergraduate students may participate in this program for the Fall, Spring, or for a full academic year.
YEAR PROGRAM STARTED:
2005
HOST INSTITUTION ACADEMIC INFORMATION
KAIST is recognized as one of the best research-based science and engineering universities in Asia. Established in 1971, KAIST is located in Daedeok Research Complex in Daejeon. It's the home of more than 60 government-supported and private research institutes, 4 universities, and numerous venture businesses. KAIST consists of 9,000 students and about 1,300 faculty and staff. About 4% of the total student body is international. Currently, KAIST is in the middle of an initiative to become one of the top 10 universities in the world.
ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES
Subject Areas Available:
- Aerospace Engineering
- Biology
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Industrial Design
- Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Korean
- Management
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Mathematics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Modern Languages
- Nuclear and Radiological Engineering
- Physics
- Research
Language Information
As of May 2008, all Freshman and Sophomore level courses are taught in English. By the 2008-2009 school year, Junior level courses will also be taught in English. Currently, Junior and Senior level courses are taught in either English or Korean (see online course listing for information). If at least one international student is enrolled in a course, the lecture will be conducted in English.
Course Information
For detailed course information: click here
Research Option
There is an option to study at KAIST for one semester and then stay for a second semester to conduct research in a KAIST laboratory or in industry. This option is available to students in science and engineering fields. If you are interested in this possibility, you should submit a resume and research proposal to the OIE along with your regular application materials for the program.
Summer Program
KAIST offers a six week summer program beginning in early June. Courses taught in English in the past have included Physics, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Industrial Design, Calculus, and Humanities/Social Sciences. For detailed information, click here. Please contact OIE with questions or to apply. Top
CREDIT TRANSFER INFORMATION
Credit for courses taken as part of GT exchange programs is added as transfer credit on the GT transcript. Since it is important to know which kind of credit students will earn abroad as soon as possible, GT requires that courses be pre-approved for transfer. With a Foreign Credit Approval Form (available from OIE) in hand, and the credit transfer system information (listed below), students should submit course descriptions to the appropriate academic unit to request their approval. If taking Math classes, for example, then the student should go to the GT School of Mathematics to get permission for the courses to transfer to GT. If approved, the GT School of Mathematics signs the Foreign Credit Approval Form showing how the courses will transfer so that students will know which type of credit they should expect to receive.
For detailed credit transfer instructions click here
For the Foreign Credit Approval Form click here
Standing Transfer Credit Approvals Available on OSCAR
Certain courses from this school have been given standing approval on the Transfer Equivalency Table found on OSCAR. If a course you would like to take is listed on this table, you do not need to seek additional approval. If a course you would like to take is not listed on this table, you need to seek approval for the course via the Foreign Credit Approval form.
CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM
This information is intended for undergraduates students only. Graduate students must speak with their academic unit to to determine the acceptance of transfer credits.
KAIST uses the following credit transfer system:
1 KAIST credit = 1.28 GT credit
GRADING SYSTEM
KAIST uses the following grading system listed below:
KAIST Grade = US Grade
A+, AO, A- = A
B+,BO, B- = B
C+, CO, C- = C
D+, DO, D- = D
F = F
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Eligible students must meet the following criteria:
PROGRAM COSTS
The same matriculation, tuition and other mandatory fees (including transportation, technology, activity, health, and athletic) apply to a term abroad as would normally apply at Georgia Tech. Exchange students must pay tuition and fees to the GT Bursar for each GT semester they are abroad. No other expenses associated with this program are paid to GT; instead, these expenses are paid on site.
The currency in South Korea is the South-Korean Won (KRW). Exchange rates fluctuate, so check the newspaper or click here for the most current rates.
DON'T FORGET TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS!! See the OIE web site for more info: click here
Following are cost estimates for one semester at KAIST that may help you prepare for your term(s) abroad. All costs are in USD.
In State Tuition $3,035 Out of State Tuition $3,285 GT Mandatory Fees $718 Books and Supplies $200 Administrative and/or Application fees $0 Miscellaneous (includes passport/visa fees, required field trips, local transportation and incidentals) $900 Roundtrip Airfare $1,700 Room and Board $1,715 Additional Language Instruction $0 Mandatory Insurance $150 Total $8,418 (in state) $8,668(out of state)
*Out-of-state students pay in state tuition, plus $250 for this exchange program.
*Costs in the preceding chart are estimates for undergraduates based on tuition rates posted by the GT Bursar for "continuing students." Guaranteed tuition rates, graduate tuition rates, and MBA tuition rates vary. Please check the GT Bursar's web site click here to confirm actual tuition rates based on degree, term, or level of study. Actual costs may be higher or lower than those listed above, depending on the exchange rate and personal spending habits/needs.
HOUSING AND MEALS
Housing
International students are eligible to apply for housing in an on-campus dormitory. Single rooms are NOT available. All rooms are double or triple occupancy. Dorms are furnished, however, bring your own linens (sheets, pillows, towels, etc). Or, you can rent them from the International Relations Team. Rooms have air conditioning, beds, closets, and desks. Restrooms, showers, coin-operated washing machines and computer labs are shared in the dorms. Each dorm is equipped with a LAN, but you must provide a LAN cable. No kitchen facilities are available.
Meals
Kitchen facilities are not available in the dormitories. Campus cafeterias are open 7 days a week and serve three meals a day. Top
INSURANCE
Students participating in this program will be assessed $150 per semester for mandatory insurance coverage. You will be covered by T.W. Lord and Associates. For detailed information about this insurance plan, click here. This cost is included in the above cost estimates for the program.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
KAIST has two gymnasiums that are open every day of the week along with an indoor swimming pool and sauna (small membership fee). The College Gym and Won Gym are located in the center of the undergraduate school and the graduate school. They are equipped for basketball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics, changing/shower facilities. There are also 20 tennis courts and two outdoor sports grounds. Cultural events are held every Thursday evening in the KAIST auditorium with musical concerts and traditional Korean theatre. Exchange students are welcome to join one of the many student associations.
CLIMATE
Daejeon's climate consists of the basic seasons. Winters are cold with temperatures dipping below zero and rarely warming above freezing. There is also frequent snowfall throughout the winter months (November to March). The summers are warm and rainy with an average temperature of 75ºF.
VISA AND PASSPORT INFORMATION
Complete information about how to apply for or renew a U.S. passport is available from the GT Office of International Education or online click here
Students participating in this program must apply for a student visa (D-2) before leaving for Korea. Approval can take a few days to a month. To obtain an application and a list of required documents to obtain a visa go to the Korean Consulate General website (click here).
All foreigners residing in Korea for over 90 days must obtain documentation from the Daejeon Immigration Office. KAIST will give you more information about this when you arrive.
YOUR NEXT STEPS
To begin the process of participating in this exchange, please do the following:
EXPERIENCES OF FORMER STUDENTS
click here
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Jennifer Evanuik, Study Abroad Advisor (Exchange Programs)
GT Office of International Education
631 Cherry Street
Savant Building, Suite 211
Atlanta, GA 30332-0284
Phone: (404)894-7475 Fax: (404)894-9682
E-mail: jennifer.evanuik@oie.gatech.edu
OIE web site: click here
Host/Program Web Site: click here
Daejeon
South Korea
Asia
Semester
16
12
English/Korean
For more info, contact OIE.
Can I go abroad while pursuing a GT degree?
GT students have many opportunities to participate in semester/exchange and study abroad programs. In a semester program, you actually take classes with the host universitys students and faculty. (In some cases, this means that you must have excellent knowledge of the local language to participate). Semester program participants usually pay normal GT tuition and fees for each term abroad. Credits can be pre-approved to transfer back to GT so that you do not get behind in your studies. The application deadline for fall and academic year programs is in early February; for spring programs the deadline is in September/October.
In a study abroad program, the courses are taught by GT faculty and you register for regular GT courses. Residents pay normal matriculation fees, but do not pay ancillary fees (athletic, health, etc.). Non-residents only pay resident matriculation plus $250 ($1500 for GTL Summer/$2000 for GTL Spring/Fall) . This is a savings of over $6,000 for out-of-state students who participate in GT study abroad programs as full-time students! Deadlines for summer study abroad programs vary from early January to mid-February.
In most cases, if you are eligible for financial aid or scholarships, you can apply your grants, scholarships, and/or loans toward the expenses associated with participating in all GT programs.
GTs International Plan: More than just study abroad
Your major is participating in this new initiative!
The International Plan is an intensive, degree-long program designed to prepare GT graduates professionally and personally for successful lives in the 21st century. Requirements of the program include international coursework, two terms abroad (any combination of study, research or internship abroad), proficiency in a second language, and a culminating course. Students who complete the program will have a designation on their diploma indicating completion of the degree with global competence: for example, BS in Mechanical Engineering: International Plan. For more information or an application, contact your major advisor or OIE and visit the website: click here