Eligibility

GPA	2.5
WIU hours completed	12
Student conduct	Good standing
Grad credit	Not Available
Non-WIU	No
Pre-requisite	No previous Korean proficiency required.  Varies by course; see the "Studying at SKKU" tab for more details
Student Year	Sophomore, Junior, Senior

Entry Requirements

Passport:  Required. Must be valid for at least six (6) months after your study abroad program ends.  For information on how to apply for or renew a passport, see Passports 101 .
Current passport processing times are 6-8 weeks.  Plan accordingly to avoid issues obtaining your visa, airine tickets, and other necessary items for travel.  Failure to receive your passport in time can lead to postponement of your program.

Visa: Students must apply for a visa before entering South Korea.
Traveling to South Korea without your student visa can lead to denied entry, forced removal from your program, and financial consequences.

Health Insurance

It is University policy that you must have international health insurance for the time you are abroad.  Only two options are approved to meet this requirement:
  • WIU Student Health Insurance
  • A supplemental plan (Patriot Travel Medical) from International Medical Group (IMG) .

Health Precautions

COVID-19 - You are REQUIRED to follow the policies of your host school, host country, the CDC and TSA. It is your responsibility to know and understand these policies. If policies change before or during your program, it is your responsbility to comply with the new policies. Failure to do so can result in removal from your program and/or the host country, financial consequences and academic consequences at the host school and WIU.

Walking/mobility/travel - Expect more walking than on-campus.  It is more urban (pavement/concrete)terrain, including up/down flights of stairs.  Some historic sites and tourist areas have limited handicapped accessibility.  Sidewalks in these areas can be narrow with uneven surfaces.  

Vaccinations - No vaccinations are required for entry into South Korea.  Up to date vaccination recommendations are available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website .

Accessibility - Accessibility and accommodation are very different from that found in the United States.  Please contact Disability Resources for questions on the availability of accommodations for your specific situation.

PLEASE NOTE  It is your responsibility to request accommodation from DR; staff are not legally permitted to inquire about such needs.  Requests should be made as early as possible so there's sufficient time to arrange accommodations in your location. 

Costs (Comparative Table)

last updated 4/9/2025

Items	WIU	SKKU
Tuition and fees, 12 hours, plan Y	5,140	5,140
Commitment Fee	--	75
Health Insurance	816	816
Passport	--	165
Student visa	--	45
Housing and meals	Housing: 3,795 Meals: 2,680	Housing: 1,700 Meals: 1,530
Books and supplies	480	200
Local transportation	840	220
Personal/misc. (phone, laundry, recreation, etc.)	950	2,125
Total	14,701	12,016*

*You are responsible for purchasing your own flights.

Various types of aid are available to help fund your experience.  Check out our Financial Aid and Scholarships pages for more details.

 

Academics

Exchange students at SKKU take 4-6 classes per semester, equaling 12-18 sh at WIU.  An "average" SKKU class is 3 SKKU credits or 3 WIU semester hours.  You must take at least 12 SKKU credits to maintain full-time status. 
Classes are graded on a 100 point scale with letter grades of A, A-, B+, B, C+, C, and F.

Classes at SKKU are taught in English and Korean:
English-taught classes are offered in many areas of study, allowing you to choose classes for your major, minor and/or electives, all in the same semester.  They are listed as "Course in International Language" in the Course Catalog.  You may also take Korean language courses to improve your language skills.

Korean-taught classes are for students fluent in Korean.  Korean-taught classes must be from the same academic area as your WIU major/minor. 

Exchange students are eligible to take classes from all areas except the following:

School of Medicine	School of Pharmacy	Public Affairs
Law	College of Art	Theatre

Classes in English may be limited in certain academic areas.  Individual classes may require proof of pre-requisite coursework.

Course Catalog
Classes are listed by academic area.  To see a description of the course, double click the Course Title. 

Housing and Meals

The accommodation option at SKKU is residence halls.  Residence halls at the Humanities and Social Sciences campus in Seoul do not offer a meal plan; all meals are your responsibility.  The residence hall at the Natural Sciences campus in Suwon does offer a meal plan at an additional cost.  You must apply for residence hall housing.  On-campus housing is not guaranteed.

More information on housing can be found on the SKKU accommodation webpage .