School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics

BA Korean and...

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Key information

Duration

4 years

Start of programme

September

Attendance mode

Full-time

Location

Campus

Fees

Home: £9,535
International: £23,780

Entry requirements

AAB-ABB

For joint degrees, the offer is based on the subject with the higher entry requirements

Contextual: ABB-BBB

See undergraduate entry requirements and English language requirements for international and alternative entry requirements.

Course overview

The BA Korean combined honours degree provides students with the highest level of competence in all aspects of the written and spoken language, as well as an introduction to both classical and modern Korean culture - from the study of pre-modern Korean literature and history, to contemporary Korean cinema and TV.

This Korean degree programme is suitable for both absolute beginners as well as those with some knowledge of the Korean language. Students will spend the third year of study in Korea furthering language proficiency and understanding of the local business practices and culture. Additionally, the nature of the combined honours degree will allow you to create a specialist pathway for yourself by studying another subject. All students will spend year three in South Korea at either Korea University or Sogang University.

Why study Korean Combined Honours at SOAS?

We are ranked 13th in the UK for Modern Languages (QS World University Rankings 2025)
We are ranked 7th in the UK for Asian Studies (Complete University Guide Subject League Tables 2026)
We are ranked 4th in the UK for 'graduate prospects' (Complete University Guide Subject League Table 2026)
Spend your third year in Korea furthering language and cultural proficiency

Use our combined courses tool to see a breakdown of course structure

Key information set data

Teaching and learning

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year , in modules of 60, 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are taught over one term or the full year. It also shows which modules are compulsory and which are optional.

Contact hours

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others.

Year abroad

All students spend their third year in South Korea at one of the universities listed below, following successful completion of their second year. Students indicate preferences, but final allocation will be determined by the department.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Fees and funding

Fees for 2026/27 entrants per academic year

Programme	Full-time
Programme	Home students	Overseas students
BA, BSc, LLB	£9,535	£23,780
BA/BSc Language year abroad	£1,425	£11,770

See undergraduate fees for further details.

Employment

Graduates from the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures develop competencies in intercultural awareness, analysis and communication. Demand for specialists with advanced proficiency in the languages of China, Japan and Korea has significantly increased in recent years, and graduates with these skills are highly sought after by employers.

Recent graduates have been hired by organisations including: