Interest in the Korean Peninsula and its place in international relations keeps growing, and so does the need for people who understand the region from the inside. The Jagiellonian University in Kraków runs a two-year master’s programme in Korean Studies taught entirely in English. Students spend the first year in Kraków and the second at Keimyung University in Daegu, and they graduate with a double degree — so before packing your bags, you can check whether this path suits you.
Korean Studies at the Jagiellonian University is a second-cycle, full-time programme that lasts two years, or four semesters. It is taught in English and has a general academic profile, and its leading discipline is culture and religion studies. Graduates receive the Polish title of magister, the equivalent of a Master’s degree. There is no first-cycle programme in Korean Studies at the university, so this is a path for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree.
What makes the programme stand out is its double-degree structure. It is run together with Keimyung University in Daegu, South Korea. The first year takes place in Kraków, the second in Korea.
The programme belongs to the Faculty of International and Political Studies and is organised by its Institute of the Middle and Far East, based at Oleandry Street in Kraków. The faculty holds category A from the Polish ministry responsible for science, and the Polish Accreditation Committee has given a positive assessment of its teaching quality. According to the university, the programme responds to the growing interest in the Korean Peninsula and its role in international relations.
The modules are designed to give students three things: sociocultural knowledge about Korea, the ability to find their way in Korean environments and experience in field research. In the first two semesters in Kraków, the study plan includes courses such as:
Some of these are obligatory, others are electives. From the second semester, students also attend the MA seminar, where work on the thesis begins.
The language is the backbone of the programme. Korean language classes appear in all four semesters, with 96 hours and 9 ECTS credits each time, and every semester ends with an exam. Combined with courses about media and business Korean, this gives students a practical tool for later work, not only academic knowledge.
In the third and fourth semesters, students continue the MA seminar and Korean classes, while most of their timetable is filled with optional courses presented by the Korean partner university. Each of these courses is worth 7 ECTS credits, and the study plan requires 42 credits from this group. The year in Korea is also the time for field research, which is part of the study plan.
The university also mentions opportunities to study at several Korean universities and to join local programmes, as well as wider exchanges such as Erasmus+, CEEPUS and Una Europa. Students interested in the region can join the Far East Research Group, a student research society.
Students write a master’s thesis in one of two disciplines: political and administration sciences, or culture and religion studies. They take two diploma examinations, one at each university, and defend their thesis twice: at the Institute of the Middle and Far East in Kraków and at Keimyung University.
The list of possible workplaces is broad. Graduates can look for jobs in:
They can also run their own businesses or continue at a doctoral school, in postgraduate studies or in another master’s programme. Applications are submitted online through the university’s admissions system. Current admission rules and fees are worth checking on the university’s admissions website, as they vary between intakes.
Korean Studies at the Jagiellonian University is a two-year, English-taught master’s programme run with Keimyung University in Daegu. The first year in Kraków combines Korean language with courses on history, society and research methods, while the second year in Korea brings optional courses from the partner university and field research.
Graduates finish with a double degree after defending their thesis at both universities, and they are prepared for work in administration, media, culture, business and other fields connected with Korea.
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