Korean Studies PhD

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Although not mandatory, you will be encouraged to take on an internship in either the UK or South Korea.

Potential partners may include the East Asia Institute, Asan Institute for Policy Studies, Seoul National University Asia Centre and the Yun Posun Democracy institute in South Korea.

As a PhD student, you may be actively involved in organising international events such as conferences and workshops hosted by Korean Studies.

During the programme you will also have the opportunity to attend professional development events and training, aiming to equip you with research and other transferable skills.

This programme includes optional training on research skills, methods and problems.

Between the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC), the Careers Service and the Institute for Academic Development (IAD), you will find a further range of programmes and resources to help you develop your postgraduate skills.

You will also have access to the University’s fantastic libraries, collections and worldwide strategic partnerships.

Part of a community

As part of our research community, you will be immersed in a world of knowledge exchange, with lots of opportunities to share ideas, learning and creative work.

Activities range from a regular seminar series in Asian Studies (with talks by staff, research students and visiting speakers) to the Korean Film Festival, and year-round screenings and workshops.

We play a key role in the yearly symposium held in honour of Edinburgh alumnus Yun Posun, bringing together leading scholars from South Korea, Europe and beyond.

Our graduates tell us that they value LLC’s friendliness, the connections they make here and the in-depth guidance they receive from our staff, who are published experts in their field.

Based in the Main University Library, the Centre for Research Collections is unique in the UK, bringing together a collection of more than 400,000 rare books, six kilometres of archives and manuscripts, and the University’s collections of art, historical musical instruments and other objects.

Notable collections include the East Asian Studies Collection of some 50,000 print and digital resources, including a dedicated Korea Collection supported by the Korea Foundation. The University of Edinburgh has one of the largest collections of East Asian digital resources in the UK and Europe.

Discover more about resources and facilities in Asian Studies at the University of Edinburgh

As a PhD candidate here, you will be based at the heart of the University of Edinburgh in a world-leading festival city with a thriving East Asian cultural scene.

Many important collections are a short walk from our buildings, including those in the National Library, Museum, and Galleries of Scotland.

You will acquire an interdisciplinary understanding of the major issues in Korean society, politics, culture, economy and international relations, and history and will be able to relate those to broader social, political and economic trends in the East Asian region and globally. Drawing on different analytical and methodological tools, you will be able to engage various disciplinary and theoretical perspectives and apply concepts to empirical cases.

You will gain the necessary knowledge and skills to analyse, compare and assess competing claims and make informed judgements about them. You will additionally gain transferable skills, including analysis presentation, communication, the use of new technologies in a learning environment, and team work.

Having acquired the tools to analyse and understand the complexities of the two Koreas and East Asian relations in a global context, you could apply your skills in professional areas, such as diplomacy, national and international organisations, and research institutions.

If you choose to pursue a career in an alternative field, you will find the skills you gain in research, communication, presentation and analysis will give you an edge in the competitive employment marketplace.

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

A UK 2:1 honours degree and a masters degree, or their international equivalents, in a related subject. We may also consider your application if you have equivalent qualifications or experience; please check with the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC) before you apply.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 65 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 7 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money

  • taking out a loan

  • family support

• personal savings

• income from work

• employer sponsorship

• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Featured funding

For entry in September 2025 or January 2026, we hope to offer one student on our Korean Studies PhD programme a prize of up to £5,000.

We also hope to offer additional prizes to two students (PhD or MSc) of £3,000 each.

These prizes have been made possible by the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS).

You do not need to apply for these prizes. For 2025 entry, it is likely that all eligible candidates who apply for the Korean Studies PhD programme by 5 May 2025 will be considered. If you are offered a prize for 2025 entry, we hope to advise you by the end of July 2025. Details to follow for January 2026 entry.

Other funding opportunities

There are a number of other scholarship schemes available to eligible candidates on this PhD programme, including awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Please be advised that many scholarships have more than one application stage, and early deadlines.

• Find out more about scholarships in literatures, languages and cultures

We will also make prospective applicants and enrolled students aware of other available funding opportunities as they arise.

Typically, these include scholarship options from the Korea Foundation, SK Foundation, Asan Foundation and the Samsung Foundation.

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding