Korean Language Program Frequently Asked Questions
All students who can already read and write Hangul must take the placement examination, even if they wish to enroll in Introductory Korean A or First Year Korean I. Only true beginners with no prior knowledge of Hangul are exempt from this requirement. Students who have previously studied Korean elsewhere and wish to enroll in a Korean language course at Columbia University must also take the placement examination.
If you can read and write Hangul, the Korean alphabet, you are required to take the placement examination. The Columbia Korean faculty will review your results and help place you in the course that is most appropriate for your language proficiency and educational goals.
The College requires two years (four semesters) of language study. To fulfill the language requirement, you must complete either Second-Year Korean II or Accelerated Korean II.
Students seeking exemption from Columbia University's foreign language requirement in Korean must take the Korean placement examination. Scores from the SAT II Subject Test in Korean or any other Korean proficiency test cannot be used to satisfy or waive the College's foreign language requirement.
If you last took a Korean language course at Columbia more than six months ago and wish to continue your Korean studies in EALAC, you must take the placement examination to be placed at the appropriate level.
The Korean Proficiency Examination, which is distinct from the Korean placement examination, is administered twice annually: in October during the fall semester and in April during the spring semester. For additional information, please contact Prof. Ji-Young Jung ([email protected]).
The MARSEA proficiency examination is the same as the Korean placement examination. It is offered twice a year: before the start of each semester—on the last Thursday before the first day of classes in the fall semester (typically in August or September) and on the Friday before the start of the spring semester in January. The date, time, and location of the examination will be announced several weeks in advance.