Eligibility Criteria For AKS Graduate Fellowship 2025

Are you wondering if you can get the AKS Graduate Fellowship for 2025. This is a non-degree program. It is for a six month research stay at GSKS. This short guide explains all the requirement in very easiest way. It tells you who qualifies based on nationality and education. It lists which student statuses are allowed (Master’s enrolled, Doctoral enrolled, or Master’s ABD only). Read the complete eligibility guide below.

Quick Summary (who qualifies)

You are eligible as of 1 September 2025 if you meet all of the following:

1. Nationality / Education route
   • You are a foreign national, or you are Korean but completed all schooling outside Korea (elementary → university).
2. Academic status (choose one)
   • Enrolled in a Master’s program at an overseas university, or
   • Enrolled in a Doctoral program at an overseas university, or
   • ABD in a Master’s program (coursework finished; only dissertation pending) at an overseas university.
   • Not allowed: Doctoral ABD (explicitly ineligible).
3. Research topic
   • Your topic is about Korea / Korean Studies.

Extra notes that affect selection

• Korean language proficiency is preferred (it can help, but it’s not mandatory).
• If you were already an AKS Graduate Fellow, you cannot apply again.
• Seats: up to 5 fellows (if no suitable candidate, they can make no selection).

Why “as of 1 September 2025” matters

AKS checks eligibility at the start of the fellowship period.

• If your status changes after 1 Sep (e.g., you graduate), your eligibility check still uses 1 Sep 2025.
• Plan your enrollment letters and ABD proof to clearly show your status on or before that date.

Eligibility Criteria For AKS Graduate Fellowship 2025

Rule 1: Nationality & Education Route

You qualify if:

• You are not Korean, and you study at an overseas (non-Korean) university; or
• You are Korean, but you completed all schooling outside Korea (elementary, middle, high school, and university).

Examples

• ✅ Foreign national (any country), enrolled in a Master’s in Japan/USA/France, topic on Korean history.
• ✅ Korean citizen who studied in the UAE from grade 1 to university, now in a UK PhD program.
• ❌ Korean citizen who finished high school in Korea, then moved abroad for university only. (Not “all schooling outside Korea.”)

What to prepare as proof

• Passport (nationality)
• Transcripts / graduation records showing where you studied at each stage (Korean applicants must show all stages were outside Korea).

Rule 2: Academic Status

Eligible (pick one):

• Enrolled Master’s student at an overseas university
• Enrolled Doctoral student at an overseas university
• ABD (All But Dissertation) in a Master’s program at an overseas university

Ineligible:

• ABD in a Doctoral program (explicitly not eligible for this fellowship).

Why “overseas” matters

• “Overseas” means outside Korea. If you are enrolled at a Korean university, you do not meet the enrollment route for this specific graduate fellowship.

What counts as ABD (Master’s)?

• You finished all coursework and only the thesis/dissertation remains. Your school should issue an official letter or certificate stating ABD (Master’s).

Proof to prepare

• Enrollment certificate (Master’s/Doctoral) or a Master’s ABD certificate issued by your university. The document should name your program, status, and dates.

Rule 3: Research Topic in Korean Studies

Your proposal must clearly focus on Korean Studies (humanities or social sciences).
Typical areas: history, literature, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, religion, philosophy, politics, culture, media, diaspora, area studies, etc. Show how AKS resources (libraries/archives) fit your plan.

Good vs weak examples

• ✅ “Colonial-era legal reforms in Korea: analysis using AKS Jangseogak archives.”
• ✅ “Language shift among Korean diaspora communities.”
• ❌ “General East Asian politics (no specific Korean focus).”

Proof to prepare

• A 2–4 page research proposal with question, significance, methods, sources at AKS, and a 6-month timeline.

Additional Conditions That Affect Your Eligibility

• Korean proficiency is preferred (strong Korean helps your application, but it is not required).
• Past AKS Graduate Fellows are not eligible to re-apply. (If you held this same graduate fellowship before, you must not apply again.)

Seat Count & Competition

• Max 5 fellows in 2025.
• If no candidate meets the bar, AKS may select nobody.
  This means completeness and clarity of your eligibility and proposal matter a lot.

Print Friendly Checklist (tick all 7 to be safe)

• ☐ I meet the nationality/education route (foreign; or Korean with all schooling outside Korea).
• ☐ I am Master’s enrolled / Doctoral enrolled or Master’s ABD (at a non-Korean university). I am not Doctoral ABD.
• ☐ My topic is Korean Studies and I can name AKS resources I will use.
• ☐ I am eligible on 1 Sep 2025 (my documents show this status).
• ☐ I have not been an AKS Graduate Fellow before.
• ☐ I understand Korean skill helps but is not mandatory.
• ☐ I accept that only up to 5 fellows are chosen.

Proof You’ll Need

Upload clear PDFs. If a document is not in English/Korean, attach a certified translation.

1. Passport (identity & nationality)
2. Enrollment certificate (Master’s or Doctoral) or Master’s ABD letter
3. Transcripts (latest)
4. Research proposal (Korean-studies topic; 6-month plan; AKS resources)
5. Education history evidence (Korean applicants: proof you studied outside Korea for all stages)
6. Language certificate(s) (optional; Korean preferred)

Check out the complete list of AKS document from here.

Tips that prevent disqualification

• If you’re ABD, make sure the letter says “Master’s ABD”. Doctoral ABD is not allowed.
• Ensure the dates on your enrollment/ABD letter make you eligible on 1 Sep 2025.

FAQs

Why some “Almost Eligible” Applicants get rejected

• ABD letter says “Doctoral ABD” → ineligible (the rule is strict).
• Korean national without full overseas schooling → does not meet the Korean-applicant route.
• Vague topic with no clear Korea focus or AKS resources named.
• Documents don’t prove status as of 1 Sep 2025 (wrong dates).

One-Page “Yes/No” Table (print this)

Requirement	Yes	No	What to show
Foreign national or Korean with all schooling abroad	☐	☐	Passport; full education history (Korean applicants)
Master’s enrolled / Doctoral enrolled or Master’s ABD at overseas university	☐	☐	Enrollment/ABD certificate with dates
Not Doctoral ABD	☐	☐	Status letter (must not say Doctoral ABD) Graduate School of Korean Studies
Topic is Korean Studies & uses AKS resources	☐	☐	2–4 page proposal (methods, timeline, sources)
Eligible on 1 Sep 2025	☐	☐	Dates on letters match fellowship start
Never held AKS Graduate Fellowship before	☐	☐	Statement in application; records check
Korean language preferred (helpful, not required)	☐	☐	TOPIK/other language proof (optional)

Final Notes

• Everything here is taken from the official “Application guidelines for 2025 AKS Graduate Fellowship program” (GSKS site). It clearly lists: nationality/education route, allowed academic statuses, Doctoral-ABD exclusion, Korean-language preference, no re-apply for past Graduate Fellows, seat cap, and the “as of 1 Sep 2025”
• MOFA embassy notices repeat the same rules and confirm the period (Sep 1, 2025 – Feb 28, 2026), the application window, and the contact (grad_fellowship@aks.ac.kr).