Korean Language Program – Frequently Asked Questions

 

What should I do if I want to take a Korean language course?

All students who can already read and write Hangul must take the placement examination, even if they wish to enroll in Introductory Korean A or First Year Korean I. Only true beginners with no prior knowledge of Hangul are exempt from this requirement. Students who have previously studied Korean elsewhere and wish to enroll in a Korean language course at Columbia University must also take the placement examination.

I’m a Korean heritage learner and would like to improve my Korean. I can speak and understand simple Korean, but I am not confident in reading or writing. Should I enroll in Introductory Korean A or First-Year Korean I without taking the placement test?

If you can read and write Hangul, the Korean alphabet, you are required to take the placement examination. The Columbia Korean faculty will review your results and help place you in the course that is most appropriate for your language proficiency and educational goals.

Which Korean course should I take to fulfill the College’s language requirement?

The College requires two years (four semesters) of language study. To fulfill the language requirement, you must complete either Second-Year Korean II or Accelerated Korean II.

How can I be exempt from the language requirement for Korean?

Students seeking exemption from Columbia University’s foreign language requirement in Korean must take the Korean placement examination. Scores from the SAT II Subject Test in Korean or any other Korean proficiency test cannot be used to satisfy or waive the College’s foreign language requirement.

I have previously studied Korean at Columbia and would like to continue. What should I do?

If you last took a Korean language course at Columbia more than six months ago and wish to continue your Korean studies in EALAC, you must take the placement examination to be placed at the appropriate level.

I am a graduate student at a Columbia-affiliated school (e.g., Teachers College) or another institution and need to take the Korean proficiency examination. What should I do?

The Korean Proficiency Examination, which is distinct from the Korean placement examination, is administered twice annually: in October during the fall semester and in April during the spring semester. For additional information, please contact Nicole Roldan at nr2746@columbia.edu.

I am a SIPA student in the Master of Arts in Regional Studies: East Asia (MARSEA) program and would like to be exempt from the three-year language requirement. What should I do?

The MARSEA proficiency examination is the same as the Korean placement examination. It is offered twice a year: before the start of each semester—on the last Thursday before the first day of classes in the fall semester (typically in August or September) and on the Friday before the start of the spring semester in January. The date, time, and location of the examination will be announced several weeks in advance. Please refer to the Placement Test information on the EALAC website for additional details.