The University of AlabamaFaculty-Led Study Abroad
Summer 2027 · May 27–June 17

Korea,
up close.

Study advertising and public relations in the studios, agencies and streets where Korean culture is made — and carried to the rest of the world.

Apply now ↗ Email Dr. Ki
Applications open now · All majors · No course prerequisites
Just exploring? Email Dr. Ki — questions are welcome long before you apply.
UA students in hanbok in front of a palace pavilion in Seoul
Learning beyond the classroom.Seoul, South Korea

01 / The program

Make Korea
your classroom.

Connect what you study with what you experience.

Two APR courses taught by Alabama faculty at Yonsei University in Seoul. Class sessions come first, over the opening days of the trip; the rest of the three weeks takes you into the newsrooms, studios and companies you just finished reading about. Weekends are free.

Applications are open · Reviewed as they arrive

Apply on the program's own page in the university's study abroad portal. Sign in with your myBama credentials and start the application for UA in South Korea: Advertising & Public Relations. Every applicant then meets with Dr. Ki for a short interview. There is no hard cutoff — applications are read in the order they come in, and the group closes once all 18 places are taken.

You do not have to be ready to apply to get in touch. If you are still weighing it — cost, housing, whether your major fits — email Dr. Ki and ask.

Open the program application ↗ Email Dr. Ki ↗

02 / Beyond the classroom

See it. Study it. Live it.

Seoul and Jeju are on every itinerary.

The rest changes each year, so no two cohorts see the same Korea.

Students at a traditional tea ceremony
01

Culture & city life

Palaces in hanbok, tea ceremonies, night markets and a KBO baseball game — Korea's history and its Tuesday evening, in the same week.

Seoul · Gyeongbokgung · City life
Students on the MBC Newsdesk anchor set
02

Media & industry

Inside KBS and MBC, on the floor of a live music show and at Naver — with the professionals who build Korean brands.

KBS · MBC · Naver
Students standing in shallow water off Udo, Jeju
03

Beyond Seoul

Jeju Island every year, plus one more region each summer. In 2027 the group heads into Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces.

Jeju Island · Gyeonggi · Gangwon
Students outside the KBS broadcast center in Seoul

Media & industry

  • The KBS and MBC broadcast centers
  • A live K-pop music show taping at SBS or KBS
  • Naver headquarters
  • Daejanggeum Park, MBC's historical-drama studio village
  • HiKR Ground, Korea's K-culture showcase in Seoul
Students in hanbok at Gyeongbokgung Palace

History & tradition

  • Gyeongbokgung Palace, in hanbok
  • A half-day temple stay at Jingwansa
  • Eunpyeong Hanok Village
  • The DMZ and Camp Greaves
  • A pottery workshop in Icheon
  • Insadong, Cheonggyecheon and the Bukaksan Skyway lookout
A coastal road on Jeju Island

Out of the city

  • Jeju Island
  • Everland and Caribbean Bay
  • Canoeing in Chuncheon
  • Rail biking in Gapyeong
  • Gwangmyeong Cave

Planned for Summer 2027. Class sessions are held at Yonsei University over the first several days; the rest of the program is site visits and excursions like these. Weekends are yours — nothing is scheduled. A few stops shift as bookings and broadcast schedules are confirmed.

2026 / The trip

A glimpse of life in Korea.

Shot by last summer's group across three weeks — Seoul, the studios, the coastline, and eighteen people who mostly did not know each other on day one.

03 / Academics

Two courses.
A global context.

Students take both courses for a total of six credits.

Graduate students may enroll at the 590 level.

APR 490 / 5903 credit hours

Advertising in Korea:
From Street to Screens

How Korean advertising moves from subway posters and neighborhood signage to the screens that carry Korean products worldwide.

  • Agencies, stakeholders and decision-making
  • Cross-cultural social media analysis
  • Integrated marketing communication
Dr. Hyoungkoo Khang
APR 490 / 5903 credit hours

Public Relations in Korea:
From Culture to Global Impact

How Korean organizations build reputation at home and turn cultural strength — music, film, food, tech — into global influence.

  • Public relations roles, tactics and strategies
  • Communication across sectors and cultures
  • Opportunities and challenges in Korean markets
Dr. Eyun-Jung Ki

All majors welcome.  No prerequisites. Recent groups have included students from nursing, business and the honors college.

04 / Where you go

Seoul and Jeju every year.
The rest changes.

Two anchors stay fixed on every itinerary.

Beyond them, each cohort gets a different corner of the country.

Every year

Seoul

Home base for three weeks — classes, company visits, palaces, night markets and a KBO baseball game.

Students walking a Seoul shopping street
Every year

Jeju Island

Volcanic coastline, black-sand beaches and the calmest days of the trip.

A coastal road on Jeju Island
New in 2027

Gyeonggi & Gangwon Provinces

Next summer's group heads into the provinces just outside Seoul and across to the east coast. Recent cohorts went to Gyeongju and Busan instead.

A past group at a temple in Gyeongju

Photo journal / Through the years

Our time in South Korea.

From class discussions to island visits.

A new album goes up at the end of each summer.

Student voices

Student testimonials.

In their own words: learning, friendships and life in South Korea.

Every quote below comes from a student who made the trip.

05 / Our faculty

Learn with
your UA professors.

Both courses are taught by full professors from the Department of Advertising & Public Relations, who travel with the group for all three weeks.

Dr. Eyun-Jung Ki
Program director

Dr. Eyun-Jung Ki

Professor of Advertising & Public Relations

Strategic communication and the relationships organizations build with their publics — and how emerging technology, artificial intelligence included, is changing that work. She directs the Korea program and teaches the public relations course on site in Seoul.

UA faculty profile ↗ ki@apr.ua.edu
Dr. Hyoungkoo Khang
Program co-director

Dr. Hyoungkoo Khang

Professor of Advertising & Public Relations

Advertising and media psychology — why audiences engage with messages the way they do, across technologies and cultures. A Korea Foundation Fellow, he teaches the advertising course on site in Seoul.

UA faculty profile ↗ khang@apr.ua.edu

Step by step

How do I sign up?

Four steps, and the first one takes about fifteen minutes. Dr. Ki walks every applicant through the rest.

1

Apply through UA

Open the program page in UA's study abroad portal, sign in with myBama, and start the application for UA in South Korea: Advertising & Public Relations.

Open the program application ↗
2

Submit the deposit

A $250 deposit reserves your place in the group and comes off the program fee — it is the first $250 of the $6,225, not an extra charge. Education Abroad will tell you when and how to pay it.

3

Watch your inbox

Education Abroad and Dr. Ki will email you from there — including to schedule your interview in early November.

4

Sign up for updates

Add your name to the program list and we will send you info sessions, deadlines and pre-departure details as they come.

Sign-up form ↗

06 / Your next step

Your summer
starts with a question.

The next program runs May 27–June 17, 2027, and applications are open now. Everything begins on the program's page in UA's study abroad portal — open it, sign in with myBama, and start the application.

Still deciding? Email Dr. Ki first. Most students do, and there is no expectation that you have made up your mind.

  • Open nowApplications reviewed as they arrive
  • After you applyShort interview with Dr. Ki
  • Until 18 places fillThen applications close
  • May 27 – June 17, 2027Program dates
Apply now ↗ Email Dr. Ki with questions
Program director
Dr. Eyun-Jung Ki
ki@apr.ua.edu
See @uainsouthkorea ↗

Only 18 students travel each summer. Apply early.

Before you go

How do I apply?

Open the program page in UA's study abroad portal, sign in with your myBama credentials, and start the application for UA in South Korea: Advertising & Public Relations. There is no hard deadline — applications are read in the order they come in, and every applicant has a short interview with Dr. Ki soon after applying. The group closes when all 18 places are taken, so the earlier you apply, the better your odds. Email Dr. Ki at ki@apr.ua.edu with any question before you submit, or simply to learn more.

Open the program application ↗

Who can participate?

Students from all majors are welcome. The courses have no prerequisites, but registration requires instructor approval and completion of study abroad requirements.

What does the program cost?

The program fee for Summer 2027 is $6,225, and the $250 deposit you pay when you apply counts toward it. International airfare and personal spending are the two costs the fee does not cover.

You do not have to pay it all at once — the balance can be split into three installments. Email Dr. Ki for the payment schedule and a full breakdown.

What does the fee include?

Tuition for six credit hours, accommodation, ground transportation in Korea, excursions and entrance fees, insurance, some meals, and the round-trip flights to Jeju. Not included: your international airfare and personal spending.

Where do students stay and study?

Previous arrangements included hotels rated three stars or above with two students per room, and classroom space at Yonsei University within walking distance of the hotel. Arrangements may change for the next program.

Can I use scholarships or financial aid?

Ask your financial aid advisor about your eligibility and available funding. Explore study abroad scholarships, including C&IS opportunities.

UA financial resources ↗