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Korean Flagship: M.A. in Korean for Professionals

Korean Flagship: M.A. in Korean for Professionals

The M.A. program aims to produce professionals who can function in Korean in their chosen fields. After two years of intensive Korean language training, graduates of this program are expected to take their place among the next generation of global professionals as Korea specialists, commanding professional-level proficiency in Korean. The M.A. program encourages students to participate in the student exchange program which provides intensive language training and internship opportunities in an immersion environment. The successful completion of the program leads to the Master of Arts degree in Korean for Professionals.

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted year-round. 

(But the priority deadline for Fall/Spring semester is January 1st/September 1st.)

Eligibility

  • U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is not required, and applications are welcome from students who meet the following two requirements:
  • Undergraduate degree in any field.
  • Minimum proficiency of Intermediate-mid (as defined by ACTFL).As a part of our application process, anOral Proficiency Interview (OPI) will be conducted to determine whether applicants satisfy the minimum proficiency. Student needn’t be present on the island for the OPI test.

How to Apply

Students may apply to the program online or submit a paper application through the mail. For more details, please see the Office of Graduation Education’s admissions requirements and the department’s how to apply page.

Degree Requirements

As of 2018 Fall, the Students in Korean Flagship MA program will be subject to Master’s Plan B degree requirements. For the fulfillment of Master’s Plan B degree requirements, students must complete a minimum of 30 credits, while taking at least 21 credits from courses numbered 600 or above. The details of the Master’s Plan B degree requirements are provided below.

Total Credit RequirementsA minimum of 30 credits is required.Except as noted, courses taken under the Credit/No-Credit option will not be applied toward the requirements for the master’s degree.
Credits for Courses numbered 600 or above (excluding 699)A minimum of 24 credits is required.
Research seminar course (700)A minimum of 3 credits is required 
Credits for 699Maximum 3 credits from directed reading/research (699) may be applied toward degree requirements.
Culminating ExperienceA Capstone paper

Tentative two-year schedule for Fall enrollees

Fall enrollees, including one-semester overseas 
Academic YearFall SemesterSpring Semester 
1st yearKOR 621KOR 623+ 600 Electives+ 400 ElectivesKOR 622/624KOR 730+ 600 Electives+ 400 Electives
2nd yearStudy abroad KOR 730 + 600 Electives

The program’s main goal is to have students reach superior proficiency in Korean. The goal of the first and second semester is to get students’ accustomed to graduate-level vocabularies and discussions in Korean. In the third semester, students will take language courses at Academic institutes in Korea via student exchange program. Qualified students will take graduate courses in their related fields (in Korean), during the study abroad. In the final semester, students will write their capstone papers while finishing their course requirements.   

Course Listings

The students in Korean Flagship MA program are required to complete a minimum of 30 credits. Of the 30 credits, minimum 12 credits must be from Korean for Professional courses; KOR 621, KOR 622, KOR 623, KOR 624 and KOR 730. The remaining 18 credits may be filled by elective courses listed below. 

Korean for Professional Courses: 

600 LEVEL (5 COURSES; 15 CREDITS)

KOR 621 Media Research in Korean (3)The class discusses current issues in South Korea.
Students are expected to:
i) summarize news clips (video material with a script),
ii) translate Korean news articles into English,
iii) Participate in class discussions, using professional-level vocabulary
KOR 622Comparative Studies of Contemporary South & North Korea (3)The class discusses current issues in South & North Korea.
Students are expected to:
i) summarize North Korean news clips (video material with a script),
ii) translate North Korean news articles into South Korean/English,
iii) Participate in class discussions, using professional-level vocabulary
KOR 623Interdisciplinary Research in Korean (3)The class discusses various issues in interdisciplinary fields related to South Korea.
The class generally is focused on reading about Korean culture.
KOR 624Analysis of Korean Academic Discourse (3)A content-based course taught in Korean.
Class discusses current issues in South Korea.
Students are expected to:
i) summarize news clips (video material with script),
ii) translate Korean news articles into English,
iii) Participate in class discussions, using professional-level vocabulary
KOR 730 Research Seminar in Korean Language (3)Preparation for MA capstone paper
i) presentation in class,
ii) participate in class discussions

2. Elective Korean courses:  

400 LEVEL (up to TWO courses)

KOR 411                   Advanced Oral Communication (Oral Communication Focus) 

KOR 425                   Selected Readings in Korean (Writing Intensive Focus) 

KOR 420                   Korean Composition (WI)

KOR 480                   Korean Proficiency through Film (Writing Intensive Focus)

KOR 485K                 Korean for Career Professionals (Writing Intensive Focus) (Korean History)

KOR 486K                Korean for Academic Purposes (Writing Intensive Focus)

KOR 494                   Introduction to Modern Korean Literature

600 LEVEL* 

Literature

KOR 614M                Korean Narrative: Modern

KOR 652                   Major Authors in Korean Modern Literature

KOR 664                   Issues in Modern Korean Literature  

Linguistics

KOR 632                   Korean Phonology and Morphology

KOR 633                   Korean Syntax and Semantic

KOR 634                   Korean Sociolinguistics

KOR 636                   Korean Conversation Analysis

Pedagogy

KOR 635                   Pedagogy of Teaching Korean as a Second Language 

KOR 645                   Acquisition Research of Korean as a Second Language

KOR 655                   Practicum: Instructional Technology for Korean Language Teaching

KOR 699                   Directed Research (Not included in 600 level course credit count)  

*Not all 600 level courses are available at the same time. We generally tend to have 3 to 5 600 level courses open each semester.

Study abroad component

We have recently updated our overseas component to fit our students’ needs and to allow some flexibility. Students enrolled in M.A. in Korean for Professionals are strongly encouraged to participate in a language immersion program in Korea for at least a semester.

1. Length of stay

Previously, a year of overseas study was mandatory. In our current curriculum, only one semester of oversea study is required. However, students have the option to extend their overseas study and stay for two semesters. For qualified students, overseas component can be waived completely.

2. Host institute

Students may apply to any institute of their choice. Students may apply to an institute as an exchange student via 
Manoa student exchange program (MIX), or they may apply to an institute individually as a visiting student. 

3. Internship

Internship is an integral part of our study abroad component. Flagship MA program will provide internship options to students. However, students are now allowed to search for internship opportunities on their own. Previously, all students participated in a non-paid internship and received course credits instead. In our current curriculum, students will no longer receive course credits for their internship. Most internship options provided by the program are paid internships and students may also apply for paid internships outside of the program upon approval from the program. 

Financial Supports

1. Center for Korean Studies Graduate Scholarships

The Center for Korean Studies Graduate Scholarships range up to $2,500 and are available for full-time graduate students at UH Mānoa who demonstrate a proven commitment to the field of Korea-related studies. Scholarships can be used for tuition, special thesis needs, and some types of fieldwork. New incoming graduate students in Korea-related studies at UH Mānoa are encouraged to apply. The scholarship competition is open to all U.S. citizens and international students. For more information on CKS scholarship opportunities, please visit this link.

2. Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships (FLAS)

U.S. citizen and permanent-resident UH Mānoa students combining modern foreign-language training with area/international studies in full-time degree programs are encouraged to apply.

  • Fellowships for the academic year include a $15,000 stipend and tuition cost for up to ten credits per semester for graduate students and a $5,000 stipend and tuition cost up to $10,000 for undergraduate recipients.
  • Fellowships for summer carry a $2,500 stipend and tuition up to $5,000 (an intensive language-study plan is required).

Students who already possess Korean language fluency equivalent to educated native speakers will be given lowest consideration.

To apply for fellowships to study Korean and other East Asian languages (Chinese and Japanese), visit the University of Hawai’i student scholarships Web site (STAR) at
www.star.hawaii.edu/scholarship/ and search using the keyword FLAS.

The deadline for applications is February 3, 2020. FLAS awards are subject to funding by the U.S. Department of Education. Major fellowships such as East-West Center grants and half-time graduate assistantships cannot be held concurrently with FLAS academic-year awards.

Questions about FLAS scholarships should be directed to the School of Pacific and Asian Studies fellowships coordinator, Chizuko T. Allen (chizuko@hawaii.edu), telephone (808) 956-2210. An information sheet with answers to common questions about the FLAS fellowships is available here.

3. WICHE

All M.A. and Ph.D. programs offered by EALL are recognized Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) regional graduate programs. Residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, with a GPA of 3.5+ are eligible, upon admission, to enroll at the Hawai’i resident tuition rate. For more information, please visit this
link.

4. Graduate Assistantships

A number of graduate assistantship positions (generally teaching positions) are available every year to qualified graduate students. Normally a GAship requires 20 hours of work per week, and if awarded the student will receive a full tuition waiver, medical benefits, and a monthly stipend. All students with GAship are still liable for activity and other fees. Further information, including details on salary rates, is available from the graduate division website. The graduate division also publishes a graduate assistant handbook.

When a GAship position becomes available, it will be posted on the Department e-mail list for graduate students (ealldeptgrad-l@lists.hawaii.edu).

  • Continuing students may reactivate, update or replace a previously submitted application.
  • Applicants to the EALL Graduate Program are encouraged to submit an application for a GAship with their admission application materials.

The application form is available online here.  Although three letters of recommendation are required, an applicant may request that the three letters of recommendation submitted for admission to the graduate program also be used for the application for the position of Graduate Assistant in lieu of submitting additional letters. Please make sure to review the
guidelines for language teaching GAs and the GA selection criteria before applying.

5. Other scholarship opportunities