Budgeting for a Master’s Degree in Korea: Reading Pusan National University’s 2027 Spring Guide, 2026 Tuition, Scholarships, and Assistantship Notice

> Reference date: September 21, 2026

When calculating the cost of a master’s program in Korea, do not mix national annual averages by category, per-semester amounts published by the university you are applying to, and reductions confirmed for you in writing. National averages are a starting point for comparing universities; a university’s table applies to a specific academic year, semester, and academic field; and scholarships and assistantship support can be deducted from an individual budget only after the relevant selection, continuation, and overlap conditions are met.

Pusan National University’s Spring 2027 International Graduate Admissions Guide illustrates this distinction well. Although the guide is the current document for admission in spring 2027, the attached tuition table is titled 2026 Academic Year Tuition Fee Schedule, and the note below the table states that Spring 2027 tuition may change. The amounts below are therefore official reference figures for budgeting, not the final billed amounts for students entering in 2027.

First, put the three types of figures in separate columns

In the budget table, list amount billed before reductions, potential scholarship, reduction confirmed in writing, cash payment, working hours, and overlap restrictions separately. Do not assume from a scholarship name alone that the admission fee and all of Tuition I and Tuition II will be reduced.

National annual graduate tuition averages are not a minimum-to-maximum range

The Study in Korea Study Expenses page gives annual average graduate tuition as KRW 4,216,103.2. The average is KRW 2,481,807.9 for national/public institutions and KRW 4,434,680.7 for private institutions, while the average is KRW 3,838,911.5 in the capital region and KRW 5,306,655 outside the capital region.

These figures do not form a single minimum-to-maximum range. For example, the national/public average and the outside-capital-region average use different classification criteria. This table alone does not support conclusions such as “outside the capital region is always cheaper” or “every master’s program costs an amount within this range.” Check the actual amount using the target university’s latest tuition table and your individual bill.

The Study in Korea School Types guide describes master’s programs as lasting at least 2 years and generally requiring at least 24 credits. However, because credit requirements, thesis or research registration, and additional-semester rules vary by university and major, do not simply multiply the annual average by 2 and treat the result as an individual’s total cost to graduation.

Pusan National University’s Spring 2027 guide contains per-semester amounts for the 2026 academic year

Appendix 1 of the Pusan National University Spring 2027 International Graduate Admissions Guide lists the admission fee, Tuition I, Tuition II, and total by academic field. The unit is KRW, and the amounts are for one semester.

This table shows that even within the same university, the total in the table varies substantially by academic field. Because the total includes the admission fee, it should not be repeated unchanged as the amount for a continuing-student semester; the actual amount billed in later semesters must be checked on the bill for the relevant semester. Students admitted for Spring 2027 should check the actual amount again after the tuition bill is scheduled to become available on December 28, 2026, and the admissions guide states that the tuition payment period is December 29–31, 2026.

First-semester scholarships and scholarships from Semester 2 onward have different recipients

The international-student scholarship section of Pusan National University’s Spring 2027 admissions guide separates the first semester from Semester 2 onward. The guide states that scholarships are governed by the Guidelines for Scholarships for International Students and may change in the future, so the criteria below are the selection and reduction standards published in the admissions guide, not payments automatically guaranteed to an individual.

Only language-score documents within their validity period are accepted for language-score scholarships. The guide sets November 16, 2026 as the deadline for submitting additional language scores for scholarship consideration, specifies submission to the designated email address, and states that the scholarship cannot be awarded if the documents are not submitted by the deadline. The eligibility section explains that the existing score threshold of 80 applies to TOEFL tests taken through January 20, 2026, while a score of 4 or higher applies to tests taken on or after January 21, 2026; however, that footnote is not repeated next to the scholarship table’s 80 / 4 notation. This article therefore does not further interpret the scholarship-eligibility meaning of the standalone 4. Meeting a language criterion does not mean the admission fee and Tuition I are also fully waived, and the scholarship from Semester 2 onward is not worded as an automatic award to every student with a GPA of 3.7 or higher; it is a selection in order of academic excellence among students who meet the condition.

An assistantship is a separately selected job, not an automatic scholarship

The Pusan National University Office of International Affairs assistantship notice for Semester 2 of the 2026 academic year was posted on July 15, 2026, and applications closed on July 23. It is not an active recruitment as of the reference date. Because the Korean title of the notice uses research assistant while the English notice uses TA, this article does not generalize either label and refers to it only as an Office of International Affairs assistantship example.

This example means that before including assistantship support in a budget, you need to check the recruiting office, number selected, duties, total hours, covered tuition items, and overlap restrictions. The notice states that the support is processed as a tuition reduction rather than a cash wage. The admissions-guide tuition table separates the admission fee from Tuition I, whereas this assistantship notice says Tuition I (including the admission fee), so the item names in the two documents should not be arbitrarily merged in interpretation. The closed 2026-2 notice must not be presented as a current Spring 2027 recruitment or assumed to recur under the same conditions the following semester.

Build the budget in three stages, starting with the amount before reductions

The first table is for the case in which you are not selected for a scholarship or assistantship. In the second table, include only a first-semester scholarship that the university has confirmed for you in writing. Create the third table after enrollment only if you are actually selected for an academic-performance scholarship or assistantship.

For example, in Pusan National University’s Humanities and Social Sciences field, Tuition II is KRW 2,251,000 out of the first-semester total of KRW 2,833,000 in the 2026 academic-year table. Do not deduct half in the initial budget merely because you are a potential candidate for a half-Tuition-II scholarship. Recalculate the covered item and amount after your scholarship decision and Spring 2027 tuition bill are issued. Likewise, do not copy the KRW 3,980,000 total for Engineering in the 2026 table as the confirmed 2027 amount.

Manage living costs, insurance, dormitory fees, visa costs, and airfare in a table separate from tuition. The amount of upfront funds needed may differ depending on whether a scholarship is deducted directly from the tuition bill, refunded after registration, or paid as a cash living allowance.

Seven fields are enough for a pre-application checklist

1. University, graduate school, major, and target semester
2. Academic year and currency unit of the latest tuition table
3. Components such as admission fee, Tuition I, and Tuition II
4. Eligibility, evidence, and submission deadline for first-semester scholarships
5. GPA, selection, and continuation conditions for enrolled-student scholarships
6. Assistantship recruitment period, duties, hours, payment method, and overlap restrictions
7. Final amount on the individual bill and written selection notice

Frequently asked questions

Is Study in Korea’s annual graduate tuition average of KRW 4,216,103.2 the tuition I will pay?

No. It is a nationwide graduate-school category average. The actual amount billed varies by university, major, semester, admission fee, and tuition components, so check the target university’s latest table and your individual bill.

Can I use the table in Pusan National University’s Spring 2027 admissions guide as the 2027 tuition amount?

Not as a confirmed amount. The table in the admissions guide is the 2026 Academic Year Tuition Fee Schedule, and the guide states that Spring 2027 tuition may change. The actual bill for a student admitted in 2027 takes precedence.

If I am admitted to a master’s program at Pusan National University, do I automatically receive Office of International Affairs assistantship support?

No. The Pusan National University Office of International Affairs example reviewed here was a notice that separately recruited 1 person for Semester 2 of the 2026 academic year, with about 150 hours of work and qualification and overlap restrictions, and applications already closed on July 23, 2026. This past notice alone does not justify assuming Spring 2027 assistantship recruitment or a repetition of the same conditions.

Can admission scholarships, academic-performance scholarships, and assistantship reductions all be added together?

Not automatically. Each scholarship and assistantship has different covered items, selection timing, application order, and restrictions on overlap. Calculate the final out-of-pocket amount from your individual bill and the written conditions of each support program.