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Funding

Fully Funded

KOICA Scholarship Program

Master's ScholarshipSouth Korea · Seoul

Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)

Application Deadline

Rolling admission

Official Page

The KOICA Scholarship Program is the degree-awarding half of CIAT, the fellowship platform of the Korea International Cooperation Agency, the Korean government’s grant aid agency. It has run since 1997 and places serving government officials from countries KOICA designates each cycle into master’s and doctoral courses at Korean partner universities. Teaching sits in the fields KOICA works in, including public administration and e-government, economic development policy, health policy and infectious disease control, digital health, artificial intelligence, fisheries, agriculture, climate and environment, and the social economy.

KOICA states the program has produced more than 5,000 graduates of over 80 nationalities. Candidates are nominated by their own government and apply through the KOICA overseas office or Korean embassy that covers their country, not directly to the university. Courses run on campuses in Seoul, Sejong, Wonju, Incheon, Pohang, Daegu and Busan.

Benefits & funding

  • Full tuition fees for the degree course.
  • One round-trip airfare.
  • A one-time settlement allowance of KRW 600,000 for master’s fellows or KRW 1,200,000 for doctoral fellows.
  • A monthly allowance of KRW 1,200,000.
  • Dormitory accommodation.
  • National Health Insurance reimbursed at actual cost, approximately KRW 81,000 per month, plus private medical insurance.
  • A one-time completion grant of KRW 300,000 for master’s fellows or KRW 600,000 for doctoral fellows.
  • Pre-departure orientation, Korean language classes and course-related academic activities.
  • Master’s, e-Government and Public Management, Sungkyunkwan University: 15 places, Mar 2027 to Aug 2028.
  • Master’s, e-Government and Public Management, Handong Global University: 15 places, Feb 2027 to Aug 2028.
  • Master’s, Economic Development Policy for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth, KDI School: 15 places, Mar 2027 to Jun 2028.
  • Master’s, Social Economy, Yonsei University (Mirae Campus): 20 places, Mar 2027 to Jun 2028.
  • Master’s, Health Policy and Financing Capacity Building, Yonsei University: 15 places, Mar 2027 to Jun 2028.
  • Master’s, Digital Health, Yonsei University (Mirae Campus): 20 places, Mar 2027 to Jun 2028.
  • Master’s, Control of Infectious Disease, Yonsei University: 20 places, Mar 2027 to Jun 2028.
  • Master’s, AI Digital Innovation, University of Seoul: 20 places, Feb 2027 to Jun 2028.
  • Master’s, Global Fisheries Development, Pukyong National University: 20 places, Mar 2027 to Jun 2028.
  • Master’s, Capacity Building on High Value-added Agriculture, Kyungpook National University: 20 places, Mar 2027 to Aug 2028.
  • Master’s, Capacity Building for Manage to Climate Change and Environment, Incheon National University: 15 places, Feb 2027 to Aug 2028.
  • Doctoral, Control of Infectious Disease, Yonsei University: 3 places, Mar 2027 to Feb 2030.
  • Doctoral, AI Digital Innovation, University of Seoul: 3 places, Feb 2027 to Dec 2029.
  • Doctoral, Global Fisheries Development, Pukyong National University: 3 places, Mar 2027 to Feb 2030.
  • Doctoral, Capacity Building on High Value-added Agriculture, Kyungpook National University: 3 places, Mar 2027 to Feb 2030.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be citizens of one of the 97 countries designated in the 2027 Application Guideline: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.
  • Applicants must be government officials and must hold an official nomination from their government.
  • Applicants must be in good mental and physical health.
  • Applicants must have a strong command of English in both speaking and writing.
  • Doctoral applicants need a master’s degree. KOICA’s standing guideline asks for a completed KOICA Master’s Degree Program, while the 2027 course notices ask for a master’s from a recognized institution, so confirm the rule for your course with the KOICA office.
  • Applicants must also meet the admission requirements of the university running the chosen course.
  • Previous recipients of a Korean government degree scholarship cannot apply. Holders of a Korean government bachelor’s scholarship remain eligible. Former KOICA fellows whose scholarship was cancelled cannot apply.
  • KOICA states a preference for applicants under 40. It is a preference, not a cut-off.
  • KOICA sets no published minimum years of work experience for the program as a whole. Individual courses may add their own requirements in their program information sheet.

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

    Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Comoros · DR Congo · Egypt · Ethiopia

    + 85 more

    Gabon · Gambia · Ghana · Kenya · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Morocco · Mozambique · Niger · Nigeria · Côte d'Ivoire · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Sierra Leone · South Africa · South Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Uganda · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Belize · Bolivia · Colombia · Costa Rica · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · El Salvador · Grenada · Guatemala · Guyana · Honduras · Jamaica · Paraguay · Peru · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Suriname · Bangladesh · Cambodia · India · Indonesia · Laos · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Nepal · Pakistan · Philippines · Sri Lanka · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Vietnam · Fiji · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Nauru · Niue · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Azerbaijan · Georgia · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Palestine · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Ukraine · Uzbekistan

  • Education required

    Bachelor · Master

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Application process

  1. 1
    Read the cycle’s course notices, application form and guideline on the CIAT notice board. Each course notice names the host university, the number of places and the study period.
  2. 2
    Confirm with the KOICA overseas office or Korean embassy covering your country that your country is designated for the cycle, and ask for its local closing date and submission address.
  3. 3
    Obtain the official nomination from your government.
  4. 4
    Submit the KOICA application form and supporting documents to that office or embassy by the date it sets.
  5. 5
    Sit the screening and interview run locally by the KOICA office or embassy.
  6. 6
    Clear the university stage: document screening, a medical examination, submission of original documents and an interview.
  7. 7
    Receive the admission notice and complete visa formalities.
  8. 8
    Travel to Korea, complete the medical check-up there, attend orientation and start the course.

Program timeline

  1. KOICA posted the 2027 course notices, eleven master’s courses and four doctoral courses.

    May 29, 2026

  2. KOICA posted the 2027 application form and application guideline.

    Jun 8, 2026

  3. July 2026

    KOICA’s 2027 guideline sets the general submission month; each KOICA country office or Korean embassy confirms its own exact deadline and procedure.

  4. courses begin, with a pre-semester possible beforehand.

    Feb to Mar 2027

  5. master’s courses end.

    Jun to Aug 2028

  6. doctoral courses end.

    Dec 2029 to Feb 2030

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