2025 Fully Funded Graduate Scholarship at KAIST for International Students

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), a leading national research university, is offering fully funded scholarships to international students pursuing Master’s and PhD programmes in South Korea.

This scholarship is awarded to 94% of all admitted students, offering applicants an excellent chance of securing financial support.

The KAIST Graduate Scholarship covers all essential expenses throughout the duration of the degree. The scholarship for master’s programmes is valid for 2 years, while PhD scholarships extend to 4 years, depending on the requirements of the respective degree.

Benefits of KAIST Graduate Scholarship

• Total tuition fee exemption for 4 semesters for Master’s degree candidates, 10 for Master’s-Ph.D. integrated degree candidates, and 8 for Ph.D. degree candidates.
• Monthly Stipend (Up to 2,500,000 KRW): Students will cover the cost of accommodation and other expenses from the stipend.
• National Health Insurance Premium
• Opportunity to engage in part-time jobs for additional income. fun, and time passes.

Requirements for KAIST Graduate Scholarship

• Candidates must be international students who do NOT hold Korean citizenship.
• Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent standard by the start of the course for the master’s or master’s-Ph.D. degree program application.
• Candidates must have a master’s degree or equivalent standard by the start of their course for the Ph.D. degree program application.
• Equivalent Standards of the Korean Bachelor’s Degree
  • a. University degree requiring four years of study
  • b. Three-year Bologna-compliant bachelor’s degree
  • c. The first cycle qualification in the framework of qualifications for the European Higher Education Area (EHEA)
  • d. Bachelor’s degree with honours in British pattern education
  • e. Cases other than the above frameworks must additionally provide a report on Academic Credential Assessment for admission from KARIC.
  • (Korea Academic Recognition Information Centre)

Application Documents

• KAIST Online Application
• Previous Degree Certificates
• Degree Transcripts
• Letter of Recommendation
• Scan copy of passport
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) 
• Personal Statements
• English Proficiency Document
• Citizens of the English native-speaking countries, or officially English-speaking countries, are exempt from the English Proficiency Test.
• Those who completed their bachelor’s or master’s in English native-speaking countries are also exempt from the English Proficiency Test report.
• National identity document of both parents.

Application Deadline

December 23, 2024

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to apply.kaist.ac.kr to apply.

• Create an account and choose a degree and program of study at KAIST.
• Enter your personal and academic backgrounds, prior experiences, and achievements.
• Upload all the required documents. Write your statement of purpose and answer the other prompts.
• Choose your financial resources—you can apply for the KAIST Scholarship in this step.
• Review your application before proceeding to payment. Once payment is made, the online application form or uploaded file cannot be modified.
• Pay the application fee online—KRW 80,000 or USD 80.

For more details, visit the KAIST webpage.