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Korea

Dates: 28 May–25 July 2023
Application Deadline: 10 November 2022

The Seoul field school is a research-based study abroad program located in the heart of Seoul. At the center of the field school experience is the opportunity to conduct firsthand mentored research on Korean culture in Seoul, South Korea. Students will pursue their own research projects under the supervision of the field school director. This is an excellent opportunity to conduct research for a capstone project in any major and to learn about and demonstrate competence in firsthand research. In the research course, students will receive support and training in ethnographic and qualitative research methods. Students will also register for a course on the history of Korea, where they will learn from an expert Korean historian about Korean history and its importance for understanding Korean culture today.

During the field school, students will have the option of living with a South Korean family or in an apartment. Students will also have opportunities to take part in various cultural activities such as a Buddhist meditation retreat at the famous Haeinsa Temple, a trip to Jeju Island (if possible), walking tours of historical sites and museums, as well as one of the most popular South Korean pastimes, shopping.

Click here to apply today!

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Contact Us

Gregory Thompson
880 KMBL
(801) 422-8095
greg.a.thompson@gmail.com

PDF

Program Flyer

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions
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More Information

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Courses

Students must register for a minimum of 9 credit hours during the spring-summer semester from the following courses:

ANTHR 390R—Special Topics in Regional Anthropology (3 credit hours)
ANTHR 495R—Ethnographic Field Project (6 credit hours)

Alternative course options may be possible. A twelve credit hour option may be arranged for students who need to meet scholarship requirements.

Students may not take any other courses on this program, including BYU Online courses, without approval by the program director and ISP.
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Cost

$6,500–6,900

Includes Latter-day Saint undergraduate full tuition (increased cost for graduate and non–Latter-day Saint students), lodging, public transit stipend, local research assistants/translators to assist students with research, in-country excursions, and international health insurance coverage.

Does not include airfare (typically $900–1,500 from U.S. to South Korea), passport and visa, vaccinations (if needed), meals, personal expenses, personal travel, and additional research expenses not covered by the program.
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Funding Sources

Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs.

Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will be considered for a Study Abroad scholarship.

Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants.

The director has applied for various sources of funding for this program. In the event that some of these sources are awarded, this may reduce program costs. Additional funding may be available and eligible students can apply for such funding based on either merit and/or demonstrated need. Please consult the director to discuss this and other possible funding options.

Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships).
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Preparation

It is recommended that students take the following courses prior to departure:

ANTHR 101—Social/Cultural Anthropology (fulfills both the Global and Cultural Awareness and Social Science requirements)
KOREA 101—First-Year Korean 1
ANTHR 344—Culture, Language, and History of Korea

All anthropology students wanting to use the field school experience for thesis research must take ANTHR 442—Ethnographic Research Design and Methods prior to departure. All other students are strongly encouraged to take this course in order to develop their research proposal and learn principles of social science research.

Accepted students are required to participate in an international, cross-cultural preparation course (IAS 201R, 1 credit hour).

Students must meet all country- and program-specific COVID and health requirements for travel.
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Housing

Students will live with local host families or in a shared apartment. Home stays are recommended, as it will facilitate the experience of cultural immersion and also provide students with a local contact to help them in their fieldwork.
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Travel

Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program sites. Airline reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent.

BYU Travel
280 HRCB
(801) 422-6293
travel@byu.edu
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Application Process

Students must be 18 years of age or older to participate.

Complete the online application here. A nonrefundable $35 application fee is required; applicants will be interviewed once the application is complete.

Students will be notified via e-mail of their acceptance into the program. The first payment is due upon acceptance; please refer to the Payment Information document.

Application Deadline: 10 November 2022
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Program Adjustments

International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost.

If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU Financial account.

ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.
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Faculty

Gregory A. Thompson is the faculty director of the program. Professor Thompson teaches courses in the Department of Anthropology and has previously led two field schools in Korea in 2016 and 2019 (as well as two field schools in Provo).

880 KMBL
(801) 422-8095
greg.a.thompson@gmail.com
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Contact Us

International Study Programs
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu
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ISP Student Handbook

To see the student handbook, click here.
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Payment Schedule

To see the payment schedule, click here.