While universities are creating international student-only departments, Gachon University went even bigger — launching a college just for international students with designated professors ready to provide support.
Gachon University used to operate the Department of Global Liberal Arts and the Department of Korean Studies for its international student-only undergraduate programs, but added six more departments to create the International College in December 2024, accepting its inaugural students in spring 2025.
On top of the existing two international student-only departments, the six new departments under the International College are the Department of Business Administration, Department of Media and Communication, Department of Tourism Management, Department of Psychology, Department of Computer Engineering and Department of Korean Language Education.
One semester has passed since the new college was created, and its support measures have been popular with many students. One way the university helps students is through its international student faculty advisers, with one adviser designated for each department within the International College.
The advisers are the department's professors, but they also reserve time to offer academic consultations to students. They meet with students around once a month, checking in on the students' studies and seeing if they need any help.
"When our students face difficulties, we offer a two-track support system," said Kim Sang-hyuck, dean of the International College. "First, we have our counseling professors at the Gachon International Center who provide personal counseling in cases like when students feel homesick."
"On the academic side and issues relevant to the students' department, we designated international student faculty advisers for each department that meet with students, talk to them over a meal and offer guidance."
Hsu Wai Htet, a Burmese student who enrolled at the International College's Department of Korean Language Education starting this fall semester, also mentioned that supportive professors were one of the reasons she chose her program.
"The tuition was cheaper compared to other universities, and I know some of the people who came to study here earlier than me and they said the professors were very kind and offered a lot of support," said Hsu Wai Htet.
She also studied Korean at the Gachon University's Korean Language Education Center, and wanted to learn from the university's Korean language professors, well-known for publishing various Topik textbooks.
Through various types of support, there have been many students enrolling despite the International College still being in its early stages. A total of 580 students enrolled in the college for the spring 2025 semester, and around 600 students enrolled for fall 2025.
The university expects similar figures going forward, with around 1,000 freshmen expected to enroll into the college every year.
Why Gachon University decided to expand its international student-only programs and create the International College is simple. The university had over 4,000 international students in its various undergraduate programs, and saw the need to create a bigger administrative system that can manage the large number of students more effectively.
"As the number of our international students has increased significantly, we felt that bringing them together under one college rather than having them spread across different departments would allow us to effectively provide better education and close-knit support," said Kim.
When preparing to create the International College, the six departments newly added to the college were chosen based on student demand as well as which majors attract a lot of international students.
While the curriculum of the International College's programs are similar to the general business administration, psychology or computer engineering programs that both Korean and international students can apply for, professors of the International College do try to keep in mind that they are teaching international students in Korean and should alter their pace accordingly.
Kim also says the change allows more international students to get scholarships.
"We have the GPA and Topik scholarships for our international students, but it can be challenging for the students to get GPA scholarships in Korean-taught programs, as many universities follow a relative grading system," said Kim. "But in a college with international students, there are can be more opportunities for the students to get the GPA scholarship."
"That said, if a student prefers to take classes with Korean students and feels confident doing so, they can make that choice."
One way to do it is by enrolling in the International College's Department of Global Liberal Arts.
Global Liberal Arts is an undecided major program that allows students to choose their major from departments across Gachon University in their sophomore year, taking classes with students outside the International College if they wish. The only exception is that certain majors, such as nursing, dental hygiene and art, are not available.
For some departments, students are also given the flexibility to choose whether they want to learn in Korean or English.
While the International College's departments are taught in Korean, the Department of Business Administration and Department of Computer Engineering allow students to either enroll in the Korean Track or the English Track, depending on the language they prefer to study in.
"Business administration and computer engineering are representative fields of study for humanities and STEM, and those are fields that both Korean and international students show interest in," said Kim. "English skills are critical for students to showcase their talent on the global stage, so the two departments allow students to study in English and grow into individuals who can communicate and collaborate in environments that use English."
However, this doesn't mean that the university puts less focus on helping students develop Korean proficiency.
Apart from electives or courses in one's major, many International College students also take Korean language courses throughout their freshman year.
Korean Track freshmen with Topik Level 3 or lower have to take Korean language courses for a year, with English Track freshmen also having to take courses for one semester. Courses on Korean reading, listening, writing and speaking skills are also offered in different levels, with students assigned to classes based on their Topik or Gachon Korean Language Test scores.
Although Korean Track students with Topik Level 4 or above aren't required to take Korean courses, many still choose to sign up and polish their Korean.
"It's not about getting a high Topik score, and many students actually feel the need to learn practical Korean that will help them with their studies and navigate life in Korea," said Kim. "So, a lot of students choose to take Korean courses even though it is optional for them, and we also hope our students will choose to do so."
That is also the case for Hsu Wai Htet, who is taking a Korean speaking course this semester despite already having Topik Level 5.
There's also some room for fun in her schedule, such as a taekwondo class she registered for as an elective.
Likewise, the International College also aims to allow students to enjoy campus life outside of studies. The college has various student clubs in sports and K-pop dance, with Gachon University also arranging camping trips that its entire international student body can sign up for.
As the International College is growing bigger, the university is also planning to listen to the opinions of international students when choosing which K-pop artists will perform at its festivals.
Although it has only been a little over six months since the International College has opened, there is still much more planned for students.
While the college just has two English Track offerings, the university is considering creating more English-taught departments for students that feel more comfortable studying in English.
The university is also open to adding more departments if students wish. Another possible expansion is adding an international student-only graduate program.
"Whether it's in STEM, natural sciences or humanities, we are open to the possibility of expanding our offerings in the academic fields that students prefer," said Kim. "Our goal is to become a leading higher education model, proactively working to create new methods that help integrate international students and offer better support."
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