KOICA and KAIST College of Business jointly run this MBA for professionals and policymakers working on social economy, inclusive policy, and social value. Participants study management and social economy in Seoul through coursework, Korean-language classes, visits, seminars, and a research project.
The latest detailed official materials remain those for the 2024 intake: a 17-month stay from 26 August 2024 to 22 December 2025, with the academic period ending on 28 February 2026. No later intake is published on the reviewed KAIST or KOICA pages, so the program is currently between cycles.
Benefits & funding
- Economy-class airfare reimbursed at actual cost.
- Full tuition and university dormitory accommodation.
- KRW 600,000 one-time settlement allowance and KRW 999,000 monthly allowance for master’s participants.
- Study visits, workshops, Korean-language classes, and other program activities.
- KRW 300,000 one-time completion grant.
- National health insurance of approximately KRW 79,210 per month plus private medical insurance for covered accidents or illnesses.
- Visa fees, stopover costs, local transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses are not covered.
Eligibility
- For the 2024 intake, applicants had to be citizens of one of the 90 KOICA-designated countries listed in the structured nationality field; KOICA states that the list may change annually.
- Applicants needed official nomination through their government and had to follow the responsible KOICA country office or Korean embassy process.
- The KAIST page gives two experience routes: government officials or public-institution employees with at least three years of experience, or applicants from a social-economy organization with at least five years of relevant experience; the second route was capped at three participants.
- A bachelor’s degree, strong spoken and written English, and sufficient physical and mental health for study in Korea were required.
- Being under 40 and having two years of field experience were preferences in the general 2024 KOICA guideline, not hard gates.
- Previous recipients of a Korean-government graduate-degree scholarship and former KOICA scholars whose award was cancelled were generally ineligible; a previous Korean-government bachelor’s scholarship did not itself bar a master’s application.
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.
Eligible nationalities
Ghana · Nigeria · Rwanda · Morocco · Mozambique · Senegal · Algeria · Egypt · Uganda · Cameroon · Côte d'Ivoire · Kenya
+ 78 more
Tanzania · Tunisia · DR Congo · Gabon · Gambia · Niger · Lesotho · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Burkina Faso · Benin · Burundi · Sierra Leone · Angola · Zambia · Central African Republic · Zimbabwe · Togo · South Sudan · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · São Tomé and Príncipe · Comoros · Guatemala · Dominican Republic · Bolivia · Ecuador · El Salvador · Colombia · Paraguay · Peru · Suriname · Honduras · Jamaica · Costa Rica · Guyana · Grenada · Dominica · Belize · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Nepal · Timor-Leste · Laos · Mongolia · Bangladesh · Vietnam · Sri Lanka · India · Indonesia · Cambodia · Thailand · Pakistan · Philippines · Fiji · Nauru · Niue · Marshall Islands · Vanuatu · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Kiribati · Tonga · Tuvalu · Papua New Guinea · Jordan · Iraq · Azerbaijan · Uzbekistan · Kyrgyzstan · Tajikistan · Ukraine · Georgia · Kazakhstan · Turkmenistan
Education required
Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Confirm the current designated-country list, local deadline, and government-nomination route with the responsible KOICA country office or Korean embassy.
- 2Submit the KOICA forms, government recommendation, passport copy, and other required documents to that office or embassy.
- 3Complete the KOICA interview; only successful candidates proceed to KAIST screening.
- 4Follow KAIST instructions for the university application, authenticated degree records, interview or test, local medical check, and original-document delivery.
- 5After final selection, complete visa and vaccination requirements, travel to Korea, attend orientation, and pass the medical check in Korea.
Program timeline
KOICA application round; each country office or embassy set its own applicant deadline.
1–29 February 2024
KAIST document screening for candidates who passed the KOICA round.
4–29 March 2024
University results, medical check, and interview.
April–May 2024
Final admission notice, visa, and vaccination preparations.
July–August 2024
Arrival and start of the 17-month stay in Seoul.
26 August 2024
Academic program began.
2 September 2024
Stay ended and participants departed.
22 December 2025
Academic duration ended and diploma process concluded.
28 February 2026