A year into its new international student-only undergraduate program, Sogang University hopes the division will continue attracting students with its language proficiency-free admissions and practical learning curriculum.

Since the government amended the Higher Education Act in 2022 to allow universities to offer majors exclusively for foreign nationals, many universities have started opening international student-only majors as early as 2024.


Sogang University's Division of Global Interdisciplinary Studies, under the Loyola International College, is one of these, opening in March 2024.

The undergraduate division offers three majors: Global Economics, Global Business and Global Media. Students begin taking courses related to their major starting in their sophomore year.

After admitting 10 students as the division's inaugural class in spring 2024, it added 31 students in the fall semester and over 60 students in the spring 2025 semester.

Although Sogang University's undergraduate international admissions require applicants to submit a language certification — such as a TOPIK score, proof of completion from Korean language institutes, or an English certification, depending on the program — applicants to the Division of Global Interdisciplinary Studies are exempt from this requirement, even though the division offers Korean-taught courses.

Instead, accepted students go through language training at Sogang University's Korean Language Education Center during their freshman year.

According to Professor Cho Jae-hee, dean of the Loyola International College, the division has admitted students with diverse language abilities, from those just learning hangul, the Korean alphabet, to those who have already completed a year of language studies at another institute.

“There are many students who can’t even apply because of Korean language requirements,” said Professor Cho. “But if they take intensive Korean classes for about a year, they can generally reach TOPIK level 3 or 4, which is usually required for admissions to regular university programs.”

“When I asked our students, many said that reaching that level was manageable after studying for a year. So, rather than being afraid to apply, they can come, learn Korean first, and then move on to their major.”

In addition to Korean language classes, students also take the Albatross Seminar in their freshman year. The seminar introduces students to the Loyola International College and the majors offered under the Division of Global Interdisciplinary Studies, helping them choose their major. There are no GPA requirements when selecting a major.

The three majors offered by the division — Global Economics, Global Business and Global Media — were chosen because they are some of the most popular fields among international students. Global Economics covers traditional areas such as micro and macroeconomics and trade, Global Business focuses on accounting, marketing and risk management and Global Media includes content production, PR, advertising and UI/UX design.

While there is not a large pool of students choosing their majors yet, Global Media is currently the most popular choice, followed by Global Business and Global Economics.

“Students tend to know Korea through media, and they naturally develop an interest in those fields,” said Professor Cho. “But we don’t limit the Global Media major to content production. We also include PR and advertising-related courses so students can learn both content production and marketing.”

Aiming to offer practical education, the division is also exploring opportunities to collaborate with organizations like the Korea Creative Content Agency and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange to arrange internships for students in the future.

For the spring 2025 semester, courses such as Accounting, Introduction to PR and Introduction to Video Production will be offered under the division’s three majors.

Apart from Accounting, most courses go beyond traditional lectures and include class discussions and presentations.

While achieving sufficient Korean proficiency for participation in discussions may not be easy after just a year of Korean studies, Professor Cho believes the international student-only major has its advantages.

“If [international] students had to participate in class discussions with Korean students, it might be difficult for them,” said Professor Cho. “But talking among peers with similar proficiency levels makes it easier for them to engage in discussions.”

He hopes students will continue using Korean to discuss complex topics while maintaining confidence, knowing that everyone in the room is also not fluent in Korean.

“It was difficult for me when I studied abroad for graduate school,” said Professor Cho. “I even wrote a script for my presentations and read from it. But speaking among other international students felt more comfortable because we all make mistakes.”

“You gradually learn because no one worries about making mistakes and just keeps talking. I hope our students also don’t feel intimidated, be confident and continue to learn.”

Sogang University's Business School, College of Economics and College of Communication are viable options for international students who want to study business, economics or media. However, Professor Cho said that the Division of Global Interdisciplinary Studies offers a teaching approach tailored for non-native Korean speakers.

“For Korean-taught courses in other majors, the professors, being native Korean speakers, teach at their usual pace. It can be difficult for international students, who are a smaller group in the class,”said Professor Cho.

“But we ask our professors to keep in mind that they are teaching in Korean to students whose first language is not Korean, speaking slowly and clearly enough for them to follow along.”

He added that classes, especially content production courses in the Global Media major, will be more interactive, allowing professors to provide closer support to students.

Another benefit is the opportunity for students to learn from a global perspective.

“I want students to incorporate their local culture into our classes, and I emphasize this to our lecturers,” said Professor Cho. “For example, when learning about advertising, students won’t just learn about the Korean advertising industry but also how to create ads for international audiences.”

Professor Cho is teaching an introductory course for sophomores this semester. The course syllabus states that students will learn more about the three majors offered under the division, but it is also designed to offer closer assistance to students.

“In this course, students will research business, economics and media-related issues, discuss them and have additional consultations,” said Professor Cho. “The bigger purpose of the course is to care for students for one more semester since opportunities like the Albatross Seminar have ended.”

Despite the advantages of an international student-only major, one lingering concern is how to allow students to interact with Korean students rather than remaining a secluded community.

The Loyola International College also includes the Geppert School of International Studies and the Division of Global Korean Studies. The college's student council is working on creating events to bring students together under the college umbrella.

“Apart from these programs, we’re also thinking of hosting a festival within our college,” said Professor Cho. “If there’s a festival, students can enjoy themselves together and interact as they prepare things.”

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]