Although many colleges in the United States offer Korean language courses, the majority of them do not have classes you can take online. Fortunately, though, there are a few.
A Few Options for Korean Online Classes
A diligent search will turn up the following programs as the few options for Korean language online instruction that offer college credit. Make sure to research a program thoroughly before you sign up.
Oregon State University
The Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis, Oregon has a two-year online Korean language course:
- Year one runs for three terms: fall, winter, and spring.
- Year two runs through the fall and winter terms only.
You get four college credits for each term and pay $280 per credit, not including the cost of course materials, textbooks, and course fees. Note, OSU's eCampus is rated in the 2016 top ten list of U. S. online education by U. S. News and World Reports.
Virginia's Community Colleges
Virginia's Community Colleges in Richmond, Virginia offers their Beginning Korean Parts I-II course online. Each part gives four to five credits. Contact the school for more information.
Brigham Young University (BYU)
Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah has a first-year Korean language online course. You are awarded eight credits for this course. The cost is $732 for eight lessons and textbook and workbook cost between $36 and $48.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania offers Elementary Korean I; an online summer course is also available to students not enrolled at the University. The course runs for five weeks with four classes of 120 minutes per week. You pay an online fee of $120 in addition to tuition and fees.
Other Options
Although the following alternatives do not offer college credits directly, your college might accept the course for credit if you discuss the curriculum with them ahead of time. Some colleges will also give credits for a language course if you pass a proficiency test.
Yonsei University
Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea offers Learn to Speak Korean I, suitable for beginners who already have a basic knowledge of Hangul, the Korean alphabet. The course, which lasts six weeks, is available through Coursera, a resource of online classes from top universities.
Learn to Speak Korean I requires about two to four hours of work per week. You get a recognition certificate on completion of the course. Create an account to view the cost of the course. You can also take First Step Korean to learn the alphabet and the basics of the language.
World Mentoring Academy
The World Mentoring Academy developed this basic Korean language course, which is taught by the United States government's Foreign Service Institute. Used by U. S. diplomats, the course includes 30 hours of audio materials and a student text to gain proficiency in the language.
Check with your school for credit arrangement, but students in NYU School of Professional Studies programs can get 12 to 16 credits at $120 per four units for the course.
International Career Institute
Based in Australia, the International Career Institute (ICI) offers two levels of online Korean instruction:
- The certificate level is a four week, one hour a day course, costing $977.
- The diploma level is an eight-week, one hour a day course, costing $1611.
ICI is an accredited institution, but the website does not mention obtaining college credits. However, ICI advises that you review their curriculum with your college to see if you can arrange credit transfer. Contact ICI online for more information.
Online Intermediate Korean
Online Intermediate Korean is an intermediate Korean language course structured by the authors of their college textbook, Intermediate College Korean, for self-study.
Don't Give Up Your Goal
While it is currently difficult to find many options for studying Korean online for college credit, don't give up. With a bit of flexibility and creativity, hopefully, you will be able to fulfill your goal.
