Harvard Summer School Program in Seoul
Harvard Summer School in Seoul, Korea Program 2027
Date of Deadline: Thursday, January 28, 2027 online on the HSS website
This program is for undergraduate students only. Graduating seniors and graduate students are ineligible
to apply.
Please Note: All programs and opportunities are subject to change and/or cancellation. All support related to travel is contingent upon Harvard University guidelines and safety protocols before, during and after travel. Please see the Harvard Global Support Services website for travel support.
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2027 Program Dates: June 24, 2027-August 19, 2027
2027 HSS-Korea Program Required Content Course-Sociology 1181: Social Change in Modern Korea This course explores the incredible transformation of Korean society in the modern period. We begin with the demise of the Chosŏn Dynasty at the end of the 19th century before discussing the Japanese colonial period (1910-1945), the emergence of two Korean nation-states (1945-1948), the Korean War (1950-53), and the contemporary period (1960-present). The course is divided into two sections: in the first section we will discuss Korea’s political and economic transformation, and in the second part we will cover social and cultural change. Upon completion of the course students should have a thorough grasp of Korea’s modernization trajectory in the 20th and 21st centuries.
In addition to the content course, students are required to also study Korean language for credit. Multi-track instruction in Korean language [KORE S-Ba, KORE S-120a, KORE S-130a and KORE S-140-a reinforces language skills and enriches students’ understanding of Korean culture. Students need not have prior experience with Korean language. Both courses are required (the content course and a Korean language course.)
Another unique feature of this intensive study abroad program in the dynamic city of Seoul, is the inclusion of an approximately equal number of Korean students from local universities in Seoul. Contact with Korean counterparts in class and in the dormitory offers a far deeper immersion experience and a direct avenue to life in Seoul as a college student.
The Harvard Summer School in Korea Program is open to college undergraduates, usually rising sophomores, juniors. Graduating seniors and graduate students are ineligible to apply. This program is geared to undergraduate students. All applicants must be in good standing.
Applicants: Note that it is important to address both the Korean language and the content courses separately in the online application essay.
View more information about the HSS-Korea Program, the application requirements and the link to the HSS online application: https://summer.harvard.edu/study-abroad/seoul-korea/ We encourage you to apply to this exciting Harvard Summer School in Seoul Program if you are interested in learning Korean language and about Korea, as well as, experiencing Korea first hand.
The HSS Korea online program application deadline is: January 28, 2027 found at this link: https://summer.harvard.edu/study-abroad/seoul-korea/. The HSS online application will go live and open the first week of December 2026.
FUNDING INFO: Guidance for the 2027 budget for this program will be posted on the Harvard Summer School Seoul-Korea webpage in time, listed under Cost and Expenses. Please also see the attached 2026 HSS-Korea Program budget PDF below as FYI. 2027 budget to come in time.
The Harvard College Summer Funding and Study Abroad Office (SFSAO) offers funding for Harvard Summer School (HSS) Study Abroad Programs for a limited number of admitted and eligible Harvard College students on financial aid. If you are a Harvard College student, you will be asked on your Harvard Summer School study abroad program application (due Jan 28) if you would like to be considered for SFSAO funding. If you opt in to be considered for this funding by checking a box on the online HSS program application, you agree to allow SFSAO to obtain your financial aid status from the Harvard College Griffin Financial Aid Office and then will be considered for SFSAO funding. There is no separate application on CARAT for SFSAO funding for HSS.
Please note: KI Scholarships and SFSAO funding for HSS are for Harvard undergraduates only. Feel free to reach out to SFSAO, summerfunding@fas.harvard.edu, for any SFSAO funding questions.
In addition, you may also apply for a limited Korea Institute (KI) Scholarship for the Harvard Summer School-Korea program. KI Scholarships are for Harvard undergraduates only. Please see: https://korea.fas.harvard.edu/korea-institute-scholarships-harvard-summer-school-korea-program for more information on the KI Scholarship for HSS application process. You may apply and may receive funding from both the Korea Institute and SFSAO. The KI Scholarship application should be emailed to: Catherine Glover, cglover@fas.harvard.edu by the deadline January 28, 2027. This is the same deadline as the online Harvard Summer School Abroad Program application deadline where you would ask on the program
application to be considered for SFSAO funding for HSS.
You may be interested in reading student reflections who have participated on the HSS-Korea program in years past. Student reflections may be found at: http://korea.fas.harvard.edu/news by searching the News section for the Harvard Summer School Program.
Please feel free to contact Catherine Glover cglover@fas.harvard.edu should you have any HSS-Korea
program questions.
Decisions will be emailed to you in February. This opportunity is in Round A and will follow Round A dates for notifications and deadlines to accept or decline awards. Per the Harvard timeline, decisions to accept or decline an awarded opportunity is only a few days after being notified. Once you accept an award from any Harvard office, it is final and binding. You will automatically be removed from consideration for other Harvard-funded opportunities, even if you have already applied.
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Harvard College Summer Funding Policy 2027
https://oue.fas.harvard.edu/experiential-learning/summer-funding/
Harvard College prioritizes the wide distribution of Summer funding to ensure that as many undergraduate students as possible can have a meaningful summer experience.
For funded Summer 2027 experiences, students may only apply Harvard University funding to one Summer experience*, regardless of duration of time (ex. only four weeks or a part-time effort). Co-funding between multiple sources of funding is discouraged and only permitted if the funding jointly supports the same Summer experience.
Once a student accepts an award from any Harvard office, it is binding. The student will automatically be removed from consideration for other Harvard-funded opportunities.
Exceptions to the Summer Funding Policy are uncommon and will be reviewed on an individual basis; students should send exception requests to the Director of Summer Funding Opportunities at summerfunding@fas.harvard.edu. All exceptions will be approved by the Summer Funding Opportunities Office.
Failure to adhere to the Harvard College Summer funding policy may result in a student being referred to the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct (OAISC).
* The only recognized deviation from the Summer Funding Policy applies to students conducting senior thesis research. Students in this specific situation may apply Harvard University funding to two different opportunities, given that one source of funding supports thesis research and that the dates of the two opportunities in question do not overlap. Thesis researchers in this case may still apply to multiple sources of research funding to enable potential co-funding opportunities.