International students looking to pursue postgraduate studies in South Korea can apply for the GIST Scholarship 2027, a fully funded programme at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology.

The scholarship is open to international students from all countries and covers tuition fees, monthly allowances, health insurance and a one-way flight to South Korea.

The application deadline is 7 October 2026 at 5pm KST.

What does the scholarship cover?

The GIST scholarship covers 100% of tuition fees, listed at 3,607,000 won per semester.

Selected students will also receive:

• A monthly stipend of 140,000 won for master’s students
• A monthly stipend of 295,000 won for PhD students
• A meal allowance of around 100,000 won
• An international student allowance of 120,000 won, subject to maintaining a GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.5
• Research assistantships of up to 6.4 million won per year for master’s students and 13.74 million won per year for PhD students
• Reimbursement for a one-way flight to South Korea
• Coverage of 60% of national health insurance, including an annual medical check-up

Students must complete at least nine credits in the previous semester to receive the student and meal allowances.

A one-time matriculation fee of 680,000 won is required at enrolment, although some students may qualify for a waiver.

Fields of study

GIST offers postgraduate programmes in a range of science and technology fields, including:

• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical and Robotics Engineering
• Environment and Energy Engineering
• Life Sciences
• Physics and Photon Science
• Chemistry
• Biomedical Science and Engineering
• AI Convergence
• Semiconductor Engineering
• AI Policy and Strategy

Who can apply?

Applicants must hold the required degree before enrolling at GIST. Master’s applicants must have a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a Korean bachelor’s degree.

Applicants must also:

• Be international students
• Have a strong academic record
• Meet the requirements of their chosen programme
• Demonstrate English-language proficiency

GIST’s programmes are taught in English.

English-language requirement

Applicants can demonstrate English proficiency through one of the following scores:

• TOEFL iBT: 80
• TOEFL PBT: 550
• IELTS: 6.5
• TOEIC: 750
• New TEPS: 285

Applicants who cannot obtain a test result before the application deadline may submit an official certificate from their previous university confirming that English was the language of instruction.

Applicants with a bachelor’s degree or higher from Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK or the US may be exempt from the English-language requirement, subject to GIST’s approval.

Required documents

Applicants need to submit:

• Online application
• Official degree certificates and academic transcripts
• Two recommendation letters
• Passport copy
• English-language proficiency certificate or test result

Degree certificates and transcripts should preferably be apostilled or certified by the relevant Korean embassy.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online through GIST’s international admissions system.

Applicants should select their preferred programme, complete the application form and submit all required documents before the deadline. Fields that do not apply should be marked “NA” rather than left blank.

Admission results are expected to be announced by 4 December 2026.

Deadline

7 October 2026, 5pm KST

The scholarship is available for master’s, PhD and integrated master’s-PhD programmes at GIST in South Korea.