Seoul National University

Seoul National University

Seoul National University (SNU) is a national research university located in Seoul, Korea. Founded in 1946, SNU was South Korea’s first national university, and has since served as a model for the many higher learning institutions in the country.

Academic Highlights

SNU is ranked among the world’s top universities. It has 16 colleges offering a wide array of units, as well as a graduate school and nine professional schools. Its graduates are prominent in all areas of Korean politics and business.

Location

The university’s main campus is based in the densely populated district of Gwanak, in the southern region of Seoul. A lively student area, it has its own railway station on the Metro system.

Did you know?

Home to more than 11 million people, the city of Seoul accounts for more than half of the Korean population.

Language of Instruction

English (limited in some areas), Korean

Program Duration

1 semester

Academic Level

Undergraduate, Postgraduate

Minimum Result Required

2.5 GPA (Undergraduate)
3.0 GPA (Postgraduate)

Previous Round Cut-off (WAM% or GPA)

2.8 GPA

Anticipated Places in Semester 1, 2027

No places

Exchange Availability

Closed

Eligible Monash Campus

Monash Australia

Agreement Scope

All Faculties

Handbook/Catalogue

SNU's undergraduate course catalogue

SNU's graduate course catalogue

SNU's course search website

Academic Restrictions

  • Various course restrictions apply. Please consult the restrictions here before choosing your courses.
  • SNU's College of Business Administration (CBA) is restricted to students who are currently majoring in business or economics at their home university, and have a GPA of above 3.0.
  • To apply for courses in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, students must have must have earned at least the equivalent of 15 Seoul National credits in CSE-related courses (one credit corresponds to 15 lecture hours or 30 lab hours). This must be explicitly shown on the official transcript; if not, you must provide additional proof to confirm.
  • The College of Law is not available to undergraduate level students. Instead the School of Law, a specialized law school for graduate level students, will be open to undergraduate students (undergraduate GPA requirement still applies). Please note that undergraduate students will be enrolled as graduate (Master’s) students in SNU law school during their study, but the credit will be applied to their undergraduate degree.
  • Due to the popularity of exchange at SNU, Monash students can only apply for a one-semester exchange period.

Language requirements

  • A large number of units are taught in English.
  • To apply for the Korean History/ Psychology/ Statistics department, you must provide proof of Korean language ability. A satisfactory level of Korean language ability should be either (1) Level 5 or above on the official Korean Language Proficiency Test or (2) Level 5 or above of the Korean Test conducted at the SNU Language Institute.

Each course (unit) at SNU is usually worth 3 SNU credits.

Full-time Credit Load Equivalents

Semester

Min. 18 Monash points

Max. 24 Monash points

12 credits - UG

15 credits - UG

9 credits - PG

12 credits - PG

Year

Min. 36 Monash points

Max. 48 Monash points

24 credits - UG

30 credits - UG

18 credits - PG

24 credits - PG

Academic Calendar

SNU Spring semester (Monash Semester 1): early March to mid-June
SNU Fall semester (Monash Semester 2): early September to mid-December

SNU's Academic Calendar

Accounting

Ancient cultures

Anthropology

Architecture

Banking and finance

Biological sciences

Biomedical sciences

Business law and taxation

Chemistry

Communications and media studies

Design

Earth, atmosphere and environmental sciences

Econometrics and business statistics

Economics

Education - early childhood

Education - primary schooling

Education - secondary schooling

Engineering

Engineering - chemical

Engineering - civil

Engineering - electrical and computer systems

Engineering - materials science

Engineering - mechanical and aerospace

English as an international language

Fine art

History

Human geography

Information technology

Journalism

Korean languages & culture studies

Law

Legal studies

Linguistics

Literary studies

Management

Marketing

Mathematical sciences

Music performance and composition

Philosophy

Physics and astronomy

Politics and international relations

Psychological sciences

Public health and preventive medicine

Religious studies

Religious studies

Sociology

  

Note

  • The listed disciplines are not necessarily exhaustive and other fields of study might also be available at the institution.
  • Approval to study particular subjects at any institution is always at the discretion of the departmental/discipline and faculty advisers in your managing faculty(ies) and subject to available places at the host.

Accommodation

SNU offers on-campus accommodation in dormitories but places are limited.

SNU provides further information about on-campus and off-campus housing.

Visas

As a general rule, if you are a student who is not of Korean nationality, you will be required to apply for a D-2 or D-2-8 (for less than a year) student visa via the local Embassy or Consulate, once you have been officially accepted by your host university.

For more information on visas, please refer to the Embassy of Republic of Korea here.

SNU also offers advice on visas and immigration.

Health and insurance

All international students are required to have a health insurance plan. Students must have one of the following three options: internationally-viable insurance from their home country, Korean National Health Insurance Service, or private insurance purchased in Korea.

SNU provides further information on health insurance.

When travelling on a Monash Abroad approved program, you are automatically covered under the Monash University Student Travel Insurance policy.  This will provide cover to and from your exchange.

Orientation and extra-curricular 

The Office of International Affairs organises an orientation program for new exchange students. Further information including a schedule will be provided to students closer to the start of the exchange semester.

SNU has a vibrant campus life, including sports facilitiesextracurricular activities including mentoring and peer tutoring, and an active international students association.

Exchange students have the opportunity to participate in Korean Language classes and register for a Korean Language buddy who helps them with their language studies, helps them settle in to student life, and accompanies them to various cultural activities.

Cost of living

You should expect to spend approximately 2, 000,000 KRW per month while studying at SNU.

SNU offers guidance on the cost of living and how to open a bank account.

Funding

For information about funding available to support study on exchange overseas, see the Financial Information page on the Monash Abroad website.

Students may be eligible to apply for the New Colombo Plan, and if they are taking Korean language courses, may also be able to apply for the Walter Mangold Study Abroad Scholarship and the Hamer Scholarship for Intensive Language Study.

Due to a lack of availability of exchange places, this program is not currently accepting applications.

Have you been to Seoul National University and want to share your experience? 
Let us know about your exchange via this survey form and your testimonial could be shown here!