Korean Studies Study Program

Since the winter semester of 2025, the Centre for East Asian Studies at Heidelberg University has offered students completing their BA in East Asian Studies the opportunity to choose Korea as a specialisation – either as a major (50%) or a minor (25%), the latter with a focus either on language or subject-specific content. The Korean Studies degree programme focusses on providing well-rounded and practical language training in modern Korean. In addition to intensive language courses, the programme also provides students with a thorough, academic grasp of topics relating to modern Korean society, culture, politics, and economy, as well as the larger East Asian regional context in which these phenomena are situated.

Please note that, as all undergraduate programmes at Heidelberg University, the Korean Studies programme is conducted primarily in German, and prospective international students will have to provide proof of sufficient German language skills (at a level of DSH-2 or higher) in order to be eligible to enrol. More information on the language requirements for international students at Heidelberg University can be found on the university website. 

In the framework of our Korean Studies programme, we offer structured language training in modern Korean, designed to prepare students to pass the international Korean proficiency test TOPIK at Level 4 or above. Upon successful completion of their coursework, students will be equipped with sophisticated communication skills, including interpretive listening and reading, as well as presentations in both speaking and writing.