Yonsei University, Underwood International College, (Seoul)

Although experience-wise there are no big differences, we recommend going in the Fall semester since going in Spring semester means you will have to arrange for housing between 1 January (move-out date at UCU) and March, when Yonsei’s academic year starts.

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1 per year

Fall Semester: Early September – Late December 
Spring Semester: Early March – Mid-June 

All courses at UIC are taught in English. 

Fall Semester: Last weekday of April
Spring Semester: Last weekday of October

UIC offers, for second-year students and higher, courses in five majors: Comparative Literature & Culture, Economics (business and economics courses are restricted to business/economics majors!), International Studies, Political Science & International Relations, and Life Science & Biotechnology. Find the course portal here.

The courses are categorized into 4 different levels as shown right. Please note that students are allowed to take courses that are not necessarily targeting the year they are in, as long as they meet the course requirements. 

One course is 3 UIC, which converts to 6 ECTS. This means that 5 courses are 15 UIC credits / 30 ECTS.

UIC grading system is based on 4.3 Grade Point system. The table on right shows the letter grade equivalent to each grade point and grade distribution based on class size.

For non-credit courses, the grading will be based on Pass / Non-Pass basis.

For detailed information, please refer to the grading system sheet.

Yonsei has an International House with good facilities, which is open to exchange students. Students get a double room and there are separate wings for men and women. More information here and here. 
Students cannot cook in the International House; neither can they purchase a meal plan. There are, however, many cafeterias and bakeries close to the campus where students can get their food. Apart from that, there are several options for off-campus housing: studios, guest houses or a Homestay Program in which students live with a Korean family to experience the Korean culture more intensely.

UIC gives an estimation of the costs for one semester, which are $3,700 (€3,000). This includes a double room in I-House and meals. 

The Orientation for exchange students will be offered before the beginning of every semester. The Orientation will be held in late February for Spring semester, and in late August for Fall semester. For the students who require pick-up from the airport, the service will be available for $50. Please contact mailtoiycian@gmail.com for more information. 

Yonsei University is located in Seoul, a city of nearly 10 million inhabitants and the capital of South Korea. Seoul is a popular tourist destination with many temples and historical sights, as well as modern attractions and nightlife. Find out more here. 

The climate in Seoul is affected by monsoons. This leads to a hot and humid summer with intense rainfall, but winters that are colder than Utrecht’s with much less rain. There are also issues with air pollution. 

Yonsei Campus has a fitness center with sports facilities including a swimming pool to which students can get access for 40,000 KRW per month. The university as a whole hosts about 30,000 students (Underwood International College has 2,500 students). There are more than 100 student clubs for social and cultural activities organized in the Student Union. The university also offers psychological support.  

The campus is very close to a lot of Seoul highlights. Previous students do warn that regulations in the university accommodations are quite strict, and that it is not very close to the vibrant neighborhoods, so you might want to consider off-campus housing. Furthermore, on-campus social life is not as expansive as it is at UCU, so it better to explore the city, which students are very enthusiastic about. The academic program has a lot to offer as you can select courses all around campus and Korean culture is very interesting. Selecting courses can be a bit challenging, as it is done on a first come first serve basis. However, it is easy to switch classes during the semester. 

Click here to read more about student experiences.