Center for Education Abroad

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
Daejeon, Republic of Korea

University Info   |   College of Engineering   |   Exchange Student Info

Fast Facts

• KAIST is the first and top science and technology university in Korea.
• KAIST strives to become a world-renowned institute by offering the best science and technology education to its students.
• KAIST has 11,500 students enrolled in five colleges and six schools, including 920 international students from 92 countries.

Introduction

KAIST, a research university established in 1971, has served as the gateway to advanced science, technology, and innovation for Korea. To meet the growing demand for young, competent global leaders, KAIST has developed itself as a global arena for interdisciplinary education and research opportunities.

With 1,112 faculty members working with 11,176 students, KAIST focuses on creating an atmosphere for interdisciplinary communication and collaboration for its academic units in all of its four campuses in Daejeon and Seoul to stimulate the innovative leadership and entrepreneurship needed to develop technology for the advancement of the world and for sustainable economic growth. KAIST also endeavors to strengthen its network to provide its constituents with collaboration opportunities with prominent partners from academia and industry.

In 2015, QS ranked KAIST at 43rd place on its World University Rankings.

In the engineering section, KAIST was ranked 13th by the QS evaluation.

Terms of Exchange

Study Level

• Undergraduate students: Accepted
• Graduate students: Accepted
• Computer Science majors: Accepted

Eligibility Requirements

• Students should have the equivalent of a 3.0 on a 4.3 GPA grade scale. Borderline students may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Students must be in their second, third or fourth year of study during the exchange period.

Language of Instruction 

English is the medium of instruction. 80% of the courses offered are in English.

English Proficiency Requirements

All applicants whose first language is not English will be required to provide satisfactory evidence of their proficiency in English. A minimum score of TOEFL iBT 80 or its equivalent in other English language proficiency tests is required.

• TOEFL IBT 80, IELTS 6.5, TOEIC 720 or B2 or its equivalent in other English language proficiency test

Study Period

Fall, Spring, or Academic Year

Academic Calendar   |   Semester Dates (including exam period)

• Fall: early September to late December
• Spring: early March to late June 

Academic Information

Disciplines Available

• Aerospace Engineering
• Bio & Brain Engineering
• Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
• Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Industrial & Systems Engineering
• Industrial Design
• Knowledge Service Engineering
• Materials Science & Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nuclear & Quantum Engineering
• Web Science & Technology

Restricted Disciplines and Courses

• Graduate school of Medical Science and Engineering / Departments of Seoul campus are not open for exchange students.

Course Contents

Course Descriptions & Schedules

Enrollment Requirements

• GPA Requirement: GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.3 point scale) or equivalent
• English Requirement: TOEFL IBT 80, IELTS 6.5, TOEIC 720 or B2 or its equivalent in other English language proficiency test

Workload per Semester

Credit per Regular Semester

One credit is normally earned by attending one hour of lecture per week for the entire semester. Research credits are normally earned by conducting thesis research and attending seminars and lab experiments. One research credit is equivalent to three hours of research work per week for the entire semester. Undergraduate students are eligible to take a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 24 credits; students in a master’s or doctoral programs take a minimum of 9 credits and a maximum of 12 credits. This rule is also applied to exchange students.

Additional Application Materials

Students nominated by IIE to KAIST must also submit the additional materials below.

• Nomination letter by student coordinator
• Statement of Purpose (one page, word document only)
• Current original transcript(s). All transcripts must be in English or accompanied by a certified translation.
• English Language Proficiency Record (if applicable)
• Copy of Passport

Recommendation letter from a professor or academic staff:

• Required

Acceptance packets will be mailed to students’ home school advisors approximately 8 weeks after receiving a complete application.

Housing

IRT will apply for on-campus accommodation for all exchange students based on their application form. However, a place cannot be guaranteed.

• Eligibility: Exchange students, KAIST summer program participants
• Dormitory rooms (room type: two or three single beds) are furnished with beds, wardrobes, and desks. Students should prepare their own sheets, pillow/pillowcase, and blankets during their stay. Cleaning can be done (by the students themselves) either in one of the on-campus dry cleaners or elsewhere.
• A deposit fee of 100,000 won is required to pay once for maintaining the rooms’ furniture. This fee will be refunded when students move out.
• KAIST will lend you one pillow and one blanket. The rental and cleaning fee is 20,000 (subject to change) won which would be asked to pay after arrival at KAIST.
• Restrooms, showers, coin-operated washing machines, and computer labs are shared in the dormitory.
• Kitchen facilities are not available in the dormitory. Meal services are available at on-campus cafeterias serving three times a day, Monday through Sunday. The average price of a meal is US$5.
• Dormitories are installed with LAN allowing 24-hour access to information networking. Free WiFi is also available on campus after a simple online registration

Estimated Cost of Living