Korea is an increasingly important trading partner with New Zealand and has a dynamic economy and vibrant culture. You can study Korean society and culture as well as the language. Language courses are available for both beginners and advanced learners.
Where can Korean take you?
Graduates in Korean have careers in international organisations, NGOs, the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other areas of government. You might also work for a multinational company or a New Zealand company in Asia, or within New Zealand’s Asian communities.
Career options with an Arts degree
Undergraduate study in Korean
What you can study in Korean
Language courses will give you communication skills and enable you to read simple modern Korean texts. You can also study Korean society, literature and culture.
Structuring your major in Korean
You can take a major in Korean as one of your two BA majors (a double major). You will need to pass at least 120 points (eight courses) towards each of your majors, including at least 45 points (three courses) at Stage III.
If you first enrolled in a BA prior to 2018
- For a single major you must pass at least 135 points, including at least 60 points above Stage II.
- For a double major you must pass at least 120 points in each of two majors, including at least 45 points above Stage II in each major.
- For a BA minor you must pass at least 90 points, including at least 60 points above Stage I.
Taking a Module in Korean
If you would like to study Korean alongside your two BA majors, you can complete a Module.
A Module is an optional grouping of three courses on a particular theme which enables you to add extra value to your Bachelor of Arts.
Courses
Explore the undergraduate courses you can take as part of a major in Korean. You would normally take Stage I courses in your first year, Stage II in your second and Stage III in your third.
Required courses
You must pass the following courses as part of the Korean major:
- ASIAN 100, KOREAN 120 and 301
- Two courses from ASIAN 204, KOREAN 205, 241
- One course from ANTRHO 329, ASIAN 302, KOREAN
305, 341
Enrolling in Korean language courses for the first time
If you have no or limited knowledge of Korean, please enrol in KOREAN 110 or KOREAN 110G.
You will need to complete a Language Proficiency Declaration to ensure you are enrolling in the right course for your level. This will be provided to you through Student Services Online after you have enrolled.
Read more about first time language course enrolment.
Scholarships and awards
Help and advice
For help with planning your degree and enrolling in your courses, please contact the Arts Students’ Centre.
If you would like to find out more about studying Korean, you can contact our Undergraduate Adviser.
Doctoral study in Korean
Why study with us?
We are the only New Zealand university to offer a comprehensive programme in Korean language and culture.
As a doctoral candidate, you’ll benefit from: financial support for research expenses through PReSS funding; high-calibre supervision practices; and the networks and expertise of our world-class academic researchers.
Research opportunities
We welcome PhD research proposals in areas such as:
- Teaching Korean as a second/foreign language
- Heritage language education
- Korean classics concerning the relationship between culture and environment
- Nation-building, identity and language in Korea
- Korean diasporas and identity issues
Our people
Our language teaching specialists work alongside researchers in traditional Korean geographical knowledge and on contemporary Korean society, including Korean migration world-wide.
Find a supervisor
Scholarships and awards
There are several scholarships you may be eligible for when you decide to pursue your doctoral studies in Korean:
- University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships
- Faculty of Arts Doctoral Scholarship
- Korea Foundation Graduate Studies Fellowship
- Korea Foundation Field Research Fellowship
Help and advice
For help with enrolling in your PhD you can contact the Arts Students’ Centre.
If you would like to find out more about doctoral study in Korean, you can contact our PhD Adviser.
Apply for doctoral study
Faculty of Arts
Courses in Korean
| Bachelor of Arts – BA | ||
| Korean | ||
| Course | Title | Available in 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| KOREAN 110 | Korean for Beginners 1 | Summer School, repeated Semester 1 |
| KOREAN 111 | Korean for Beginners 2 | Semester 2 |
| KOREAN 120 | Korean Society and Culture | Semester 2 |
| KOREAN 200 | Intermediate Korean 1 | Semester 1 |
| KOREAN 201 | Intermediate Korean 2 | Semester 2 |
| KOREAN 205 | Korea through TV Drama and Film | Semester 2 |
| KOREAN 277 | Korean Study Abroad 2A | Summer School |
| KOREAN 278 | Korean Study Abroad 2B | Summer School |
| KOREAN 300 | Advanced Korean 1 | Semester 1 |
| KOREAN 301 | Advanced Korean 2 | Semester 2 |
| KOREAN 305 | Korea through TV Drama and Film | Semester 2 |
| KOREAN 377 | Korean Study Abroad 3A | Summer School |
| KOREAN 378 | Korean Study Abroad 3B | Summer School |
| Asian Studies | ||
| Course | Title | Available in 2020 |
| ASIAN 100 | Images of Asia | Semester 1 |
| Bachelor of Arts – BA | ||
| Korean | ||
| Course | Title | Not taught 2020 |
| KOREAN 203 | Special Topic | Not taught in 2020 |
| KOREAN 241 | Modern Korea: Resilience, Innovation and Transformation | Not taught in 2020 |
| KOREAN 250 | Korean for Heritage Speakers | Not taught in 2020 |
| KOREAN 341 | Modern Korean History: Resilience, Innovation and Transformation | Not taught in 2020 |
| Anthropology | ||
| Course | Title | Not taught 2020 |
| ANTHRO 329 | Music of East Asia:Tradition, Modernity and Globalisation | Not offered in 2020; planned for 2021 |
| Asian Studies | ||
| Course | Title | Not taught 2020 |
| ASIAN 204 | Asian Diasporas | Not taught in 2020 |
| ASIAN 302 | Asian Diasporas | Not taught in 2020 |