KOREA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL of BUSINESS (KUBS)

Updated: September 26, 2024

Here is some information regarding preparing to study abroad at KUBS.

Click the tabs to navigate through different topics, and feel free to contact me if you have any other questions by using the contact tab at the very top of the website page.

KUBS Application

The Korea University School of Business (KUBS) application is entirely online, and they use a different portal compared to Korea University's regular portal.

Make sure to read the emails sent to you carefully and be mindful of deadlines. Also, ensure you convert KST to HST.

Application Timeline

Dates can vary depending on partner school

April 7

Received KUBS online application

May 6

Deadline to submit /
Email of successful application

May 2

Submitted KUBS Application

June 12

Received KUBS Admission Packet

Application Documents

When applying for the KUBS application, make sure to use your PERSONAL GMAIL that was submitted to your partner school and NOT your SCHOOL EMAIL!

Make sure the documents are jpg or pdf files and double check what size files are accepted for each section. Carefully read what is needed as some additional documents may be required if you are not a U.S. citizen or hold a dual citizenship.

Passport Photo / ID Photo
- 4.5 cm x 3.5 cm
- JPEG file only/ file size less than 1MB

Official Academic Transcript
- Order an e-transcript here

Letter of Academic Reference
- Must be completed by your professor or an academic advisor and includes recommender's name, title, and the school's logo
- The Letter of Academic Reference is free-written
- You can ask the professor to email the LoR to you once completed and upload it yourself or you may email the partner school to tell them your professor will email it directly

Health Certificates
- Download the form from the application page
- Must be completed and submitted within the application period. Can ONLY be completed by a physician/doctor
- Examination taken in October to November (SPRING) and April to May (FALL) is acceptable
- Make sure your doctor/physician signs and stamps official stamp

Statement of Purpose and Goals
- Free-written 1-2 page paper describing the purpose and goals for your exchange semesters
- Should write the reason for choosing KUBS as a study abroad destination and what you hope to achieve

Copy of Passport
- Clear copy of a valid passport
- File size should be under 50kb and shows photo, name, and passport number, etc.
- MUST be valid for 6 months beyond the period of student's intended stay in Korea

Letter of Confirmation for Private Insurance/Travel Insurance
- Provided by MIX
- Must cover the entire study abroad period, can be uploaded after application submission
- Must state the name, dates of coverage, and benefits in ENGLISH
- Can be submitted via EMAIL even after submission of the online application
  - Submission deadline: July 31 (FALL) / January 31 (SPRING)

Pledge
- Download pledge on the online application
- Must be handwritten (only for the blanks of the form)

Bank Statement
- Must submit a bank statement opened under your name showing a minimum balance of $4,500 (1 semester) / $9,000 (2 semesters) issued between November - December (SPRING) / May - June (FALL) by January 1 for Spring and July 1 for Fall
- If you cannot provide your bank statement, you can submit your parent's bank statement along with a copy of your birth certificate in English
- If you are a scholarship recipient, please submit an official certificate or letter that proves your scholar status and the amount of scholarship benefits such as monthly allowances and so on for the entire study period.
- Those who do not have a copy of this bank statement at the time of online application MUST submit it via email or post by January 1 for Spring and July 1 for Fall

Dorm Application

Housing options in Korea usually include dorms, goshiwons, Airbnb, or other off-campus options.

I decided to live in dorms to gain the experience of having a roommate as well as my parents felt that it was a safer option.

Application Timeline (KST)

Dates can vary depending on partner school

June 24

KU dorm application opens

July 4

KU dorm
application results

August 17

KU move-in
start date

June 26

KU dorm
application deadline

July 14

KU dorm payment deadline

December 21

KU move-out
date

Dorm Options

KU offers 2 dorms for international undergraduate students:

However, KU tries to accommodate more exchange students and may open the Frontier House which houses domestic undergraduate students.

Frontier House

Dorm

Estimated Cost
Per Semester

CJ Intl House

Anam Intl House

Frontier House

Single Room

Double Room

18,000 ₩ per night

14,200 ₩ Per Night

N/A

13,600 ₩ Per Night

N/A

1,713,600 ₩

1,789,200 ₩

2,268,000 ₩ /
1,789,200 ₩

Application Process

KU has a separate portal for dorms where students can find information and navigate throughout the semester. Applying for dorms is pretty competitive, so make sure you log in on time and click "Apply" as soon as it becomes available. The "Apply" button is only accessible at the exact time mentioned. Click the "TIPS" tab for more information about my experience.

An email will be sent out regarding dorm application information, including your login details. As an exchange student, you will sign in using the "Non-KU Portal User" option. The dorm portal allows you to sign in 5-6 days before the application opens, but the application itself will only appear on the specified date and time.

You cannot select which dorm you will stay in or choose your roommate, as both are assigned. The dorm application is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The application includes:

Personal information: Address, Email, Phone Number, Home Country School, Student's Photo, etc.
Room preference: Single or double
Emergency Contact

Payment Process

Once you finish applying, the results will be released about a week after the deadline. The results will be sent via email, along with payment information.

Payment details will also be viewable on the portal after the results are out. Click "See More" to view payment information and check your payment status.

I made a wire transfer through Wise because the transaction fees were cheaper than doing it at the bank. This method was also recommended by a friend. The transfer was fast, and KU confirmed my payment the next day.

Payment Process

Once you finish applying, the results will be available about a week after the deadline. The results will be sent via email, along with payment information.

Payment information will be viewable on the portal after the results are out. Click "See More" to view payment details and check your payment status.

I did a wire transfer through Wise because the transaction fees were cheaper than doing it at the bank. This was also recommended by my friend. The transfer was fast and KU completed my payment the next day.

Completed Application/Payment

Once you finish both the application and payment, the final step is preparing the documents for when you move in.

Documents:

Documents: Tuberculosis Test Certificate: Must be taken within 90 days prior to your check-in. The type of test does not matter.
Measles Vaccination Certificate: The date of vaccination does not matter.

*Both certificates do not have a required format, but they must be printed. Vaccination books and hand-written certificates are not accepted. If your vaccination record includes recognizable terms such as MMR or Measles, it does not need to be translated into English.

Course Registration (KST)

Korea University has three rounds of course registration: the pre-registration period, the actual course registration, and the add/drop period. The university will send you an email listing all the dates, along with instructions and attachments on how to register. KU does a great job of explaining how to register for all three rounds. Course registration dates are in KST, so make sure to convert them to HST.

As a business student, it can be difficult to get all the classes you want at the beginning, as it is very competitive.

Registration Timeline (KST)

Dates can vary depending on partner school

August 2-5

Pre-registration
period

August 12

Actual registration
period starts

September 4-6

Add/Drop period

August 8

Pre-registration
period results

August 17

Actual registration
period ends

Pre-Registration Period of Preferred Courses

Before you start the pre-registration period, make sure the classes are transferable. For business students, you can see which credits are transferable for each partner university. Make a list of the classes you prefer and would like to take.

Shidler Partner School Course Equivalents

KU provides instructions on how to view classes and syllabuses without logging in. This is how you will check what classes are offered. To pre-register, you will need a login, which KU will provide when the registration date approaches. The portal doesn't allow you to log in until the day of the pre-registration period. The timing of when you add your courses doesn't matter, as it will be a lottery-based system if the number of exchange students exceeds the allowed amount. However, I still recommend doing it early, so you don't have to worry.

KU Course Registration Portal

During the pre-registration period, I was able to get 2 out of the 6 classes on my wish list. I had 4 classes I really wanted to take, and the 2 classes I got were part of that group.

Actual Course Registration

Before the actual course registration, there will be time for you to add courses to your wish list. The wish list will be beneficial for quickly adding classes when registration opens. During this registration, time is crucial—it's a FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVE basis. I recommend setting your clock to show seconds, as every second counts. Exchange students can register at any time once the period begins. Make sure your internet connection is fast and stable. KU will send a reminder email about course registration.

The registration process at KU is different from UH Manoa's STAR system. You add classes individually, which can be really stressful. If a popup window appears, do not refresh or leave the page. This indicates that the portal is loading and counting down the seconds until you can register. There are no waiting lists for courses, and each course only allows a certain number of exchange students to register.

During this time, I was only able to secure one more of my desired classes, so in total, I got 3 out of the 4 classes I wanted. By the time the popup window finished loading and I registered for my first class, the second class was already full. The portal shows you which classes are full or still available.

Add/Drop Period

If you didn’t get all the classes you wanted, there’s one more chance. During the add/drop period, any remaining openings in classes will be available to all students, including both regular KU students and exchange students.

UPDATE: Two out of the four classes I registered for were taught entirely in Korean. I had to drop these two classes and find two more that were taught in English.

*Make sure when you read the course title, it has “English” in parentheses! It should look like this: Financial Management (English).

The add/drop period lasted two days. The first day followed the same rules as regular course registration, but the second day was open to everyone. Before the semester started, I received an email from the school about the Course Enrollment Request Form. It’s important to fill this out in hopes of getting into a class before the second day of the add/drop period. Through this process, I was able to get one more business class that I needed.

For my last class, I found a very interesting course, but it was already full. I emailed the professor and was very happy when he allowed me to join, so I contacted the Global Services Center coordinator in charge of exchange students to request an override.

Now, I finally have all four of my classes registered!

TIPS

Here are some tips you may find useful:

Use Google Chrome for better performance. I tried using Safari, but the performance wasn't great, and some things on the portal may not work. The KU portals work best with Internet Explorer or Google Chrome.
Always double-check the time and date. Almost everything has a deadline. Make sure to convert KST to HST.
Try to complete tasks quickly. Most of the time, it’s on a first-come, first-served basis.
Do NOT use your school email—USE your personal email instead.
Always check your email or ensure you receive notifications. KU sends a lot of emails and reminders, which are useful.
The dorm and application portal does not allow you to save information.
Make sure when registering for classes, the course title has (ENGLISH)

KOREA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL of BUSINESS (KUBS)

KUBS Application

Application Timeline

April 7

Received KUBS online application

May 6

Deadline to submit / Email of successful application

May 2

Submitted KUBS Application

June 12

Received KUBS Admission Packet

Application Documents

Deadline to submit /
Email of successful application