Top 8 Scholarship for Theological Studies In Korea 2024

Do you want to know how to get a Scholarship for Theological Studies in Korea? Then this article will serve as a guide to put you through all the requirements as well as eligibility processes involved.

Theology is fast becoming a popular field of study in this 21st century. This is because it answers many questions concerning Divinity, Religion, and Christianity.

People who are interested in becoming pastors, church ministers, social workers, Catholic priests, missionaries, and so on can now study theology at any university of their choice as far as that university is offering the course.

Religion in South Korea is Diverse. According to Wikipedia “A substantial number of South Koreans have no religion. Christianity and Buddhism are the dominant confessions among those who affiliate with formal religion. Buddhism and Confucianism play an influential role in the lives of many South Korean people”

Also According to Pew Research Center (2010), about 46% of the population have no religious affiliation, 23% are Buddhist and 29% are Christians.

This research shows that South Koreans aren’t much of a religious people but they still manage to offer theological programs there are universities and colleges dedicated to theological teachings.

These theological institutions equally admit students from all walks of life to enjoin in her theological teachings.

However, as an international student coming to Korea for the first time the language will be an issue unless you already learned the language beforehand, if not, that is going to become a barrier.

The main language here isn’t English but some of these theological institutions have their classes in the local language and English as well.

The scholarship for theological studies in Korea listed in this article is for every student both domestic and international ones.

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Scholarship for Theological Studies in Korea

These scholarships may be fully-funded, partially-funded, bursaries, grants, or other forms of financial aid. Whichever they may be, they are still provided to help curb tuition fees and encourage you to become a better student. You can check this article to know more about fully and partially funded scholarships.

The scholarships are;

Seoul Theological University Scholarships
Korea Baptist Theological University Scholarships
PUTS Scholarship
Global Institute of Theology (GIT) Scholarships
Korean Government Scholarship (GKS)
Seoul National University Scholarships
Hanyang University Scholarship Program
Sogang University Scholarship

1. Seoul Theological University Scholarships

The Seoul Theological University one of the universities I mentioned earlier is fully dedicated to theological studies. The university offers a host of theology programs and up to a dozen scholarships to international and domestic students.

The scholarships were put in place to help out students who have a passion to walk the religious path but cannot afford it and to a host of other kinds of students to encourage them and help them fully concentrate on their dreams and develop their potential.

There are scholarships at STU for the following kinds of students;

Scholarship for new students with outstanding academic performance
Scholarship for students with good grades
Scholarship for three brothers
Scholarship for foreign exchange students
Scholarship for veterans
Military officer cadets scholarship
Scholarship for STU future talent
Scholarship for exchange students
Scholarship for the family of the Faculty
Scholarship for excellent grades of practical performance by Major and,
Scholarship for staff

If you fall into any of the scholarship categories above, you can receive a scholarship and enjoin top-notch theological studies at STU without having to worry about tuition.

The eligibility criteria for each of the scholarships are different, you can see them here.

The Seoul Theological University has helped by providing you with a scholarship for theological studies in Korea, the rest of the work lies in your hand.

2. Korea Baptist Theological University Scholarships

This is another theological institution designated for theological studies and also offers a variety of scholarships.

This university offers scholarships to nearly everyone from all walks of life, there are scholarships for international students, exchange students, new students, the disabled, veterans, pastor’s children/wives, children of faculty/staff, and a host of others.

These scholarships are very vast and generous too mostly covering full tuition or half tuition.

If you have an interest in studying theology in Korea, you may want to look further at this university for scholarships.

The university also covers a host of national scholarships that its students can get their hands on and further curb their tuition expenses.

3. PUTS Scholarship

Presbyterian University and Theological Seminary (PUTS) offers scholarships for theological studies in Korea.

The university is also located in Korea and interested students will have to apply for the scholarship along with their admission application.

A student who is granted admission is eligible for a PUTS scholarship which covers either $15,500 for M.A and Th.M. programs or $24,000 for each Th.D. out of your total tuition.

The scholarship covers tuition, room, and weekday meal tickets at the student cafeteria.

4. Global Institute of Theology (GIT) Scholarships

The Global Institute of Theology is an English language graduate institution in theology for students from outside Korea.

The institution is located at the Yonsei International Campus and educates global Christian leaders of emerging countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

With the support of Korean Churches, World Churches, and Yonsei University, GIT provides 100% scholarships for tuition, accommodation, and living expenses for every student.

The GIT scholarship is one of the top scholarships for theological studies in Korea due to her offer of full scholarships to all her students.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many of these scholarships for theological studies in Korea but there are some general scholarships that cover all programs.

These general scholarships can also be used for theological studies in Korea since they are for all programs.

Below are some of these general scholarships in Korea;

5. Korean Government Scholarship (GKS)

This is a series of scholarships of over half a dozen in number provided by the Korean government.

The scholarship is a generous one, covering tuition expenses, flight fares, medical insurance, monthly stipend, and settlement allowances.

The scholarship is for both undergraduate and graduate students from foreign countries and Korea too.

This scholarship is listed under the scholarship for theological studies in Korea subheading because you can make use of it to fund your theology education in Korea.

Since it works for both international and domestic students, undergraduate and graduates it is available to all students.

All you need to do is choose a Korean university, college, or seminary that offers theological programs, apply for admission, then apply for the scholarship too

The scholarship works when you have chosen a program in an accredited university or college in Korea.

6. Seoul National University Scholarships

You may also use the scholarships offered by Seoul National University to study for a bachelor’s degree In Theology that is only for undergraduates.

The scholarship is a general one and is only eligible for students who want to study a 4-year program at SNU.

Theology is also a 4-year program or less in some cases, whichever the case may be, you can use the scholarships offered by this university to study theology at her institution.

There are about two scholarships offered by the SNU and they are fully funded covering tuition costs, living expenses, flight tickets, and a Korean language training fee for one year.

7. Hanyang University Scholarship Program

Hanyang University offers Theology programs and through her general scholarships, you may get your hands on one of her fully-funded scholarships or partial scholarships and study theology at the university without worrying about tuition payment.

The university has a series of scholarship programs that students can gain from, these scholarships are;

Hanyang International Excellence Awards:

This scholarship will cover recipients’ tuition by 70%, 50%, or 30% depending on the applicant’s evaluation results. The scholarship covers only one semester and to be eligible, you must be an international student with a TOPIK level certificate with a minimum GPA of 3.0

Global Korea Scholarship:

Hanyang University supports the GKS which you can use to study theology in the school.

To be eligible to must be an international student in your Sophomore/Junior/Senior year and hold a minimum GPA of 80 overall on a scale of 100 and a TOPIK 4 level or above

TOPIK Scholarship:

This is for a foreign student who is currently enrolled in a degree program and obtained a TOPIK certificate after admission. You can benefit from this scholarship along with others offered by the university.

These are the scholarships offered by Hanyang University and students who win them can use them to study theology at the university. The requirements of each scholarship program above vary, see further details here.

8. Sogang University Scholarship

Sogang University offers a theology program and has general scholarships that you can use to study theology at the institution. Sogang supports four types of scholarships which are;

Scholarship A: 100% reduction of tuition cost
Scholarship B: 75% reduction in tuition cost
Scholarship C: 50% reduction of tuition cost
Scholarship D: 25% reduction of tuition cost

Scholarship recipients can maintain this scholarship when they maintain the GPA requirements set out by the school.

Sogang University also supports the KGS just in case you want to study theology here, you can apply for the KGS and use Sogang as your host institution.

Since there aren’t many institutions offering theological studies in Korea, it has limited the number of scholarships we can find for it.

Conclusion

The universities and other institutions listed in the “general scholarships” category offer theological studies and also offer general scholarships that students may use to study theology at the various institutions which is why they are listed here.

Read them carefully and do not mix them up as the outcome will play a massive part in determining your future.

Talk to your parents, your church leader, or your high school teacher about going to study theology in Korea, These people usually have a broad network of connections that will easily help you spread the matter to others.

Keep doing web research and contact schools for further details, this way, there will be higher chances of you getting a positive result and getting a scholarship for theological studies in Korea.

Top 8 Scholarship for Theological Studies In Korea