Who is Eligible to Apply?
Anyone who has successfully completed a bachelors degree from an accredited university is eligible to apply for the Sookmyung TESOL MA program. As we are looking for students who will enhance the quality and reputation of the program, there are certain qualifications that we are looking for in our students and which will strengthen one's chances of being accepted into the program. The first of these revolves around academic qualifications. We are looking for students with relevant undergraduate degrees and or certification in the field of TESOL or language education. We are also looking for students who have professional experience in the field of language teaching or a related field. Finally, we are looking for people with strong cultural and linguistic competence. The ability to speak a language in addition to English is an important skill.
2 Different ways of Applying
Applying as a Transfer Student
(입학을 준비하시는 분들께 유용한 정보 이오니 꼭 읽어 보시길 바랍니다.)
Applicants to the Sookmyung TESOL MA program can apply either as transfer students or as non-transfer applicants. The application procedures are the same regardless of one's status in this regard. Although the actual transferring of credit is something that occurs after a given candidate has been admitted to the program, it is required that students requesting a transfer credit let us know during the application process. The Sookmyung TESOL MA accepts credit transfers only from a select group of our own certificate programs. The approved certificate programs are SMU-TESOL, YL-TESOL, IETTP and STG. Applicants can transfer up to 6 credits, the equivalent of one semester in the MA. Only courses for which the applicant has received a grade of B+ or above are eligible to transfer credit. Applicants who have completed previous graduate work elsewhere or have attained certificates from other programs are not able to transfer those credits.
As mentioned above, credit transfers amount to a maximum of one semester. MA students who enter the program as transfer students are required to take 3 semesters of elective courses plus a final semester thesis or practicum. For the application process, those wishing to apply as transfer students need to be sure to include transcripts from their certificate program. For those who have not yet finished the certificate at the time of application, they need to download the Application Support Form and provide one copy to the instructor for each of the classes they are currently taking.
Applying as a Non-transfer Student
Applicants who are not eligible for credit transfer will simply do four semesters of MA elective courses plus a thesis or practicum. For regular applicants, those with strong backgrounds including those who have completed other certification courses or relevant undergraduate or graduate level work are strongly encouraged to apply to the Sookmyung TESOL MA. While the credits from any previous work are non-transferable, that experience will help in the application process. As of the Fall 2014 semester is no longer any Sookmyung certification requirement for the TESOL MA. In fact, once a student has been admitted to the MA, she or he will not be able to take one of the the certificate programs. Students who wish to take certificate programs should do so before they apply to the MA.
It should be noted that decisions regarding who is accepted are made using a variety of criteria. One's ability to transfer credits has no direct bearing on the evaluation process (See the Results section below). Applicants who have done a certificate program at Sookmyung are not necessarily guaranteed acceptance. Persons interested in doing the MA are encouraged to contact one of the MA faculty members in advance to find out more about whether it is a good idea to do a certificate course or not.
2 Different ways of Applying
Applying as a Transfer Student
(입학을 준비하시는 분들께 유용한 정보 이오니 꼭 읽어 보시길 바랍니다.)
Applicants to the Sookmyung TESOL MA program can apply either as transfer students or as non-transfer applicants. The application procedures are the same regardless of one's status in this regard. Although the actual transferring of credit is something that occurs after a given candidate has been admitted to the program, it is required that students requesting a transfer credit let us know during the application process. The Sookmyung TESOL MA accepts credit transfers only from a select group of our own certificate programs. The approved certificate programs are SMU-TESOL, YL-TESOL, IETTP and STG. Applicants can transfer up to 6 credits, the equivalent of one semester in the MA. Only courses for which the applicant has received a grade of B+ or above are eligible to transfer credit. Applicants who have completed previous graduate work elsewhere or have attained certificates from other programs are not able to transfer those credits.
As mentioned above, credit transfers amount to a maximum of one semester. MA students who enter the program as transfer students are required to take 3 semesters of elective courses plus a final semester thesis or practicum. For the application process, those wishing to apply as transfer students need to be sure to include transcripts from their certificate program. For those who have not yet finished the certificate at the time of application, they need to download the Application Support Form and provide one copy to the instructor for each of the classes they are currently taking.
Applying as a Non-transfer Student
Applicants who are not eligible for credit transfer will simply do four semesters of MA elective courses plus a thesis or practicum. For regular applicants, those with strong backgrounds including those who have completed other certification courses or relevant undergraduate or graduate level work are strongly encouraged to apply to the Sookmyung TESOL MA. While the credits from any previous work are non-transferable, that experience will help in the application process. As of the Fall 2014 semester is no longer any Sookmyung certification requirement for the TESOL MA. In fact, once a student has been admitted to the MA, she or he will not be able to take one of the the certificate programs. Students who wish to take certificate programs should do so before they apply to the MA.
It should be noted that decisions regarding who is accepted are made using a variety of criteria. One's ability to transfer credits has no direct bearing on the evaluation process (See the Results section below). Applicants who have done a certificate program at Sookmyung are not necessarily guaranteed acceptance. Persons interested in doing the MA are encouraged to contact one of the MA faculty members in advance to find out more about whether it is a good idea to do a certificate course or not.
Different Types of Status (예비 입학생분들은 필독 해주세요)
Applicants to the Sookmyung TESOL MA program apply in one of three types of status. The applicant's status is important because different conditions apply to those with a different status. Status also affects scholarship eligibility. If one is unsure of his or her status, they should contact the MA office or the Graduate School of Professional Studies officials to check before they begin the application process. It is important to note that one's eligibility to transfer credits is not related to one's status as an applicant.
Regular Applicants
Regular applicants are Korean nationals who are not working full-time within the public school system.
Special Applicants
Special applicants are Korean nationals with teaching licenses who are currently teaching as government-sanctioned, full-time instructors within the public school system. This means teachers in a public elementary, middle or high school. To ensure this status, special applicants need to submit a certificate of employment in addition to all the other application materials.
Non-Korean Applicants
Non-Korean applicants are those who hold, and whose parents hold, a nationality other than Korean. Non-Korean applicants also need to hold a bachelor's degree from a non-Korean university. To ensure this status and the scholarship befits that accompany it, non-Korean applicants need to furnish the International Student Support Team with several documents. As the requirements do change periodically, the applicant needs to contact the International Support Team well in advance of the application period. Applicants should be aware that it can take quite a bit of time to get the required documents so they should start early.
Miss Soyeong Kim
Office of international Affairs
admissions@sookmyung.ac.kr
(82-2) 710-9256/9871
Regular Applicants
Regular applicants are Korean nationals who are not working full-time within the public school system.
Special Applicants
Special applicants are Korean nationals with teaching licenses who are currently teaching as government-sanctioned, full-time instructors within the public school system. This means teachers in a public elementary, middle or high school. To ensure this status, special applicants need to submit a certificate of employment in addition to all the other application materials.
Non-Korean Applicants
Non-Korean applicants are those who hold, and whose parents hold, a nationality other than Korean. Non-Korean applicants also need to hold a bachelor's degree from a non-Korean university. To ensure this status and the scholarship befits that accompany it, non-Korean applicants need to furnish the International Student Support Team with several documents. As the requirements do change periodically, the applicant needs to contact the International Support Team well in advance of the application period. Applicants should be aware that it can take quite a bit of time to get the required documents so they should start early.
Miss Soyeong Kim
Office of international Affairs
admissions@sookmyung.ac.kr
(82-2) 710-9256/9871
Time Frame (전기/후기 입학)
The Sookmyung TESOL MA program accepts applications twice a year: for the spring and the fall semester.
The application period for the spring semester is typically in the latter half of November with interviews and the writing test held in the beginning of December. Spring semester classes begin on March 1.
The application period for the fall semester is typically the latter half of May with interviews and the writing test in the beginning of June. Classes for the Fall semester start on September 1.
The specific dates will be posted shortly in advance on the website of the Graduate School of Professional Studies.
Individuals interested in applying are encouraged to contact the MA office, the Graduate School of Professional Studies and, for non-Korean applicants, the International Support Team well in advance to confirm the materials needed. Applicants also need to leave ample time to create and procure all the documents needed.
The application period for the spring semester is typically in the latter half of November with interviews and the writing test held in the beginning of December. Spring semester classes begin on March 1.
The application period for the fall semester is typically the latter half of May with interviews and the writing test in the beginning of June. Classes for the Fall semester start on September 1.
The specific dates will be posted shortly in advance on the website of the Graduate School of Professional Studies.
Individuals interested in applying are encouraged to contact the MA office, the Graduate School of Professional Studies and, for non-Korean applicants, the International Support Team well in advance to confirm the materials needed. Applicants also need to leave ample time to create and procure all the documents needed.
Basic Procedures
The application procedures for the non-Korean applicants are handled by the International Support Team while the regular and special applicants are handled by the Graduate School of Professional Studies. As a result the procedures are slightly different regarding the application forms. The non-Korean applicants need to contact the International Support Team to access the application form. The procedures for the regular and special applicants are shown below.
Results
The results will be posted at http://gss.sookmyung.ac.kr (the date will be announced during the application period)
Final decisions are based on the following criteria.
1) Regular Applicants
a. Undergraduate GPA (20%) b. English language proficiency test (40%) c. Interview and statement of purpose (40%)
2) Special applicants
a. Undergraduate GPA (30%) b. English language proficiency test (30%) c. Interview and statement of purpose (40%).
3) Non-Koreans Applicants
a. Interview and statement of purpose (100%).
It should be noted that the handling of the application process and the ultimate decision regarding who is selected is not conducted by the Sookmyung TESOL MA but rather by the Kyohak team of the Graduate School of Professional Studies. Also, bear in mind that there is a high level of competition to get into the program. The success rate varies between special and regular applicants with the latter having a higher level of competition. The overall success rate has lingered somewhere around 20%. This means that approximately only 1 out of every 5 applicants is actually offered a seat in the program. If you fail to be accepted the first time, try again and work on strengthening your application in the meantime.
Final decisions are based on the following criteria.
1) Regular Applicants
a. Undergraduate GPA (20%) b. English language proficiency test (40%) c. Interview and statement of purpose (40%)
2) Special applicants
a. Undergraduate GPA (30%) b. English language proficiency test (30%) c. Interview and statement of purpose (40%).
3) Non-Koreans Applicants
a. Interview and statement of purpose (100%).
It should be noted that the handling of the application process and the ultimate decision regarding who is selected is not conducted by the Sookmyung TESOL MA but rather by the Kyohak team of the Graduate School of Professional Studies. Also, bear in mind that there is a high level of competition to get into the program. The success rate varies between special and regular applicants with the latter having a higher level of competition. The overall success rate has lingered somewhere around 20%. This means that approximately only 1 out of every 5 applicants is actually offered a seat in the program. If you fail to be accepted the first time, try again and work on strengthening your application in the meantime.
