Main Changes in Admission Guidelines - for International Applicants | ||
Category | Before | After (2026 Fall Intake) |
Recommendation Letter | Required for both Master’s and PhD applicants (1 letter) | PhD: Required (1 letter) Master’s: Optional (1 letter only) |
■ Application of Fall Semester, 2026
1. Programs
Sogang GSIS recruits about OO students for Master degree program in the four specialty areas, International Relations, International Trade, International Finance, and Korea & East Asia Studies. Also, Sogang GSIS recruits about O students for Ph.D. program in the four fields of major for Fall semester, 2026.
All courses and academic activities are conducted in English and about 130 international students from 43 countries are studying at Sogang GSIS, as of March, 2026.
Ph.D. | All Majors | Doctor of Philosophy in International Studies |
M.A. | International Relations | Master of International Studies in International Relations |
International Trade | Master of International Studies in International Trade | |
International Finance | Master of International Studies in International Finance | |
Korea & East Asia Studies | Master of International Studies in Korean Studies | |
| Master of International Studies in East Asian Studies |
2. Qualification
Category | Details |
Basic Requirement | Applicants must have graduated or be expected to graduate from an accredited four-year college, university, or equivalent institution. * Applicants must complete graduation and obtain their diploma and degree at least 2 months prior to the start of the intended semester. * For Fall semester admission (starting in September), applicants must obtain their diploma and degree by July. |
Degree Requirement | Master’s Program: Bachelor’s degree required Ph.D. Program: Master’s degree required |
Academic Background | Applicants may apply regardless of their undergraduate major. |
3. Important Dates
• Online Application Period: April 14(Tue) - April 24(Fri), 2026
"Application Link (Accessible during the application period)"
• Announcement of Documents Screening Results: 2pm on May 8(Fri), 2026
• Interview for Admission: May 16 (Sat), 2026
▷ Interview will be conducted in English. The online (Zoom) interview is available if you are not in Korea.
• Announcement of Final Screening Results: June 2(Tue), 2026
4. Application Process
1) Online Application (Scanned Copies)
Applicants must first complete the online form via the official application portal.
The application portal is accessible only during the designated application period.
During the online application, applicants must upload scanned copies of all required documents to the application portal.
The application will be considered complete only after all required documents have been uploaded.
▷ “The recommendation letter” is not included among the documents to be uploaded. For submission instructions, please refer to the guidelines below.
▷ During the online application period, documents without apostille or consular authentication may also be uploaded.
2) Submission of Required Documents by Postal Mail (Original Copies)
Successful applicants(accepted students) must submit all original copies of the documents that were uploaded as files during the online application, either in person or by postal mail, no later than July 1.
▷ The GSIS Office will issue the “Certificate of Admission” only to applicants whose original documents, tuition payment, and bank balance certificate have all been confirmed. Therefore, applicants who require a student visa (D-2) are advised to prepare apostilled original documents in advance so that they can submit them immediately after the announcement of Final Screening Results.
▷ Failure to submit the original documents by the final deadline will result in the cancellation of admission.
5. Required Documents
* All documents, except for the recommendation letter, must be clearly scanned and legible,
and submitted through the application portal.
No. | Notes |
1) | Essay |
2) | Diploma or Certificate of (Expected) Graduation * An official English notarized translation is required if the certificates are not printed in English * Either Apostilled or Consular Authentication is required |
3) | Official Academic Transcripts * An official English notarized translation is required if the certificates are not printed in English * Either Apostilled or Consular Authentication is required |
4) | Color Copy of English Test Score Report * TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC, or NEW TEPS within validity period – April 14, 2026 * There is no minimum score requirement on English test score * TOEFL My Best Score, Home Edition & IELTS Online, One Skill Retake test score reports are also accepted |
5) | Color Copy of Passport * Must be valid at the time of application |
6) | Consent Form of Information Release for Degree Verification |
7) | Degree Verification Report from CDGDC or CHSI (Only for applicants who graduated from universities in China) |
8) | One Sealed Recommendation Letter * Ph.D. applicants: Required (1 letter) * Master’s applicants: Optional (Maximum 1 letter accepted) |
9) | Research Writing Sample (e.g. Master’s degree thesis) (Only for Ph.D. applicants) |
Note) In case of a Korean descendant abroad, additional documents such as 'Birth Certificate', 'Hu Kou Ben', etc. may be requested to clarify the nationality.
1) Essay
The essay may be no longer than 2 pages. It may include self-introduction, the reason why the applicant is interested in Sogang GSIS and future career plan. Please download the form from our website,
2) Diploma or Certificate of (Expected) Graduation
Applicants must submit a graduation certificate or diploma. Those who have not yet graduated at the time of application may submit a certificate of expected graduation (or a provisional degree certificate) that specifies the expected graduation date.
Successful applicants are required to submit the original graduation certificate (or diploma), duly apostilled or consular-authenticated, to the GSIS Office no later than July 1.
3) Official Academic Transcripts
Official transcripts must be issued by undergraduate school (and by graduate school as well as for Ph.D. applicants). Transfer students must submit official transcripts from all previous attended institutions.
If the CGPA is not indicated in one of the acknowledged GPA scales (4.0, 4.3, 4.5, 5.0) or 100-point scale, applicants must submit a transcript converted into one of the above GPA scales as a supplementary document.
A transcript converted with a conversion tool such as scholaro.com or wes.org is only acceptable when the relevant university officially confirms the document.
Successful applicants are required to submit their official Transcripts, duly apostilled or consular-authenticated, to the GSIS Office no later than July 1.
▷ Applications submitted without a converted transcript may be at a disadvantage during the evaluation process.
▷ The transcripts not printed in English should be translated in English and notarized.
■ Items to Note on Apostille (or Consular Confirmation)
▷ If your document, such as a diploma, cannot be reissued, please keep the original and obtain an apostille (or consular confirmation) on a notarized copy.
▷ Simple photocopies or notarized copies of the apostilled (or consular confirmed) documents will NOT be accepted. However, a certified true copy (등본 인증) issued by a Korean embassy or a government agency that initially issued the original apostille document are accepted.
4) English Test Score Report (TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC, or NEW TEPS)
The English test score report must be valid at the time of submission. In addition, it must be from a test taken within the past two years as of the application date (April 14, 2026).
▷ It is exempted for
① native English speakers,
② graduates from universities in English speaking countries,
③ graduates from universities that the medium of instruction in all of the degree program was in English (an official supporting letter from home university is required).
5) Color Copy of Passport
It should be printed in color.
6) Consent Form of Information Release for Degree Verification
It is for verifying your previous undergraduate or graduate degree. The applicant should fill in the information correctly and sign on the form.
7) Degree Verification Report from CDGDC or CHSI
It is only for applicants who graduated from universities in China. If the document is written only in Chinese, applicants should submit the notarized translation. Online report from CHSI (CHESICC) is acceptable.
8) Research Writing Sample
It is only for Ph.D. applicants who have graduated with thesis in previous degree program (e.g. Master’s degree).
9) One Sealed Recommendation Letter
Ph.D. applicants are required to submit one recommendation letter, while submission is optional for Master’s applicants. A maximum of one recommendation letter may be submitted. Applicants must use the official Sogang GSIS recommendation letter form, which can be downloaded from the website.
① The offline recommendation letter should be sealed, and unsealed letter will not be accepted. A sealed recommendation letter could be mailed by the applicant, or it could be sent directly to Sogang GSIS office by the recommender.
② If it is not possible to submit the recommendation letter by postal mail, the recommender may send it directly to the Sogang GSIS Office via email (gsisapply@sogang.ac.kr). In this case, the recommender must use their official affiliated institutional email address (e.g., abc@harvard.edu) for verification purposes.
③ Former professor from the university or supervisors from the workplace could be the recommender as well.
④ Recommendation letters must be submitted within the application period.
6. Application Fee
Applicants must transfer the application fee to the bank account listed below. Any transaction fees must be borne by the applicant.
After transferring the fee, please email the GSIS office at gsisapply@sogang.ac.kr and provide a receipt of your payment. The receipt should include the payment date, receiver's account number, receiver's name, and the payment amount for accurate tracking purposes.
If a friend or family member makes the payment on behalf of the applicant, the applicant must inform the GSIS office of the sender's name and account number. It is strongly recommended to complete the payment at least two days before the application deadline. Please note that the application fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.
• Application fee: KRW 90,000 or USD 90 or the equivalent amount
• Name of Bank: Woori Bank
• Account Number: 1005-001-589268
• Swift Code of Woori Bank: HVBKKRSEXXX
• Account Holder: Sogang University
• Bank Address: Woori Bank Sogang University branch, Sogang University,
17, World Cup buk-ro 60-gil, Mapu-gu, Seoul, 03921,
Republic of Korea.
7. Required Document for Accepted Students
Accepted students must submit all original documents that were previously uploaded during the online application to the GSIS Office no later than July 1. Failure to submit the required documents by the deadline may result in the cancellation of admission.
1) All documents must be submitted in original form and arranged in the same order as listed in “Section 5. Required Documents”. (Excluding recommendation letters)
2) Diploma or Certificate of Graduation & Official Transcripts
Applicants must submit the original diploma (or certificate of graduation) and official transcripts, duly apostilled or consular-authenticated.
3) Original Statement of Bank Balance
Applicants who require a student visa (D-2) should be able to submit the original statement of bank balance and make sure to arrive at Sogang GSIS office after their Sogang GSIS tuition fees payment is completed.
▷ The issuance date must be after the completion of Sogang GSIS tuition fee payment. The tuition payment period will be announced together with the admission results.
It should be at least KRW 20,000,000 or equivalent.
▷ The accepted applicants can submit the statement of bank balance under KRW 20,000,000. However, it could be a problem when the applicant applies for the visa depending on the embassy.
If the account holder is student’s parent or family,
① Please submit the ‘Statement of financial sponsorship’[Download] with the account holder’s signature as well. It can be downloaded from our website.
② The applicant must submit additional documents that prove the relationship between the applicant and sponsor such as Certificate of Family Relationship, Birth Certificate, Hu Kou Ben, and so on.
8. Overseas Korean
Overseas Koreans can apply through the same process as international students as follows;
① Those who have citizenship of foreign countries and both of whose parents have citizenship of foreign countries (non-existence parent is not considerable)
※ Required Documents: The copies of passports of both parents
② Those who studied from elementary school up to university in foreign countries
※ Required Documents: The certificate of enrollment of all institutions
9. Sogang GSIS Scholarship
There are 4 types of scholarship supported by Sogang GSIS as follows;
- Scholarship A/B/C/D: 100%/75%/50%/25% reduction (waiver) of tuition fee
In the 1st semester, new students who meet the certain academic standards are entitled to receive the scholarship according to their performance in the admission process. The GSIS Admisstion Committee decides the type of scholarship for new students.
From the 2nd semester, the amount of scholarship will be determined according to the GPA of the previous semester to every student who acquires 9 credits or the above and has a GPA of 3.5 (4.0 for Ph.D.) on a scale of 4.3.
For GSIS scholarship, students are required to submit the official English test result such as TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC, or NEW TEPS with the certain required score during their first year at Sogang GSIS. Native speakers or students who graduated from universities in English speaking countries are exempted.
Students can apply for TA or RA from the 2nd semester for the additional scholarship.
※ The scholarship rules may be applied differently for the Ph.D. students.
10. Information for Accepted Students
• Deadline for Paying Tuition:
The tuition payment schedule will be announced after the admission results and will not go beyond the first week of July.
• Matriculation & Orientation Day: August 28th(Fri), 2026
• First Day of Fall Semester: September 1st(Tue), 2026
▶ Link to the Information on tuition and housing
11. Contacts
• Website: https://gsis.sogang.ac.kr
• E-mail: gsisapply@sogang.ac.kr
• Tel: +82-2-705-8756
• Fax: +82-2-705-8755
• Mailing Address: #509 Kim Daegon Hall, GSIS, Sogang University, #35, Baekbeom-Ro, Mapo-Gu, Seoul 04107, Republic of Korea.