Harvard Summer Program in Seoul, Korea
This page contains content from the Summer School 2009. For current information, visit the Harvard Summer School website at www.summer.harvard.edu.
Information on the programs being offered summer 2010 will be available online in early September.
Korean culture and language study in the South Korean capital
Faculty: Mark Byington, Sang-suk Oh, and Korean language faculty
(8 credits: UN, GR) Limited enrollment
Program dates: June 23–August 1, 2009
Application deadline: February 27
Cost: $5,775
Korea possesses a rich history and cultural traditions that can be traced back to its prehistoric periods. Seoul, the South Korean capital and a thoroughly modern metropolis, rests upon the remains of one of Korea’s earliest civilizations, the hidden remnants of which are only now being revealed to us. With the boom in archaeological discoveries in recent years, scholars as well as the general public in Korea and beyond, engage in an active program of reassessing the early history and culture of the peninsula. This renewed fascination with the past and Korean origins has therefore manifested in both academia and pop culture. These new views of Korean origins are intricately linked with notions of group and individual identity.
Students travel to archaeological sites for experiential hands-on learning, as well as to modern locations. In addition, multitrack instruction in Korean language accommodates all levels of proficiency, including true beginners, and takes advantage of the Korean setting to reinforce language skills and to enrich students’ understanding of Korean culture.
Course of study
Students take KORE S-133 and one of the following language courses.
KORE S-133 Study Abroad in Korea: Adventures in Early Korean History and Archaeology
This course, taught by Harvard instructor Mark Byington and offered in cooperation with Ewha University in Seoul, surveys the early history of Korea from the perspectives of written history and archaeology, and explores the relationship between those disciplines and the process of identity formation. Students examine Korea’s history and archaeology as a means to contextualize and give scholarly relevance to current political and social issues. The course features several excursions to historical sites, including active excavations and museum restoration labs. Prerequisites: none.
KORE S-Ba Study Abroad in Korea: Elementary Korean
This course is designed for students who have no prior knowledge of Korean. The objective of the course is to equip students with communicative skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing at a basic level. Students learn how to express simple ideas such as identities, locations, time, daily activities, weekend plan, desires; combine simple ideas in a variety of ways; and become familiar with various aspects of Korean culture, history, and daily life. Prerequisites: none.
KORE S-120a Study Abroad in Korea: Intermediate Korean
KORE S-120a is designed for students who have already taken elementary Korean (Ba) or students who have an equivalent proficiency level. This course aims to increase their ability to communicate in Korean in a wide range of daily life situations with an equal focus on expanding their knowledge of the fundamental grammar of Korean. Students are introduced to reading materials of increasing complexity on a variety of topics in modern Korean society and culture. Prerequisites: elementary Korean.
KORE S-140a Study Abroad in Korea: Advanced Korean
KORE S-140a is designed to provide students with greater reading skills and socio-cultural knowledge of Korean beyond the high-intermediate level. They develop skills in reading authentic materials from contemporary Korean media and fiction, and aural comprehension of contemporary television documentaries, news, and drama with decreased reliance on pedagogical aids. It also aims to enhance their speaking and writing skills to discuss various issues of modern Korean society and culture. Prerequisites: intermediate Korean.
Course credit
For Harvard College students, this program counts as two half-year courses (4 credits each) of degree credit. KORE S-Ba, S-120a, and S-140a may provide credit toward the foreign language citation; students interested in this option should confer with Sang-suk Oh. KORE S-133 satisfies the Foreign Cultures Core requirement.
Transfer credit. Harvard Summer School courses and credits are accepted toward degrees at most colleges and universities. Since degree requirements vary among schools, students are advised to obtain transfer credit approval from their home institutions before registering for Harvard Summer School courses.
Faculty
Mark Byington, Project Director, Early Korea Project, and Research Associate in the Korea Institute, Harvard University
Sang-suk Oh, Senior Preceptor in Korean and Director of the Korean Language Program, Harvard University
Korean language faculty from Ewha Womans University
Application
Students must be at least 18 years old to apply. The application materials, outlined below, are due February 27:
- An application form (applications for this program are no longer being accepted)
- Official transcripts (sent directly from schools to the address below; unofficial copies of transcripts are accepted for Harvard College students only)
- A $50 nonrefundable application fee
- A supplementary statement describing interest in the program, relevant coursework, and travel experience abroad (not a prerequisite)
Applications should be addressed as follows:
Matilda West
Study Abroad Coordinator
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
Students will be notified of admission decisions by mid-March.
Cost
The cost of the program is $5,775, plus a nonrefundable $50 application fee. In addition, students are responsible for a health insurance fee ($165; waived if students have US insurance that provides coverage outside the United States) and for transportation to and from Seoul. The cost of the program covers the following:
- Tuition
- Room and some meals
- All course materials
- All scheduled excursions and extracurricular activities
Program directors will advise students of likely additional expenses.
Payment deadlines
Harvard Summer School online services allows accepted students to make payments or deposits with a valid credit card.
Students can also mail their payment, along with a completed Study Abroad Payment Form (available in Forms), to:
Student Financial Services
Harvard Summer School
51 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
For those admitted to the program, a nonrefundable deposit of $578 must be received by April 15 to secure a place in the program. Payment in full is due by May 15. A $100 late fee will be charged for payments received after this date.
Funding
Harvard College students are eligible for funding through the Harvard College Office of International Programs (OIP), as well as a variety of centers around campus. All Harvard Summer School study abroad programs qualify for summer funding. Programs of eight weeks or longer in duration (including extensions of Harvard Summer School Programs approved by faculty members) qualify for Rockefeller International Experience Grants; programs of shorter duration qualify for other summer grants.
Students may consult the Funding Sources Database for more information on all sources of funding. Please note that the funding application deadline for summer grants and Rockefeller International Experience Grants is February 27.
To apply for any study abroad funding, students need to provide information about the program’s budget, submit an application through the Common Application for Research and Travel (CARAT), as well as supplementary documents to the relevant center, if necessary. Additional information on the funding application process is available through CARAT.
Also see the Harvard College Financial Aid Office summer school page for information about assistance.
Other Harvard students may be eligible for financial assistance through their Harvard financial aid offices. Students enrolled at other institutions should consult their respective financial aid offices.
Accommodations
Students stay in coed dormitories at a host university in Seoul. All rooms are doubles and include breakfast.
Additional information
Contact Susan Laurence, Susan_Laurence@harvard.edu; (617) 384-7388; fax (617) 496-1144.
Students with disabilities should contact the disability services coordinator as soon as possible: (617) 495-0977, (617) 495-9419 (TTY), or disabilities@dcemail.harvard.edu. Request-for-accommodation forms and supporting diagnostic documentation must be submitted by April 15. See the Disability Services page for more information about disability services, including request forms and guidelines for documentation.
Students applying for admission to Harvard’s study abroad programs should understand that although the University provides reasonable assistance and support to facilitate the participation of qualified students in its programs (including students with disabilities and health impairments), some of our programs are located in parts of the world where accommodations may not be readily available. Students are encouraged to be forthcoming with the disability services coordinator about any specific needs and functional limitations so that the Summer School can collaborate with those students in a way that fosters their safe participation and allows them to fully appreciate any barriers that they may face, depending on the location and rigors of the particular program.
Harvard Summer School is aware of the risks associated with international travel. Should the US Department of State issue a travel warning for any of the countries in which a study abroad program is planned, the program in that country may be canceled.