Global Leader Fellowship — Master's Scholarship

The Global Leader Fellowship is Yonsei University Graduate School’s merit award for incoming international graduate students in Seoul. Departments and colleges nominate their strongest new admits, and 15 scholars are chosen each year — 8 starting in the Spring semester and 7 in the Fall. The award waives the entrance fee and full tuition for the regular study period and adds a living stipend.

It is open to students entering Master’s, doctoral, and combined Master’s–doctoral programs across the Graduate School’s departments. Yonsei runs other scholarships for international graduate students in parallel, including the government-funded Global Korea Scholarship route.

Benefits & funding

Entrance fee waived in full.
Tuition waived in full for the regular study period.
Monthly living stipend; the Graduate School does not publish the figure on its English scholarship pages.
Four semesters of support for Master’s and doctoral students, six semesters for students in combined Master’s–doctoral programs.

Eligibility

Newly admitted international students only; students already enrolled at Yonsei are not eligible.
Admission to a Master’s, doctoral, or combined Master’s–doctoral program at Yonsei University Graduate School.
Nomination by the admitting department, college or school — there is no direct application route to the Graduate School.
Academic excellence and Korean or English language ability are weighed in selection; the Graduate School publishes no score thresholds for this fellowship on its English pages.
Scholars must earn at least 3.4 on the 4.3 scale each semester; anyone below that is removed from the scholar list from the following semester, without separate notice.
No nationality, age or work-experience bar is published beyond being an international student.

Can you apply?

Here's who can apply

Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.

Education required
Bachelor · Master

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Application process

1
Pick a department and degree program at Yonsei University Graduate School and read the international student track guidelines for the intake wanted.
2
Apply for admission through the Graduate School’s online portal at gradnet.co.kr/yonsei within the published application window.
3
Submit any scholarship application form the department posts together with the admission documents; the fellowship has no stand-alone application window.
4
Attend the interview or performance assessment if the department holds one.
5
Departments and colleges nominate their strongest admitted applicants, and the Graduate School selects the 15 scholars for the year.
6
After enrolment, hold a semester GPA of 3.4/4.3 or higher to stay on the scholar list.

Program timeline

Fall 2026 international student track application window
Apr 6, 2026 to Apr 13, 2026
Interview and performance assessment candidates announced
May 8, 2026
Interviews and performance assessments
May 16, 2026
Final admission results announced
Jun 5, 2026
October 2026 (expected)
Spring 2027 international student track window; the last published Spring cycle ran 10–15 October
Scholarship outcome
announced with the admission result