Bachelor of Arts: Korean Studies

BA in Korean Studies

The Korean Studies program provides students with a solid foundation in Korean language skills and knowledge of Korea's history, literature, culture, and religions. The program is based on the premise that both contemporary and historic understandings of Korea, its interrelations with larger East Asia and its global importance today cannot be fully grasped without a deep understanding of its language, history, social systems and culture.

Hence, the program aims to provide students with not only language training, but also a solid understanding of how Korean societies and people actually functioned and interacted with other cultures in both the pre-modern and contemporary periods. The wide range of courses is designed to introduce various aspects of Korean Studies and provide students with the knowledge necessary for business, professional or academic endeavors.

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Requirements

• Major Requirements

  The Korean Studies major requires eleven (11) courses.

  Students must successfully complete the following:

  • Four required language sequence courses** 
    
    • KOR 203 Intermediate Korean I
    • KOR 204 Intermediate Korean II
    • KOR 305 Advanced Korean I
    • KOR 306 Advanced Korean II
  • Six elective courses in Korean Studies. Electives may include AAAS content courses on Korean Studies, and/or KOR language courses outside the required sequence.
  • One core course in Asian American and Diaspora Studies.

  **Note: Depending on prior exposure to the language, KOR 101 (Elementary Korean I) and KOR 102 (Elementary Korean II) may be required prerequisites for the major. KOR 101 and KOR 102 provide the basic linguistic knowledge and skills required to begin the major but do not count towards the major. For students with significant prior exposure: after consultation and proficiency test assessment administered by Korean Program faculty, students who already demonstrate proficiency in Korean at any of the required levels may waive part or all of the language requirements. Waived Korean language courses will not count toward the major and must be replaced with other Korean Studies courses, so that the student completes a total of eleven courses for the major.

  Upper-level Requirements

  • Six of the eleven required courses for the major must be at the 300 or 400 level. These six upper-level courses must include:
  • Two 400-level AAAS seminars, at least one of which must be in Korean Studies. 
    Four other 300 or 400-level courses (AAAS and/or KOR courses), including KOR 305 and KOR 306.

  In addition to the above requirements:

  • Students must earn a C or better for a course to count toward the major.
  • A course must be three or more credits to count toward the major.
  • KOR language courses cannot be taken Pass/Fail.
  • No more than one AAAS (non-language) course may be taken Pass/Fail.
  • No more than one course may be an independent study.
  • Residency Requirement: At least six courses must be taken at Binghamton University.
• Minor Requirements

  The Korean Studies minor requires 6 courses.

  Students must successfully complete the following: 

  • Three language sequence courses, including:**
    
    • KOR 203 Intermediate Korean I
    • KOR 204 Intermediate Korean II
    • KOR 305 Advanced Korean I
  • Three elective courses in Korean Studies. Electives may include AAAS content courses on Korean Studies, and/or KOR language courses outside the required sequence.

  **Note: Depending on prior exposure to the language, KOR 101 (Elementary Korean I) and KOR 102 (Elementary Korean II) may be required prerequisites for the minor. KOR 101 and KOR 102 provide the basic linguistic knowledge and skills required to begin the minor but do not count towards the minor. For students with significant prior exposure: after consultation and proficiency test assessment administered by Korean Program faculty, students who already demonstrate proficiency in Korean at any of the required levels may waive part or all of the language requirements. Waived Korean language courses will not count toward the minor and must be replaced with other Korean Studies courses, so that the student completes a total of six courses for the minor.

  Upper-level Requirements

  At least three of the six courses for the minor must be at the 300 or 400 level.

  In addition to the above requirements,

  • Students must earn a C or better for a course to count toward the minor.
  • A course must be three or more credits to count toward the minor.
  • KOR language courses may not be taken Pass/Fail.
  • No more than one AAAS (non-language) course may be taken Pass/Fail.
  • No more than one course may be an independent study.
  • Residency Requirement: At least four courses must be taken at Binghamton University.

Courses for Korean Studies Majors & MinorsDeclare the Korean Studies Major or Minor

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Faculty Members of Korean Studies