University of Hawaii at Manoa

The Korean Language Flagship Center at the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) aims to prepare American students to be able to function in Korean as professionals in their chosen academic or occupational fields.

For more information, please visit the website of the Korean Language Flagship Center at http://koreanflagship.manoa.hawaii.edu/.

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Director: Ho-min Sohn, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

M.A. in Korean for Professionals

The Korean Flagship MA program is a two-year program operating as a 1-2-1 system. That is, students spend the the first semester at the UHM, the second and third semesters at Korea University, and the fourth semester at the UHM. At the UHM, students receive intensive, task-based Korean language instruction, along with individualized domain-specific tutoring. They also benefit from the substantial Korean-American population and cultural activities in Honolulu as well as on campus. In Korea, students benefit from language and cultural immersion, take both language and content courses, participate in individualized professional internships, and receive Korean peer tutoring.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and have an undergraduate degree. A minimum level of Korean language proficiency equivalent to ACTFL Intermediate-mid (ILR Level 1) is required. Applicants’ majors bear no relation to acceptance, and we welcome applicants from all disciplines.

Students who successfully complete the academic program (i.e., non-thesis, minimum of 34 credit hours) and demonstrate the ability to use Korean at the professional level (ILR 3, ACTFL Superior) are awarded with a Master of Arts in Korean for Professionals, from the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures.

Many graduates of the program serve in government departments, such as the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Commerce, NSA, and Open Source Network among many others. Some graduates pursue advanced degrees in various fields. Others work in the private sector where they can fully utilize their abilities as Korea specialists.

In addition to NSEP’s Boren fellowships, other types of financial aid are available for which both incoming and continuing students are encouraged to apply.

B.A. in Korean for Professionals

The Korean Flagship BA program provides intensive professional-level Korean language training in one’s specific area of specialization. The undergraduate program includes two years of undergraduate work (36 credit hours) followed by one year at Korea University.

The undergraduate Korean Flagship program admits students who possess a basic knowledge of Korean and a strong motivation to become Korea specialist in their major. The intensive language-through-content training is designed to meet student needs in preparing for professional use of Korean.

Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The B.A. program accepts qualified students of any academic standing (freshman through senior), incoming, transfer, and continuing students are all eligible for admission to the Flagship undergraduate program.

In addition to NSEP’s Boren scholarships and FLAS scholarships, other types of financial aid are available for which both incoming and continuing students are encouraged to apply.

Also, students are encouraged to enroll in the Korean B.A. program for a double or concurrent major along with another disciplinary degree either in arts and sciences areas such as political science, biology, communication, sociology, history, and psychology (for a double major) or in professional areas such as business, law, medicine, nursing, social work, and engineering (for a concurrent major).

Graduates of the programs will be prepared to serve in various government departments or agencies and business or private sectors, where they can fully utilize their abilities as Korea specialists. Some graduates may want to pursue advanced degrees in their chosen fields.