A minor in Korean is a gateway for students to engage with a culture whose art, music, and technological innovations shape lives around the globe. Students learn to read, write, and converse in Korean through careful and extensive study of Korean literature, popular culture, and linguistics. Distinctive coursework in the minor is taught by professors who are leading researchers in their fields. Beyond the classroom, students benefit from language-intensive study abroad opportunities, academic resources such as the East Asia Library, and cocurricular options including a Korean singing and reading club. By pairing the minor with a major in the College of Arts and Sciences or a professional field, students find an advantage after graduation as they enter business and nonprofit work, STEM fields, graduate programs, and more across the globe.
Introductory Korean language courses are available in the fall or summer quarters. Students should sign up for introductory courses as early as possible in order to fulfill the minor’s language requirement. If you have previous experience with Korean, see the department's information on proficiency exams and placement interviews.
Declaring a Minor in Korean
Students in good academic standing may declare the minor at any time by meeting with their major adviser. Please see Undergraduate Advising’s Minor page for additional considerations about earning a minor.
Minor Requirements
This is a 30 credits minor, consisting of the following:
I. Language Courses:
15 credits at or above the third year of the language, taken from:
- KOREAN 301, 302, 303 Third-Year Korean
- KOREAN 415, 416, 417 Readings in Korean Literature and Culture
- Study Abroad: KOREAN 345 Foreign Study: Advanced Korean (1-15 credits, max. 20)
II. Area-Related Humanities & Social Sciences:
15 credits. Suggested courses include:
- KOREAN 304 Practical Korean Through Korean Dramas
- KOREAN 360 Topics in Korean Literature and Culture
- KOREAN 365 Korean Pop Culture
- KOREAN 435 Seminar in Modern Korean Literature and Culture
- KOREAN 440 Introduction to Korean Linguistics
- KOREAN 442 Special Topics in Korean Language and Culture
- KOREAN 415 Readings in Korean Literature and Culture, 5 credits
- KOREAN 416 Readings in Korean Literature and Culture, 5 credits
- KOREAN 417 Readings in Korean Literature and Culture, 5 credits
- ASIAN 207 Special Topics in the Literature & Culture of Asia (when Korea is the topic)
- ASIAN 263 Great Works of Asian Literature (when Korea is the topic)
- ASIAN 498 Special Topics (when Korea is topic)
- ASIAN 401 Introduction to Asian Linguistics
- ASIAN 404 Writing Systems, 3 credits
- ANTH 448 Modern Korean Society
- HSTAS 212 History of Korean Civilization
- HSTAS 481 History of Traditional Korea: Earliest Times to the Nineteenth Century
- HSTAS 482 History of Modern Korea: 1860 to the Present
- JSIS 484 Special Topics (when Korea is topic)
- JSIS A 212 History of Korean Civilization
- JSIS A 213 The Korean Peninsula and World Politics
- JSIS A 439 Politics of Divided Korea
- JSIS A 448 Modern Korean Society
- JSIS A 466 Comparative Politics and Korea Studies
- POL S 213 The Korean Peninsula and World Politics
- POL S 403 Advanced Seminar in International Relations (when the topic is Korea)
- POL S 439 Politics of Divided Korea
- POL S 480 Comparative Politics and Korea Studies
- LING 400 Survey of Linguistic Method and Theory
If you have questions about whether or not a different outside of the department course counts towards the minor, please consult with an advisor.
Updated: Summer 2019