Chung-Ang University

Chung-Ang University (CAU) is a prestigious university in South Korea with two campuses, one in Anseong and another in Seoul.  As of 2011, the two campuses have unified to merge overlapping departments and administrative activities. CAU now has 50 departments and 13 colleges in its integrated schools, split between the two campuses. The university has over 30,000 students, out of which, over 2,000 are international students.

School’s Main Website | International / Exchange Student Website

Minimum GPA requirement: 

English language proficiency: TOEFL CBT Test 197 points or TOPIK Level 3 (or equivalent)

Language of instruction:

Korean, English

Flying Chalks’ tip: Do note that even for classes indicated as being taught in English, professors may choose to teach in Korean instead for various reasons (own preference, cater to the English standards of Korean students etc). It is advisable to check out the classes at the start of the semester, and plan more course options as a backup plan. 

Courses:

• Regular Exchange Program

Students from CAU’s partner universities can study for a semester or a year, starting either in Spring or Fall. Students from non-partner universities can apply for exchange under the SOS CAU (Study One Semester or a Year at CAU) program, which offers the same program. CAU offers over 600 courses in English as part of their Student Exchange Program. You can view the list here.

If you’re interested in picking up the Korean language while you’re there, CAU’s Seoul Campus holds introductory courses, which you can browse here. There are also intermediate and advanced courses for students with prior knowledge of the language.

• International Summer Program

The CAU ISP operates in two sessions lasting 4 and 3 weeks. In Session I (June-July), you will have lectures on Korean Culture and Society, as well as take elective courses in Business, Social Sciences, Politics and Korean Language. In Session 2 (July-August), you can similarly learn about the Korean Culture and Society, but also focus on learning Korean Language. Check here for more information!

• International Winter Program

The IWP lasts for 2.5 weeks from mid-January to early-February. Its structure is similar to that of Session II of the ISP, with Korean Language classes and Korean Culture and Society lectures. Check here for more information!

Course registration process:

Online registration on “Campus” takes place 3 weeks before the start of the semester.

For more information, check here!

Exchange students will first have to submit an online application, then submit the relevant documents, including the online application form, academic transcripts and a nomination letter from their home university’s international office. For more information, check here!

Flying Chalks’ tip: As Korean websites tend to require certain plug-ins not used in other parts of the world, it would be good to use Internet Explorer which supports these plug-ins. Browsers like Google Chrome or Firefox may not support the plug-ins needed for the websites to run. 

Attendance policy:

Your attendance at classes makes up a component of your academic grade, in addition to performance on tests and class participation.

Campus map:

The CAU campus map can be found here!

Selected facilities:

• Library: Both the Seoul Campus and the Anseong Campus have large libraries with seating capacities of over 2,000. For more information such as opening hours, click here.

Flying Chalks’ tip: Do note that you will have to reserve a seat at the library using ticketing machines! You will be issued a ticket stub with your seat reservation and duration on it. You can renew your reservation up to 3 times, and must ‘return’ the seat when you are done. Some reading rooms have free seating after a certain time period, which will also be stated on the ticket stub.

• Office of Student Affairs: Organises major campus events and activities, arranges volunteer sessions, provides information on administrative affairs (loans, grants, scholarships, etc.)
• Sports Facilities: The Seoul campus features a large basketball court area which includes a foot volleyball court. In close proximity to that is an open field for sports and other activities. There is also an indoor gymnasium located in the Faculty Office Building next to the Sports Field.

Food on campus:

The Seoul campus has cafeterias located in:

• Student Union Hall
• College of Engineering
• College of Natural Sciences
• College of Medicine

The Anseong campus has cafeterias located in:

• Student Social Centre
• College of Engineering
• Opposite the Library

Both campuses also have snack bars, as well as student lounges for students to relax and hang out.

Campus transportation:

Shuttle buses run between both campuses in Seoul and Anseong. The journey takes around 1.5 hours. Within each campus, you can easily get around on foot. 

Orientation program:

CAU holds a one-day orientation for incoming exchange students every semester. The orientation covers administrative matters and also serves to inform students about activities and events they can take part in.

Buddy program:

CAU Global Ambassador

CAU runs a Global Ambassadors program, featuring students who are enthusiastic about global exchange. They act as buddies and advisors for exchange students, facilitating cultural and information exchange. Your buddy will meet you at the airport as part of the International Office’s airport pick-up service, and will help you get adjusted to life in Korea.

Student clubs:

CAU has over 100 student clubs and societies on offer. The list can be found here (though it’s in Korean!), and you can also check out this blogpost by the CAU Office of International Affairs for tips from other exchange students.

Flying Chalks’ tip: It will be extremely beneficial if you are able to read and/or converse in Korean as the language barrier is rather high. You may find it challenging to enter the “inner circle” of Korean students and be lost in project group discussions if you do not even understand basic Korean phrases. 

University events:

CAU’s International Centre organises field trips and cultural activities for international students. Students can explore the famous sights of Korea as well as try out Korean traditional activities such as ceramics, Taekwondo and trying on the Hanbok (Korean traditional dress).

CAURIVAL

CAURIVAL is an annual festival by Chung-Ang featuring exciting activities and games, as well as performances by famous Korean celebrities.

Flying Chalks’ tip: It will be extremely beneficial if you are able to read and/or converse in Korean as the language barrier is rather high. You may find it challenging to enter the “inner circle” of Korean students and be lost in project group discussions if you do not even understand basic Korean phrases. 

Heukseok-dong, where CAU is located, is a quiet area in the middle of busy Seoul. The landscape is hilly, but you’re able to catch amazing views of Seoul from the vantage points on high ground.   

For food:

There are numerous small shops around the area of CAU, serving delicious food that caters to the student budget.  

Flying Chalks’ recommendations:

• Haerang Chobab (해랑초밥): affordable but tasty Japanese food
• Kkotsura (꽃수라): for comforting, home-cooked Korean food
• Heaven & Nature: in Sangdo Station, this restaurant serves food grilled on a hot plate. Not to miss is the Swiss-style melted raclette on bread!
• Sungmin Yangkkochi (성민양꼬치): Grilled skewers and sharing plates near Seoul National University
• Nae-Jjim-Dak (내찜닭): A place specialising in jjimdak – marinated and simmered chicken with vegetables – perfect food on a cold day out
• Heukseok Market (흑석시장): an outdoor market where you can get a taste of local Korea – there are stalls selling food as well as other Korean trinkets

Flying Chalks’ tip: If you can read Korean, you can try using the main search engine in Korea, Naver, to search for information. It will serve you much better in Korea than Google will. To look for recommended food places around, get a friend who can read Korean to translate or get a local to bring you around!

For nightlife and entertainment:

You can easily find No-Rae-Bangs (Korean-style singing rooms), bars and PC Gaming shops all within a stone’s throw distance from one another.

Flying Chalks’ recommendations:

• Hongdae is a place famed for its nightlife and entertainment. It mainly caters to the younger, hipster crowd.
• Gangnam is another place famed for its nightlife and entertainment, which also received global recognition when Korean artiste Psy’s MV “Gangnam Style” went viral. As compared to Hongdae, it mainly caters to the working and more sophisticated crowd. 
• For those looking for a nightlife and entertainment area that features a more international crowd, Itaewon will be the place for you!  

For daily necessities and groceries:

For daily necessities and groceries, there is a large E-Mart near the Heukseok Station, as well as numerous small convenience stores (CU, GS25, 7-Eleven) in and around campus.

Other large supermarket chains in Korea include: Lotte, HomePlus and Costco.

Flying Chalks’ tip: In Korea, stores charge for plastic bags where the fee can be quite high in some! Hence, do bring along your own shopping bag or carrier to buy groceries. 

For shopping:

Flying Chalks’ recommendation:

• “Express Bus Terminal” is a highly popular place amongst locals and foreigners alike for shopping. The underground shopping features hundreds of shops with products at affordable prices. Having said that, you can always bargain for better prices!
• Dongdaemun is another highly popular shopping haven where you can literally shop till dawn! For serious shoppers, it is near impossible to finish the entire shopping area even in one full day :O

The nearest subway stations to CAU are Sangdo Station (Line 7) and Heukseok Station (Line 9). Downtown Seoul is a 30-minute subway ride away. For information on bus services, check here. 

Getting from Incheon airport to Yonsei University:

Airport Pickup Service

CAU’s International Office provides airport pick-up for exchange students from Incheon International Airport the weekend before the start of semester. Students from the same home university are expected to arrive on the same flight, and the pickup service is to be arranged through your home university’s International Office.

By Limousine Bus

The limousine bus offers a comfortable and relatively inexpensive ride to various places, including that of Seoul.  Passengers can get information about its services and ticketing at the following ticket booths located outside the airport’s Arrival floor:

• Exit 4 and 9 (indoors)
• Exit 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, and 9C (outdoors)

Directions: Board the limousine bus numbered 6012 and get off at the Heukseok-dong stop. CAU is a 10-minute walk from the bus stop. The fare costs around KRW $10,000.

For more information, visit:

http://www.airport.kr/pa/en/d/3/1/1/index.jsp  http://www.airportlimousine.co.kr/eng/lbr/lbr02_1.php

By Taxi

Taxi is by far the most convenient way of getting from the airport to the campus (especially when you have lots of luggage) but is also the most expensive. You can get a taxi outside the Arrival Hall of the airport.

The fare of a regular taxi to Chung-Ang University is approximately KRW $70,000.