GKS Scholarship

The National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED) has recently released the application guidelines for the GKS 2023 i.e 2023 Korean Government Scholarship Program for Graduate Degrees. The program aims to offer 1300 scholarships to international students from across the globe who wish to pursue either a Master’s or Doctoral degree in Korea.

2023 Global Korea Scholarship – Application Guidelines for Graduate Degrees

1. Program’s Objectives

The primary objective of the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) is to provide international students with an opportunity to study at higher educational institutions in Korea and obtain academic degrees. This program seeks to deepen mutual friendship between Korea and participating countries while enhancing international education exchange.

It is worth noting that the Korean Government Scholarship Programs have been rebranded as the Global Korea Scholarship since 2010. As a result, the name has changed to GKS.

2. Programs and University

GKS 2023 i.e Global Korea Scholarship 2023 is not only offered for both Master’s Degree and Doctoral Degree but also for research programs.

Application Track for GSK 2023

This year, a total of 1,300 students will be invited to Korea to study under Global Korea Scholarship.

Since there are two tracks to apply for the GKS Scholarship, here is the quota reserved for each track.

Embassy Track = 650 Students
University Track = 650 Students

3. Quota Assigned by Country

3-1) Quota for Embassy Track

1) General: 610 Scholars from 139 countries

GKS 2023 quota for Pakistan via Embassy Track = 5

GKS 2023 quota for India via Embassy Track = 22

GKS 2023 quota for Indonesia via Embassy Track = 27

2) Overseas Korean: 20 Scholars from 12 Countries

3) Teaching Professionals: 15 Scholars from 139 Countries
*Applications available from all 139 invited countries and regions

4) Research: 5 scholars from 139 countries or regions
*Applications available from all 139 invited countries and regions

3-2) Quota for University Track

1) General: 360 scholars from 53 countries or regions

2) Regional University: 220 scholars from 44 countries or regions

GKS 2023 quota for Pakistan via University Track = 7

GKS 2023 quota for India via University Track = 25

GKS 2023 quota for Indonesia via University Track = 42

3) R&D: 60 scholars from all countries around the world
* No limit on the number of invited countries (available to all countries around the world)

4) Research: 10 scholars from 65 countries or regions
* Applications available to 65 countries or regions where General program and Regional University program are offered

4) Available Fields of Study and Universities

? Available Fields of Study

– Applicants can only apply to the universities and departments that are listed in the “University Information? file attached under the GKS Notice post in Study in Korea website. (www.studyinkorea.go.kr > Scholarships > GKS Notice)

– Academic programs offered during evenings (night school), short-term programs, online and distant-learning programs are not applicable in this scholarship program.

List of available universities:

5. Scholarship Information & Benefits

Scholarship Period

? Master’s Degree Program: 3 years
– 1 year of Korean language program + 2 years of degree program

?Doctoral Degree Program: 4 years
– 1 year of Korean language program + 3 years of degree program

? Research Program: 6 months or 1 year

Important Notes regarding Scholarship Period

– Research program scholars and scholars who obtained TOPIK level 5 or 6 will be exempt from a Korean language program

– Those who receive TOPIK level 5 or 6 within the first 6 months of the Korean language program will be exempt from the remaining 6-month language program and must start their degree program in the following semester (March 2024)

5) Eligibility to apply for GKS 2023

The eligibility criteria for the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) program for Graduate Degrees are as follows:

Nationality:

• Applicants must be citizens of countries that have been designated by the National Institute for International Education Development (NIIED) to participate in the GKS program.
• The applicant’s parents or legal guardians must hold citizenship from a country other than Korea. If the applicant or their parent has dual citizenship, including Korean citizenship and citizenship of another country, they are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants and their parents who had previously held Korean citizenship must submit documentation issued by the Korean government that proves their renunciation of Korean citizenship.
• If an applicant’s citizenship changes during the selection process, they will be excluded from the evaluation, except for the Research and Development (R&D) program.
• Overseas Korean applicants holding Japanese citizenship are eligible to apply if their parents hold permanent residency permits in Japan while holding Korean citizenship.
• Applicants from all countries can apply to the R&D program.

Degree Requirements:

• Master’s Program Applicant: Applicants must hold a Bachelor’s degree or have an educational level equivalent to or higher than a Bachelor’s degree.
• Doctoral Program Applicant: Applicants must hold a Master’s degree or have an educational level equivalent to or higher than a Master’s degree.
• Research Program Applicant: Applicants must have received an invitation from one of the partner universities and meet the following criteria:
  • Postdoctoral Research Program: Applicants must hold a Doctoral degree by February 28, 2023.
  • Professor Exchange Program: Applicants must hold a Master’s degree and must currently be teaching at a university as a professor.
  • Program for Education, Science, Culture, International Cooperation Professionals: Applicants must hold a Master’s degree and must be a professional in the field of Education, Science, Culture, or International Cooperation. ? Applicants must have obtained the required degree (minimum level of education indicated above) by February 28, 2023.

In summary, to be eligible for the GKS program, applicants must be citizens of designated countries, hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or equivalent, and meet specific requirements depending on the type of program they apply for. Dual citizens holding Korean citizenship are not eligible, and applicants whose citizenship changes during the selection process will be excluded, except for the R&D program.

? Applicants must have obtained the required degree (minimum level of education indicated above) by February 28, 2023.

Grades:

To be eligible for the GKS program, applicants must have a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) that meets at least one of the following conditions:

• For doctoral degree program applicants, the CGPA of their previous degree program, which would be a master’s degree program for example, must be higher than 2.64/4.0, 2.80/4.3, 2.91/4.5, or 3.23/5.0.
• Applicants must also have a score percentile of 80% or higher on a 100-point scale or be ranked within the top 20% of their class.
• Applicants must submit an academic transcript that shows their CGPA or ranking information.
• If an applicant’s transcript does not provide CGPA in any of the accepted GPA scales (4.0, 4.3, 4.5, 5.0, or 100 point scale), they must submit a transcript converted into one of the above GPA scales as a supplementary document.

Age:

Applicants must be under 40 years of age, born after September 1, 1983, to be eligible for the GKS program. However, academic professors in one of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) recipients who are under 45 years of age, born after September 1, 1978, can apply.

Health:

All applicants must be in good health, both mentally and physically, to study in Korea for the entire duration of the program.

Note: The previous degree program for a doctoral degree program applicant is a master’s degree program.

6) Documents to submit for GKS 2023

6. Selection Procedure and Schedule for GKS 2023

GKS Scholarship for Pakistan 2023

GKS Scholarship 2023 for Pakistan – Click Here

GKS Scholarship for India 2023

GKS Scholarship 2023 for India – Click Here

Visit the link below for the official notice announced on the StudyinKorea website

GKS 2023 Official Notice

You can download the important documents by clicking the following links:

• GKS Scholarship 2023 Graduate
• GKS Scholarship 2023 Graduate Degree Application Form
• FAQ 2023 GKS Graduate Degree program

To find out how to apply for the Global Korea Scholarship 2023 for the undergraduate degree, click here.

We wish you the best of luck and hope to see you in South Korea one day.