KR · Bachelor's
Ewha Womans University
BA in International Studies
Ewha Womans University
Deadline detail: May 15 (Fall intake, international applicants); autumn deadlines for the March intake
Course Overview
The Division of International Studies at Ewha's Scranton College was established in 2001 as the first English-language undergraduate international studies programme in Korea, and it remains one of the best-known. All major courses are taught in English, class sizes are deliberately small to force participation rather than passive lecture attendance, and the curriculum is interdisciplinary by design — economics, political science, business, history and international law, taught around global problems rather than within departmental silos.
Ewha itself was founded in 1886 by Mary F. Scranton, an American missionary, and became the first modern educational institution for women in Korea; Scranton College is named after her. The university sits in Seodaemun in central Seoul, and DIS students share a campus with the Graduate School of International Studies, which means undergraduates are surrounded by a diplomatically connected postgraduate community and by the embassy, international-organisation and NGO networks that cluster around Seoul.
There is one thing every Sri Lankan family should be clear about before reading further: Ewha is a women's university and accepts applications from female applicants only. For Sri Lankan women, though, this is a genuinely strong and under-used option. Korea is one of the most affordable serious study destinations available — undergraduate tuition here is a fraction of the UK, Australian or North American equivalent, and Korean universities fund international students unusually generously. Korea and Sri Lanka also have a dense and growing relationship: the Employment Permit System labour corridor, KOICA's development programme in Sri Lanka, Korean manufacturing and consumer brands across the Sri Lankan market, and the cultural pull of Korean media that has produced a whole generation of Sri Lankan students learning the language. An English-taught international studies degree from Seoul, plus working Korean acquired over four years, is a distinctive profile for diplomacy, development and the Korea-facing business sector.
Entry Requirements
Academic
- check_circle Ewha Womans University accepts applications from female applicants only. Confirm this before investing time in the application.
- check_circle Completion of twelve years of formal schooling with a recognised secondary school qualification. Sri Lankan GCE A/L, Cambridge and Edexcel International A-Levels and the IB Diploma are all accepted.
- check_circle Sri Lankan GCE A/L: three passes; the Arts and Commerce streams are the natural fit for international studies, but the programme is open across streams.
- check_circle Both applicant and parents must hold non-Korean nationality for the international admissions track — Ewha's international admission category is defined this way, so check your eligibility category carefully.
- check_circle Application includes transcripts, graduation certificate, a study plan or statement of purpose, a self-introduction, financial certification and copies of passports.
- check_circle Certified English translations of all Sri Lankan documents are required, and Ewha may require apostille or consular authentication — start this early, it is the step that most often delays a Korean application.
- check_circle Financial certification of a specified minimum balance is required both for admission and for the D-2 student visa; the amount is set by Korean immigration and is reviewed periodically.
- check_circle The D-2 student visa is applied for at the Korean Embassy in Colombo with the Certificate of Admission issued by Ewha; allow several weeks.
English Proficiency
- check_circle All major courses in the Division of International Studies are conducted in English, so English proficiency is the primary language requirement.
- check_circle IELTS Academic: 6.0 Overall is the usual benchmark for English-taught admission at Ewha; stronger applicants submit 6.5.
- check_circle TOEFL iBT: 80 Overall.
- check_circle Waived in some cases where your secondary education was completed entirely in English at a recognised institution — Sri Lankan applicants from Cambridge and Edexcel International A-Level streams and English-medium national-curriculum schools should submit a school letter confirming the medium of instruction and ask the international admissions office to assess it. The waiver is discretionary, so confirm in writing.
- check_circle Korean is not required for admission to DIS, and TOPIK is the alternative route only for Korean-taught programmes.
- check_circle Ewha runs a Korean Language Education Centre and free or subsidised Korean classes for degree students. Take them seriously: a DIS graduate who leaves Seoul at TOPIK level 4 or above is employable in Korea, and one who leaves with no Korean is largely not. This is the single most important choice you make during the four years.
Estimated Cost of Study
| Expense Category | Amount (KRW) | Approx. LKR |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee (per year) | KRW 9,000,000 | Rs. 2,070,000 |
| Living Expenses (per year, Seoul) | KRW 12,500,000 | Rs. 2,875,000 |
| Visa, Alien Registration & National Health Insurance | KRW 3,000,000 | Rs. 690,000 |
| Books, Laptop & Airfare | KRW 1,500,000 | Rs. 345,000 |
| Total Year 1 Investment | KRW 26,000,000 | Rs. 5,980,000 |
*LKR conversion based on current bank rates. Subject to change.
Career Outcomes & PR
Korea grants graduates the D-10 job-seeking visa, valid for up to two years, which converts to an E-7 specialised-occupation work visa on employment; longer-term residence runs through the points-based F-2-7 route, where a Korean degree, Korean language ability and income all score. DIS graduates go into the Korean offices of multinationals, Korean conglomerates with international operations, embassies and international organisations in Seoul, trade and investment promotion agencies, NGOs and development organisations, and a substantial share continue to graduate study — many into Ewha's own GSIS or to master's programmes in Europe and North America. Korean employers hiring international graduates value the combination of an English-taught Korean degree and demonstrable Korean language ability; the degree alone, without the language, narrows the options considerably. For Sri Lankan returnees the fit runs to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foreign service, the development sector and the Colombo offices of UNDP, UNICEF, JICA and KOICA, the Board of Investment and Export Development Board, the Korean companies and joint ventures operating in Sri Lanka, and the trade and logistics functions of the export sector — Korea is a significant Sri Lankan trading partner and labour-corridor country, and Korean-language capability is genuinely scarce in Colombo's professional market.
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