Penn Summer Abroad
Locales
Penn-in-Seoul, Korea
Main | Description | Curriculum
Located in the fifth-largest city in the world, the Penn-in-Seoul program has been bringing students to Korea since 1992. In 2008, Khung Hee University will host the program, providing classroom and meeting space as well as access to libraries and computing labs. The program is designed for students interested in East Asia, Korea, international relations, and business. The curriculum provides students with rigorous academic study as well as briefings with government, business and military organizations. Students are required to take a history course, The Korean War and Its Legacies for U.S.–Korean Relations, and a political science course, Politics and Economics of Korea. Although courses are taught in English, non-Korean-speakers are encouraged to complete a pre-departure "Survival Korean" language course. Field trips to important Korean cultural and historic sites are integral to the program.
Internships with multinational corporations, government agencies, and think tanks are available for qualified students. While internships are not guaranteed, the program has a near-perfect record of placing students. Students receive internships based on their performance in the academic program, the strength of their résumé, and their contributions to the program’s activities. Some internships require a knowledge of Korean. Participating firms change each year. Past placements have been at Aekyung Corporation, Samjong/KPMG Consulting, Booz-Allen, Hamilton, ST Corporation, SL Investments, Global Enterprises, Samsung, LG, Kumho, Asiana Airlines, Samchang Corporation, Poongsan Corporation, Anam Electric, Korea Life and Marine Insurance, Kama Entertainment, UNESCO, Motorola and VISA International, among others.
Students may be able to extend internships through negotiations with their internship host. Some firms specifically require that the internship extend beyond the program dates for an additional week. Students who do not qualify for an internship have the option of working as English-teachers; or they may prefer to use this time for sightseeing in Korea and excursions to Japan or China.