The Korean language program in the Department of Asian Studies is one of the fastest-growing language programs at UBC.
Curriculum
The Korean language program caters primarily to non-heritage learners at the lower levels, but more ambitious learners should enroll in the upper level courses. Beyond just the linguistic competencies of reading, writing, listening and speaking, the program offers courses in Korean history and literature.
Serious students who want to speak Korean and learn the Korean alphabet are encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities in South Korea at Ehwa Women’s University, Korea University, Yonsei University or Seoul National University.
Placement Tests
All incoming students who wish to take any Korean (KORN) course are required to complete an online placement questionnaire (https://koreanplacement.asia.ubc.ca/) to obtain a placement approval for registration every term they apply for a course, unless they are a returning UBC student who has successfully completed a Korean prerequisite course and received over 60% in the final grade. Students who do not follow the placement procedure will not be allowed to stay in the course even if they are successfully registered for the course, and they will be removed from the class.
Once you’ve completed the online placement questionnaire, you will receive one of two possible next-steps:
1) If you receive a certificate for KORN_V 102, you don’t need to attend the interview. You can register for the course at any time.
2) If you receive a message which states “We need an in-person interview in order to determine a suitable course for you”, you must enroll yourself in this Canvas course (https://canvas.ubc.ca/enroll/KAM9WX) to take the Korean assessment and book an appointment for an interview on Zoom.
NOTE: If you joined the Faculty of Arts in the 2024 Winter session, you cannot waive the language requirement through a proficiency test. Please see the UBC Vancouver Calendar for more information.
If you are a fluent speaker of Korean and wish to get your language requirement exempt, please follow Step 1 to Step 5 of the Korean Placement Procedure. If you completed all required steps and are deemed a fluent speaker of Korean by the interviewer, you will receive an exemption from the language requirement. Please note that this exemption only removes the language requirement and does not result in any credits being awarded.
For all questions specifically for Korean courses (KORN) please email Eurie Shin directly at eurie.shin@ubc.ca.Emails should include your full name and student number in the title. If your inquiry is about a certain course, add the course code in the title as well. You may experience delays if the email title convention is not followed.Please allow between 2 -5 business days before sending in another email with the same inquiry.
