A scientist in a lab coat pipetting reagents into test tubes at a research bench.

South Korea 2026 intake: UNIST runs graduate admission rounds for spring and fall each year — confirm the current international graduate application deadline on unist.ac.kr

UNIST Global Scholarship

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) is one of South Korea's elite government-funded science-and-technology institutes, alongside KAIST, GIST and DGIST, known for research in energy and battery science, materials, chemistry, life sciences, AI and engineering. Its graduate programmes are taught entirely in English, and admitted international Master's and PhD students are typically funded with a full tuition waiver plus a monthly research stipend (commonly in the region of ₩1.3-1.9 million, roughly LKR 300k-440k), often topped up through research and teaching assistantships. This makes UNIST a fully funded science-and-engineering research route that does not depend on the intensely competitive national GKS quota. For Sri Lankan graduates with strong STEM backgrounds and clear research interests, matching with a UNIST lab is the key step. Exact stipend levels and terms depend on the programme and supervising lab, so confirm current details on the UNIST admissions pages.

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST)

University-funded

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Value

Full Tuition + Stipend

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Level

Master's / PhD

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Focus

Science & Engineering

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Strong STEM Background

A strong Bachelor's (for Master's) or Master's (for PhD) in a relevant science or engineering field from a recognised Sri Lankan university, with good grades. Research experience strengthens the application.

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Research Fit with a UNIST Lab

Funded admission is closely tied to matching a UNIST research group. Identifying and contacting potential supervisors whose work aligns with your interests substantially improves your chances.

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English Proficiency

Programmes are taught in English; UNIST requires English evidence such as IELTS/TOEFL. Sri Lankan applicants from English-medium degrees may qualify via an accepted MOI/exemption route — confirm with UNIST admissions.

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International Applicant

Open to international students, including Sri Lankan nationals. No Korean language is required for the English-taught graduate programmes, though basic Korean helps daily life.

account_tree Application Process

Identify a research group

Explore UNIST departments and labs, and contact potential supervisors with your CV, transcripts and research interests to gauge fit and funding.

Apply for graduate admission

Submit your online application for the relevant intake, with transcripts, degree certificates, statement of purpose, recommendation letters and English evidence.

Admission and funding confirmation

Admitted students receive their tuition-waiver and stipend terms, usually linked to the accepting lab and assistantship arrangements.

Accept and apply for the Korean visa

Accept your offer and apply for the Korean student visa (D-2) via the Korean mission covering Sri Lanka, using your admission and funding confirmation.

Why UNIST?

UNIST is a young, research-intensive Korean science institute that has risen rapidly in global rankings, particularly for energy, battery and materials research. Its English-taught, fully funded graduate programmes make world-class Korean STEM research genuinely accessible to Sri Lankan graduates outside the GKS route.