Community Choice Award Winner

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Korea: Gwangju - Undergraduate Courses

Name: Korea: Gwangju - Undergraduate Courses
Brand: USAC
SKU: 122098
Rating: 4.89 (9 reviews)

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USAC

4.89 (9 reviews)

Good for

Students

Solo Travelers

Adventure travelers

Korea: Gwangju - Undergraduate Courses

USAC

4.89 · 9 reviews

Community Choice Award Winner

Location

South Korea
- Gwangju

Term

Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer

Subject Areas

Business Economics Engineering Health Sciences History Literature Political Science Psychology

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Housing

Dormitory

Last Updated: Sep 24, 2024

Last Reviewed: Sep 12, 2025

Wish List

30 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Live and study in Gwangju, the sixth largest city in one of the most rapidly developing nations in East Asia. Enjoy the beautiful natural habitat, delicious cuisine, and rich artistic history of southwestern Korea. Located in the middle of the South Jeolla province, Gwangju is one of the most historically significant areas within the region. It was established as a city in 57 BC and is the birthplace of the modern democratic movement in Korea. During the period of Japanese rule, students in Gwangju ignited one of the major nationwide uprisings of the colonial period. Fifty years later, Gwangju was the site of the May 18 Democratic Uprising against the then-military dictatorship. It’s now home of the Square of Democracy and National Cemetery that commemorates the 518 uprising.

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Video and Photos

Study abroad in Gwangju, Korea, with USAC.

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Diversity & Inclusion 💙

LGBTQIA+ Support

There are LGBTQIA+ friends, colleagues, and allies throughout the world. However, cultural understanding of gender identity and sexuality does vary from country to country. USAC has compiled a lot of resources to help you through that learning process.

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Accessibility Support

USAC is dedicated to working closely with students with disabilities to ensure the best study abroad experience possible. You may request reasonable accommodations after your initial application is complete. We routinely receive requests for scheduling, material, and environmental accommodations for the classroom setting, which may include assistive technology, scribes and readers, printed material, and interpretation.

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Impact 🌎

Sustainability

Environmentally-conscious students choose USAC because many of our programs are held in some of the most sustainable countries in the world. There are options to take coursework in sustainability and the environment, as well as field trips and studies where students can leave a lasting impact on their host country.

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Program Highlights

Explore one of Korea’s most historic and culturally vibrant cities, home to cultural festivals, art biennales, important historical sites and the birthplace of the modern democratic movement.
Choose courses in Korean language, culture and history; business, management, and economics; literature; mechanical engineering; media; political science; psychology; and environmental and health studies.
Join in various field trips and extracurricular activities including the Gwangju May 18 Memorial Park, a Korean Folk Village and Temple Stay, Gyeongju, Busan, and the Boryeong Mud Festival.
Summer, fall, spring, and yearlong terms are available! Check out the USAC Website for more information.

Program Reviews

4.89 Rating

based on 9 reviews

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Rating Spread Study

5 rating 88.89%
4 rating 11.11%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 4.1
Support 4.55
Fun 4.55
Housing 4
Safety 5

Good for Students, Solo Travelers, Adventure travelers

Showing 9 - 9 of 9 reviews

The Experience was amazing. They provided us with a pick up from the airport, which is was amazing. we were giving a buddy through the program and I was with 4 students as well. We went to a baseball game together and also during the tour program were together. There were do many different student that it was easy to adapt especially because of the buddy. the food was amazing, I had one travel partner when I was there and we went to different restaurants. I am still in contact with her till this day. It is an opportunity to get out your comfort zone. I was able to explore Gwangju and other locations, we went to a temple, Busan, and went to a mud festival and meet some nice people there. my favorite memory was when my buddy had us over for a homestay and his parent cooked for us. They were very amazing people, so kind, and I really appreciated the fact that they took time out of their day to cook for us and talk to us. Some helpful tips are if there is a meeting or activity plan, it is a good idea to go and participant because you never know who you will meet. Make sure you have enough money and budget out how much you want to spend. don't be scare to try something new, you are in a different place and you never know what you might like. This wasn't my original location but I am glad everything fell into place and I went to Gwangju.

What would you improve about this program?

I was alone for abit because my roommate had not showed up yet so it was alittle nerve wrecking the first few days. If there is a way to make sure that people whos roommate are not yet arriving arent alone in room and they are comfortable. that would be resurring for those who come on the trip alone.

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Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

It was recommended to me from my Study Abroad Advisor. He showed it to me because it was the one of the only program that provided a Korea as the host country. I have been interested in going to Korea since I started watching Korean dramas in 2012. It was a new location in Korea that they were providing for the first times. I decided to Gwangju because the potential of being in Korea was enough for me and when I looked it up it looked to beautiful. It made me excited to go there.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Firstly my advisor assisted me with the application and essay to ensure that I was a prospect for selection to go on the trip. He also help me fill out scholarships for financial aid.

Secondly I was giving a program advisor and he provided me with the essential paperwork that I needed like contact information for airport pick up and also when the other program I choose became full he gave me this as an alternative to ensure that I went on a trip to the host country I wanted to go to.

Thirdly, I wasn't selected for scholarship but I was working at the time so I used money from my income to pay for the program, and I applied for a travel loan, and my family provided me with money as well. I had everything that needed a month ahead so that when I check I could make sure I wasn't missing anything. I decided to go a couple months before the deadline so I had a short planning period. I have to organize everything within a constraint in time. I had to come up with thorough plan.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I would say do not limit yourself to your own prejudices and bias. there are many things that you could hear about a place before you visit there. but once you get there it is completely different then what you expect. of course there are a lot those ideas that come from the media, movies and television. always keep yourself open-minded. Life is an adventure, you never know where it will take you!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

A typical day for me was one class than lunch with some of the people that I met, another class. than typical dinner or a activity with other students. The first time went out was to get a sims card for my phones and we walked across campus and went into town and they had a lot of smaller mom and pop shops for different things like accessories and boutiques for clothes. We went to Gyeongju and Busan and went to a mud festival. They were really fun activities and provided there own unique experience.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was isolating myself from doing anything and not meeting new people. IMy friend invited to a lot of different outing. I am a picky eater and I don't like eating a lot of different foods. but when we mostly tired different restaurants together and I got to try a lot of different food. I thought trying it once is enough and if I don't like it I will not eat it again. Surprisingly I liked a lot of the different foods they had even if it was spicy. I through actually going abroad it has made me more adventurous in food and conversations. I became less picky when eating than what I was before.

What is a memory that is unforgettable to do?

One memory that is unforgettable to me is when we went to our buddies house for a homestay. It was different than living in the dorm rooms. we actually talked about going to our buddies house but we weren't sure if it could happen and he invited us to come over one weekend. when we got there they had cooked a feast for us with meat and a lot of Korean side dished. The father grilled and cut the meat for us. we laughed and talk with them. They told us about their family. I really appreciated the fact they took the time to cook and talk with us. Even though it rained on that day, it still was a very special day for me. one of my ultimate favorite experiences in Korea besides celebrating my birthday.

About USAC

USAC is a non-profit consortium of U.S. universities that collaborates to offer affordable, academic and authentic study abroad programs. There are abundant opportunities to immerse in the culture, history, and academics of other countries providing an unforgettable experience. Each program is designed to help you grow into an engaged citizen of...