Busan University of Foreign Studies

Busan University of Foreign Studies (BUFS) is a private Christian university in Busan, South Korea. BUFS specializes in the teaching of foreign languages. It is ranked top in terms of overseas employment rate in Korea from 2013 to 2015. The BUFS family includes some 12,200 students, amongst which about 1% are foreign students. BUFS aims to cultivate global leaders to take the lead in accelerating the globalization of Korea. 

School’s Main Website (In English) | International / Exchange Student Website 

GPA requirement:

2.5/4.5

Language of instruction:

Korean(Main), English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, Arabic and Portugese for the language courses 

Flying Chalks’ tip: There are many native speakers of each language in the university. However, it is generally in conversation classes do students speak with native speakers in the native language. In the other classes, Korean professors teach students.

Courses:

Language courses

Busan University of Foreign Studies is one of the two universities well known for its language courses in Korea!

Flying Chalk’s tip: You do not need to worry about the level of proficiency you choose for the classes as there will be a diagnostic test in the first week of the semester to allocate you to the respective class. 

Course registration process:

Registration for courses is via the Fastest-Fingers-First system on the start of the application date. Do note that the course registration website is in Korean and may prove daunting should you not be well-versed in the language.

Flying Chalks’ tips:

• Most exchange students had their buddies bid the courses for them!
• In most Korean universities, professors have the authority to accept students into their class even though it might appear as fully enrolled on the university’s online course registration system. All you have to do is to fill up a form, have the professor’s approval to register for the course, and submit it to the Academic Office.
• While professors are usually more understanding towards exchange students’ demands, do not bet all your hopes on it!
• 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. 

Campus map:
Busan University of Foreign Studies campus map can be found here!

Selected facilities:

Library Facilities:

• Library Café
• Computer Rooms
• Media Reference Rooms
• Study Areas and Rooms
• Seminar Rooms
• Internet Zone

There are also athletic facilities in the university:

• Gymnasium
• Dance Practice Room

Food on campus:

The place most students go to for their meals would be the food court. There, you can find dishes such as rice, pizza, spaghetti, pork cutlet, hamburger, and fried chicken etc.

Flying Chalks’ recommendations:

• 신전떡볶이 (Spicy stir-friend rice cakes)
• 밀크밥버거 (Rice burger with Korean side dishes)
• 맘스터치 (Korean version of KFC)
• BUFS피자 (Pizza) 

Campus transportation:

There are two modes of transportations on campus. One is a free shuttle bus service that ferries students around the campus. It takes about 20 minutes to get from one end of the university to the other. The second is a shuttle bus service. It takes 40minutes from the GU-SEU (구서) station to BUFS, and would cost you KRW $1,300. 

Orientation program:

You will be welcomed to the school through a 2D1N orientation program. The program will include both the formal academic and administrative briefings, as well as a more fun element with games and performances during the program to facilitate networking and interaction between students. 

Buddy program:

Busan University of Foreign Studies has a center for International Affairs. Students who would like to be attached to a buddy during their time at the university should visit the center to apply for this buddy program. The local students are friendly and would be happy to show you around the school. Once the application period for the buddy program opens, or should there be any events for inbound students, the school will inform the students through SMS. 

Student clubs:

아리스타타 (Aristata) means beautiful flower in Greek and is one of the most popular student groups in BUFS! It organizes campus tours, department introductions and events for the student body. 

University events:

BUFS organizes a huge university event annually where the school will invite famous K-pop stars and DJs for a fun-filled day. Adding to the atmosphere, each department would run a booth and sell food prepared by the students themselves.

BUFS’s main campus is located in Namsan-Dong, a small town in Busan. Behind the university, is the Guemjeong mountain – a great hiking location. 

For food:

Around the subway, there are many cafés and fried chicken stores which are really popular in the area.

Flying Chalks’ recommendation: Our favourite would be the Daecheong-maru (대청마루). It is located just in front of the university and offers dishes such as Kimchi Stew and Duruchigi. Duruchigi is a traditional dish from the Geongsang province and features red chili pork. Any side dishes that come with the dishes are refillable for free! For a rough price estimate, the Duruchigi will set you back about KRW $10,000 for 2 people.

For nightlife and entertainment:

Seomyeon (서면) is a place famed for its nightlife and entertainment. It mainly caters to the younger, hipster crowd. The shops open at noon and only close around 4am, making it a great hangout for students at night.

For daily necessities and groceries:

For daily necessities and groceries, “E- Mart”, ”Lotte Supermarket” and “Daiso” are the more popular ones in a sea of many in the area. Lotte Mart and E-Mart are big supermarkets where you can get everything from groceries and pastries to electronics.

Flying Chalks’ recommendation: Lotte Mart is known to sell goods at discounted prices. There is a shuttle bus that takes you from the university as well, making it the most convenient option.

For shopping:

Most students would head for the nearby Pusan National University area (4 subway stops away) to shop and hangout. There are many shops in the area, selling everything from skincare and cosmetics, to clothes and shoes. One of the more popular choices would be the NC departmental stores that carry cheap but nice clothes, shoes and jewelry! 

For leisure:

While walking the shopping streets and around the town has its charms, those who are into naturea and adventure should try hiking Guemejong mountain! 

Getting from Gimhae International airport to Pusan National University:

• By Subway
  • First subway: 5.33am
  • Last subway: 23:52pm

Directions: From Gimhae International Airport, take the Busan Gimhae Light Rail Transit to Sasang station, then transfer to Line 2 Subway at Seo-myeon station. There, transfer to Line 1 Subway and alight at Namsan station. Exit at #1 or #3 and Busan University of Foreign Studies will be a 15-20 minutes’ walk away. Alternatively, you can take a village bus at exit #3.  

For more information, visit: https://www.bufs.ac.kr/html/01_intro/intro_04_01.aspx

​

• 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.

Namsan station is pronounced as “Nam-San-Yok” in Korean. The fare of a regular taxi to BUFS is approximately KRW $25,000.