The Graduate School of Education at Handong Global University offers a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Curriculum and Instruction for educators who wish to grow professionally with a Christian perspective. From the 2027 entering class, all courses are taught 100% in English.

Applications: 9 November 2026 (Mon) 09:00 – 25 November 2026 (Wed) 17:00 KST, online via Google Form.

Admissions schedules, tuition, and scholarship details are updated on the Graduate School of Education website. Please check the latest information before applying.

• All times are Korea Standard Time (KST, UTC+9).
• The schedule may be changed by decision of the Admissions Committee; applicants will be notified individually.

• ACSI: Association of Christian Schools International. IBEC: International Baccalaureate Educator Certificate.
• International applicants are admitted outside the enrollment quota, up to 10 students. The combined intake of Korean and international students is capped at 25. Where fewer than 15 Korean students are admitted, the remaining places may be filled by additional international students (for example, if 7 Korean students are admitted, up to 18 international students may be admitted). The number of Korean students never exceeds 15.
• Both tracks award the same degree (Master of Education). The ACSI and IBEC certifications are optional and are conferred separately on those who elect to obtain them.
• This Graduate School is an institution for the continuing education of in-service teachers. Neither the degree nor any of the tracks leads to the issuance of a Korean national teaching certificate.

• The track is confirmed at the time of admission. A student who wishes to change tracks must meet the eligibility requirements of the new track and obtain the approval of the Graduate School.

• Dual nationals who also hold Korean citizenship are not eligible to apply as international applicants.
• International applicants must also meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen track above, including the English proficiency requirement and the minimum score threshold.

All courses are delivered in English. Applicants must hold at least one of the following scores, obtained within the two years preceding the application deadline (taken on or after 26 November 2024):

• TOEFL iBT 72 or higher
• IELTS 5.5 or higher
• OPIc IM2 or higher
• TOEIC Speaking 130 (IM3) or higher

Applicants who fall under either of the following are exempt from submitting an English test score:
1) Those who earned a degree at a university located in an English-speaking country (the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, or South Africa).
2) Those who completed all coursework in English and earned a degree at a university where English is the medium of instruction. Such applicants must submit a Certificate of Medium of Instruction (MOI) issued by the institution, or a diploma or transcript stating that the medium of instruction was English.

• The Admissions Committee makes the final determination on exemptions and may require an English test score where the submitted documents are inconclusive.
• English proficiency is an eligibility requirement. Applicants who do not meet it by the application deadline are not eligible to apply.

• Applicants whose total score is below 60% of the 1,000-point total (600 points) are not admitted.
• English test scores are verified as an eligibility requirement only and are not scored.
• Undergraduate record: scored as twice the cumulative percentile grade (maximum 200 points). Where the transcript does not state a percentile, it is converted as follows: Percentile = 50 + (cumulative GPA ÷ maximum GPA) × 50, rounded to the nearest whole number. For transfer students, the average of the percentile grades from both institutions is used.
• Interview: conducted 100% online via Zoom, in English. Applicants must show photo identification on camera at the start of the interview, and must have a working camera and microphone and a stable internet connection. Interview times and Zoom access details are sent by e-mail after the application deadline.
• Tie-breaking: interview score, then undergraduate record, then teaching experience.
• Waiting list: applicants not initially admitted are placed on a waiting list in order of total score; vacancies arising from non-enrollment are filled in that order. Positions are not announced, and applicants are notified individually when a vacancy arises.

• Full-time teaching service at schools defined in Article 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and Article 2 of the Higher Education Act, and at educational administration, training and research institutions, is recognized. Teaching service at alternative schools and at regular schools abroad (including international schools) is also recognized. Kindergarten teaching service is not recognized.
• Service as a fixed-term teacher is recognized. Service as a full-time instructor (non-teaching) and at private academies is not recognized.
• Experience is calculated as of the application deadline (25 November 2026).

All documents must be uploaded through the online application form (Google Form). Documents are not accepted by mail or in person at the time of application. A Google account is required in order to upload files; if you do not have one, you may create one free of charge.

The numbers below correspond to the document numbers in the online application. Save each file as "Document Number. Full Name" (e.g., 1. John Doe).

Photo. ID photograph — passport-style, taken within the last 6 months, plain background. File name: "Photo. Full Name"
1. Personal Information Collection and Usage Agreement (Form 1; sign by hand, then scan or photograph and upload)
2. Self-Introduction (Form 2)
3. Official university transcript — must state the cumulative percentile grade. Transfer students: transcripts from both institutions. Applicants holding a graduate degree: graduate transcripts as well
4. Diploma or certificate of expected graduation — applicants expecting to graduate must submit the diploma by 24 February 2027
5. English proficiency test score report (if applicable; exempt applicants submit a diploma from a university in an English-speaking country, or a Certificate of Medium of Instruction)
6. Copy of teaching certificate (required for M.Ed. with IBEC; those expecting to obtain one submit it before enrollment)
7. Certificate of employment — must state the exact period of employment (start and end dates) and the employment type (permanent or fixed-term). Required for IBEC applicants and for any applicant reporting teaching experience
8. Copy of passport (international applicants; photo identification page). For category (1), also upload documents verifying both parents' nationality (copies of passports and proof of family relationship); for category (2), diplomas and proof of periods of attendance covering all education completed abroad. These may be uploaded together under Document 8 or sent to hdedu@handong.edu
9. Proof of application fee payment (all applicants)

• Certificates must have been issued within three months of the application deadline, and only documents issued in Korean or English are accepted.
• Where grades are reported as letters (A/B/C) or as Pass/Fail and cannot be converted, please also upload your university's official grading system.
• Where your personal details differ from those on a submitted document, please submit a document proving that they refer to the same person.

For applicants with degrees from universities outside Korea: Please upload apostilled copies of your diploma and transcript. For countries not party to the Hague Convention, consular authentication by a Korean diplomatic mission is required instead.

For technical issues or errors during the online application, please contact hdedu@handong.edu.

• Form 2 (Self-Introduction): you may write in Korean or English; English is recommended, as all courses are delivered in English from the 2027 entering class.
• Form 3 (Application for Refund of the Application Fee): not part of the application. Submit it by e-mail only if grounds for a refund arise.
• Form 1 (Personal Information Collection and Usage Agreement) is not provided as a separate file. It is included in the Admission Guidelines PDF — print the relevant page, sign by hand, then scan or photograph it and upload.

Admitted students must submit the originals of the uploaded documents by 17:00 on 24 February 2027, by registered mail or in person. The applicant bears the risk of loss in transit. Admission may be cancelled if the originals are not submitted.

Mailing address:
Graduate School Academic Affairs Team (Attn: Graduate School of Education)
Room 105, DLE Building, Handong Global University
558 Handong-ro, Heunghae-eup, Buk-gu, Pohang-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 37554, Republic of Korea

• Depositor name: enter "Edu" followed by the applicant's name (e.g., EduJane Smith). If your full name is long, your surname alone is sufficient (e.g., EduSmith). Applicants transferring from a Korean bank account may instead enter "교대" followed by their name in Korean (e.g., 교대홍길동). This account is shared with other graduate schools, so payments without this prefix may not be confirmed promptly.
• Specify 'OUR' as the charge option so that all sending, intermediary and receiving bank charges are borne by the sender and the full amount is received. If the amount received is short because of deducted charges, the shortfall must be paid.
• International transfers typically take 2–5 business days to arrive. Send your payment early enough to meet the application deadline, and keep the remittance receipt issued by your bank.
• After sending your payment, please e-mail hdedu@handong.edu with the date, amount and sender's name so that it can be identified promptly.
• The application fee is non-refundable, except in cases required by Korean law (overpayment in error, fault of the University, natural disaster, or documented hospitalization or death). Refunds are requested using Form 3, submitted by the date results are announced (28 December 2026).

• Tuition: KRW 2,954,000 per semester (subject to a possible increase in 2027), charged separately from the admission fee. The payment schedule and method for the first semester are announced individually.
• Scholarship: all new and continuing students in the master's program (Curriculum and Instruction) receive a study scholarship — 15% of tuition for Korean nationals and 30% for international students, applied as a reduction on the tuition invoice.
• The admission fee is payable during the enrollment period (4–6 January 2027). Failure to pay within that period is treated as a decision not to enroll.

• Duration: 4 semesters.
• Language of instruction: from the 2027 entering class, all courses are delivered in English.
• Online classes during the semester: every Tuesday at 19:00 KST, running for one to two hours depending on the course. Individual instructors may vary this.
• On-campus intensive sessions: twice a year (summer, July–August; winter, January), each lasting 10 days at Handong Global University in Pohang (three days per course, Sundays excluded). Attendance is mandatory. Students bear their own travel and accommodation costs.
• Degree requirements: 28 credits, a cumulative grade average of 3.0 or higher, and completion of the Educational Project. The program does not require a master's thesis.
• Degree conferred: Master of Education (Curriculum and Instruction) — the same for both tracks.
• Certification: the ACSI and IBEC certifications are optional. Students who wish to obtain either must meet the requirements set by the awarding body.
  – ACSI: students with no classroom teaching experience at an elementary, middle or high school must complete a 200-hour field practicum (supervision fee of KRW 100,000, payable by the student). Recognized experience is teaching classes at a public, private or alternative school; both permanent and fixed-term positions count, while experience at private academies does not. Whether a student is exempt is determined by the Graduate School on the basis of the teaching experience declared in the application and the certificate of employment, and is confirmed at the time of enrollment.
  – IBEC: the student teaching practicum completed as part of obtaining a teaching certificate satisfies this requirement, so no additional field practicum is required.
  – Students who complete the M.Ed. degree alone are not required to undertake a field practicum.
• The curriculum is subject to change. Updates will be posted on the Graduate School of Education website.

Students may stay in the Handong Global University dormitory during the on-campus intensive sessions.

• A quadruple room is assigned only where three or more students share it. Where fewer than three apply, students may be reassigned to a single or double room, and the rate for that room type applies.
• Application and payment instructions are announced individually before each session. Dormitory fees are paid in advance by bank transfer to the same account used for the application fee, with the depositor name entered as "Edu" (or "교대") followed by the student's name.
• Bank transfer fees are the student's responsibility.

The program combines online classes during the semester with short on-campus intensive sessions during vacations. It therefore does not qualify for a D-2 student visa. Entry for the on-campus sessions is made under a visa waiver (K-ETA) or a short-term visit (C-3-1) visa. Visa requirements differ by nationality; applicants must confirm them in advance with the Korean diplomatic mission with jurisdiction over their place of residence.

• On request, the Graduate School issues a certificate of admission, a class schedule, an invitation letter and other documents needed for a visa application.
• Attendance and grading rules apply in the same way even where a student is unable to attend an on-campus session because a visa was not issued or entry was refused.

A member of the Admissions Committee or an interview panel must report to the Chair and recuse themselves from evaluating an applicant where the member or their spouse is a relative of the applicant within the fourth degree of kinship; where the member or their spouse has taught the applicant within the past three years, at a school, a private institute or in private tutoring; or where the member judges that any other special relationship exists that could call the fairness of the evaluation into question.

An applicant who is aware of such a relationship with a member of the University's faculty or staff may inform the Academic Affairs Team at hdedu@handong.edu. No disadvantage results from doing so.

• Applications are accepted only through the online form. After the deadline, applications may not be withdrawn or amended. The applicant bears responsibility for any disadvantage arising from errors, omissions or unsubmitted documents.
• An application from an ineligible applicant will be rejected. Where admission or enrollment is found to have been obtained by improper means, including false statements in the application or forged or altered documents, the admission or enrollment will be cancelled, whether before or after enrollment.
• Admission may also be cancelled if the original documents are not submitted or do not match the uploaded copies.
• Submitted documents will not be returned, and evaluation content and scores are not disclosed.
• Admitted students must cooperate with the verification of their academic records. Admission and enrollment may be cancelled where verification cannot be completed.
• Where an applicant fails to attend the interview for personal reasons, the application fee is not refunded.
• Admitted students must complete enrollment within the designated period; otherwise, admission will be cancelled.
• A general leave of absence is not permitted in the first semester, except for military service, pregnancy, childbirth, or childcare.
• All admissions notices, including interview schedules and Zoom access information, will be sent to the email address entered in the application form. Applicants should check their email regularly and notify the Academic Affairs Team immediately of any change of contact details. The Graduate School is not responsible for any disadvantage caused by incorrect contact information or failure to check emails.
• Matters not specified in these guidelines are determined by the Admissions Committee of the Graduate School of Education.
• This Graduate School is an institution for the continuing education of in-service teachers. It does not issue a Korean national teaching certificate and confers only the M.Ed. degree.
• These admissions guidelines were originally written in Korean and translated into English. In case of any discrepancy, the Korean version prevails.

• Graduate School of Education, Academic Affairs Team (Room 105, DLE Building)
• Tel: +82-54-260-1204 / Fax: +82-54-260-1209
• Email: hdedu@handong.edu
• International applicants are encouraged to contact us by email.