In order to apply to a program please click to check "Admission Procedure and Forms Required"

ADMISSION & ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The IIC's Master of Arts Program in Korean Studies consists of two areas of concentration:

Teaching Korean as a Foreign Language (TKFL)
Professional Application of Korean Studies (PAKS)

The Master of Arts in Korean Studies is designed for students who:

• have a clear motivation and defined objective for entering graduate study
• understand and appreciate cultural differences and are sensitive to the needs of others
• show competence in oral and written communication
• know how to use logical and investigative reasoning processes integrated with creative thought and applied to the course of study
• are skilled in quantitative thought and critical analysis of data and argument
• are prepared for entrance into other advanced study, or a selected profession
• plan to enter a Pacific Rim oriented profession or educational field

For admission to the Master's Program, applicants must have:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Korean Proficiency Test Result (for TKFL program)
• English Proficiency Test Result (for PAKS program foreign students)
• Statements of Purpose: English (or Korean for TKFL applicants)
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Official College and University Transcripts

Application Requirements

I. English Language Proficiency Requirement and Supporting Classes

• Students for whom English is not their first or native language are required to submit a minimum TOEFL score of 550 (or Computer-Based TOEFL test score of 213). This is an admissions requirement for PAKS students and graduation requirement for TKFL students. This English requirement is exempt for those who received Bachelor's or other Master's degrees in English-speaking countries.
• Students who may need assistance with their English proficiency development and would benefit from additional language instruction may enroll in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program at IIC.

II. Korean Language Proficiency Requirement and Supporting Classes

• Intermediate level of Korean proficiency is a requirement for admissions for TKFL students. PAKS students for whom Korean is not their first or native language are required to take Korean Language and Culture classes, or take a test to show an Intermediate level of Korean, before graduation.
• Students who may need assistance with their Korean proficiency development and would benefit from additional language instruction may enroll in the Korean Language and Culture program at IIC.

III. Admission and Application Process

Students who wish to be admitted into the M.A. Program must:

• Send an application form for admission and all support materials to IIC Application materials are available from the Academic Support Office. The Statement of Purpose should address your life goals and the reasons for attending the IIC. Submit a non-refundable application fee of $65.00. Forward official transcripts of all postsecondary institutions and letters of recommendation directly to IIC.
• Required support materials include an official transcript confirming completion of a Bachelor's degree from an institution recognized through the United States Department of Education or state approved school, or, if the degree was completed out of country, affirmation that the degree level is comparable to those awarded in the United States .
• Students will receive an acknowledgement of their application. It is the students' responsibility to complete all application materials. Each application is carefully considered by the Admission Committee, and students normally should expect to receive a response within 8 weeks, unless faculty members are on leave.

After successful admission to the M.A. program, students are strongly advised to meet with the director of a particular program or a faculty advisor to arrange a program of studies that best suits the student's educational objectives.

An insurance waiver must be signed and returned. Students who do not have health insurance may be required to participate in a student insurance program.

Send all application materials to:

Intercultural Institute of California
Admission and Records
1362 Post Street
San Francisco , California 94109 , U. S. A.

IV. Transfer of Credit

Students may petition to transfer credit from another university under the following conditions. It is recommended that students petition during their first semester in order to plan their academic program accurately. Transfer petitions for previous work will not be accepted in the student's final term. Upon matriculation at IIC, students must receive approval prior to taking course work outside IIC if they plan to transfer it into a degree program. Students may petition the president of IIC in which the program resides for an exception to the following regulations, but should do so only after consulting with the advisor and director of the graduate program, whose recommendations must appear on the Petition for Transfer of Graduate Credit.

Credit must be from a U.S. Department of Education recognized accredited institution, a BPPVE-approved university, or an out-of-country institution that is the equivalent.

Credit must be at the graduate-level at the university of origin. The student is responsible for submitting acceptable supporting documentation.

Credit is not granted for previous individual field placement, professional seminars, work experience, life experience, or elementary skills by the Office of the Registrar.

Typically, credit earned more than five years prior to matriculation at IIC will not be accepted and transfer courses cannot repeat essentially the same content of work taken at IIC

A grade of "B" or higher must have been earned (grade of "pass" or "satisfactory" ordinarily is not acceptable).

Students must supply satisfactory documentation regarding course content for independent study or self-directed courses.

If IIC has a credit transfer agreement with the foreign institution, students can transfer units based on the agreement between IIC and the institution.

The number of credit hours transferred will be based on IIC's semester credit system rounded down to the nearest full- or half-unit (multiply the number of quarter hours by .67 and round down). For example, 4 quarter-hours x .67 = 2.68, which will be, recorded as 2.5 IIC semester-hour units). It is the student's responsibility to make up the difference if the total number of degree credits falls short of the requirement for the degree. The amount of IIC credit awarded may not exceed the equivalent amount on the originating transcript.

Although transfer credit grades from other universities will be posted on the IIC transcript, the grades will not be computed in the IIC grade point average for probation/disqualification review.

The non-refundable application fee of $30.00 has to be paid in full when students submit completed petition.

See table below for the maximum number of non-IIC credits allowed:

Maximum Number of Credits Allowed for Transfer:

Teaching Korean as Foreign Language (TKFL)

6 units

Professional Application of Korean Studies (PAKS)

6 units

Procedure for Transfer of Credit:

Courses Taken from Universities Prior to Enrollment

The student should discuss the possibility of credit transfer with the advisor and program director. Any exceptions to transfer credit policies must also have the approval of the president of IIC. The student should secure the appropriate signatures on the Petition for Transfer of Graduate Credit and submit it to the Registration Office (Room 303). The student must also request that an official transcript of the course be sent to the Graduate Records Office if the transcript was not included among the admission documents. When both the petition and transcript are on file, they will be reviewed in the Graduate Records Office for conformity to IIC policies.

Courses Taken After Enrollment at IIC

IIC students planning to take a degree requirement or elective at another university must process the transfer petition as described above prior to taking the course. Immediately upon completion of the course, the student must request that an official transcript be sent to the IIC Graduate Records Office. A grade of "B" or better is required in order to receive credit (units only) when transferring a course from another institution. Grade(s) awarded by the issuing institution will not be calculated in the student's overall grade point average. After the petition and transcript are on file, they will be reviewed by the Registrar's Office for conformity to IIC policies.

V. Course Load

A full-time M.A. degree graduate student takes a minimum course program of nine (9) semester units (hour/week). Part-time students must take a minimum of three (3) semester units. A minimum of 36 semester units and the completion of a thesis are required for graduation.

The PAKS M.A. degree program requires 18 units of required courses, completion of Korean language proficiency requirement through the Intermediate Korean Language and Culture course (up to six units) or its equivalent through testing, 18 units of elective courses, and a M.A. thesis.

The TKFL M.A. degree program requires 21 units of required courses, completion of English proficiency requirement with TOEFL score of 550 (or Computer-Based TOEFL test score of 213), 15 units of elective courses, and a M.A. Thesis.

VI. Readmission

Students wishing to restart after withdrawing may do so without penalty and will be assessed tuition as a proportion of the total program cost only for the classes that the student is re-entering. Any prior balances must be paid-in-full before the student can re-enter.

VII. Tuition and Fees

IIC reserves the right to change tuition and other fees upon giving notices to the students and the appropriate agencies. The charges for each program offered by the School are delineated under Tuition and Fees.