Guide
KAIST graduate admissions for international students
KAIST is Korea's top science and technology university, it teaches its graduate degrees in English, and it funds most of the international students it admits with full tuition plus a monthly stipend. Here is the whole master's and PhD application, start to finish, built from KAIST's own graduate admission guide.
KAIST (the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) is Korea's first research university, founded by the government in 1971 to build the country's scientists and engineers. Its graduate programs are taught in English, so you do not need Korean to earn a master's or PhD there, and most admitted international students are funded through the KAIST Scholarship, which covers full tuition and pays a monthly stipend. This guide walks through the international graduate application exactly as KAIST lays it out in its own admission guide, so you know what to prepare and when.
- Graduate degrees are taught in English. You submit an English proficiency score, not a Korean one, and there are waivers for many applicants.
- Most admitted students are funded. The KAIST Scholarship covers full tuition and pays a monthly stipend, and there is no separate scholarship application. Admission and funding are decided together.
- Foreign citizenship is required. Korean citizens, including dual citizens, cannot apply through the international track.
- The advisor matters. PhD and integrated applicants name a faculty advisor and are strongly encouraged to contact them first. Master's applicants can list up to three.
- The application fee is 80 USD and is non-refundable. A fee waiver exists for applicants from the least developed countries.
- Always confirm the current cycle's dates on KAIST's official graduate admissions site, since the calendar is reissued every intake even though the process stays the same.
What KAIST offers graduate students
KAIST runs master's, doctoral, and combined master's-PhD integrated programs across the sciences, engineering, life sciences, business, and a growing set of interdisciplinary schools. The main campus is in Daejeon, about an hour south of Seoul by KTX train, and the College of Business (including the MBA) is on a separate campus in Seoul.
| College | Example departments and programs |
|---|---|
| Natural Sciences | Physics, Mathematical Sciences, Chemistry, Graduate School of Quantum Science and Technology |
| Life Science and Bioengineering | Biological Sciences, Medical Science and Engineering, Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Engineering Biology, Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology |
| Engineering | Mechanical, Aerospace, Electrical, Computer Science, Civil and Environmental, Materials Science, Nuclear and Quantum, Chemical and Biomolecular, Industrial Design, Industrial and Systems Engineering, the Kim Jaechul Graduate School of AI, and more |
| Liberal Arts and Convergence Science | Digital Humanities and Computational Social Sciences, Culture Technology, Science and Technology Policy |
| Business (Seoul campus) | Business and Technology Management, Global Digital Innovation, KAIST MBA |
Two features of the KAIST system shape your application. First, most departments run all three degree types, so you choose not just a field but a level: master's, PhD, or the master's-PhD integrated program, which folds the two into roughly five years without a separate master's thesis defense. Second, several departments strongly recommend, and some require, that you identify and contact a prospective advisor before you apply. More on that below.
Who can apply
International graduate admission has two hard rules: your degree level and your citizenship.
Degree level. You must hold, or be on track to hold by the enrollment date, the degree below the one you are applying for.
| Program you apply to | Degree you must hold |
|---|---|
| Master's | A bachelor's degree or higher |
| Master's-PhD integrated | A bachelor's degree or higher |
| Doctoral (PhD) | A master's degree or higher |
Your degree must be equivalent to a four-year Korean bachelor's degree. Three-year Bologna-compliant bachelor's degrees, degrees within the European Higher Education Area framework, and British-pattern honours degrees are generally accepted, but if your case is unusual KAIST may ask for supplementary proof of equivalence, such as a WES evaluation. If you are graduating before enrollment, you can apply with a certificate of expected graduation, but your offer is withdrawn if the degree is not actually conferred before classes begin.
Citizenship. You must not hold Korean citizenship. This is the rule that disqualifies the most people, so read the fine print.
KAIST also expects admitted students to study full time. You cannot hold other professional responsibilities or be enrolled at another institution at the same time, and you must have completed your prior degree before you enroll.
The English requirement, and the waivers
Because the degrees are taught in English, every applicant submits one English proficiency test (EPT) score, unless they qualify for a waiver. The score must be recent (KAIST requires tests taken within a set recent window, so check the current cutoff) and reported to KAIST directly through the testing agency where the test requires it.
| Test | Minimum score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 83 | Home Edition accepted. MyBest scores are not accepted. Report through ETS (institution code 0195, department code 99). |
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | Overall band. IELTS Online accepted. One Skill Retake is not accepted. |
| TOEIC (Listening and Reading) | 720 | Listening and Reading only. |
| TEPS (NEW) | 326 |
Scores from an Institutional Testing Program (ITP) are not accepted, and a score that arrives after the application deadline will not be considered, so book your test early.
Finding an advisor
At the graduate level, the professor you work under matters more than almost anything else, and KAIST builds that into the application.
- Master's applicants are asked to name up to three faculty members in the department they are applying to, in Step 1 of the online application. You generally do not need to contact them first, though some programs do expect prior contact. Check the program's own page.
- PhD and master's-PhD integrated applicants name one faculty advisor from the department they are applying to. KAIST strongly recommends contacting that professor before you apply, because in many labs the advisor's willingness to take you is decisive.
Look up faculty and their research before you apply through each department's website, the KAIST research portal, or STARLIBRARY, and make sure the lab you name actually works on what you want to study. A specific, well-matched advisor choice is one of the strongest signals in a graduate application.
How to apply, step by step
The whole application runs through KAIST's online graduate application portal. You complete it in one continuous flow, and it locks once you pay, so prepare your documents first.
How to apply to KAIST as an international graduate student
Choose your program and enter your background (Step 1)
At gradapply.kaist.ac.kr, select your degree program and major, authenticate a single email address (this becomes your login and cannot be reused for a second application), upload your photo and ID documents, name your advisor or up to three faculty, and choose your financial resource, including the KAIST Scholarship if you want to be considered for it.
Add your academic record and recommenders (Step 2)
Enter your academic background, English test score or waiver, and work or research experience. Upload certified copies of your degree certificate and transcript combined into a single PDF, and register two recommenders using their professional or institutional email addresses.
Write your statement of purpose (Step 3)
Answer the short required questions (up to 500 bytes each) and write your main statement of purpose (up to 5,000 bytes) explaining who you are, what you have done, and what you want to accomplish at KAIST.
Upload your CV and supporting documents (Step 4)
Upload your CV as a PDF, add proof of any honors, awards, publications, or test scores, and include any documents your specific major requires. Only PDF files of 3 MB or less are accepted, and each must be clear and legible.
Review and pay the 80 USD fee (Step 5)
Proofread everything, because nothing can change after payment. Pay the 80 USD application fee, ideally by credit card for the fastest processing. Once paid, KAIST assigns your application number and automatically emails your recommenders to upload their letters.
Track your status and respond to requests
Monitor the Application Status page during document screening, provide any supplementary documents KAIST requests, and watch your email in case your department invites you to an interview.
A few things that trip applicants up: the application submits at the deadline in Korean Standard Time, not your local time; recommendation letters are submitted by your recommenders through KAIST's system, never attached to your own materials, and they remain confidential; and the fee is non-refundable even if you later withdraw.
The documents you will need
KAIST asks you to prepare everything as clear PDF scans and upload each into its own section. This is the core set.
| Document | Who needs it |
|---|---|
| Identity document (passport or ID, sensitive numbers redacted) | Everyone |
| Identity documents of both parents | Everyone |
| Certificate of family registration | Everyone |
| Degree certificate and transcript (certified, combined into one PDF) | Everyone |
| Master's degree documents | PhD applicants |
| English proficiency test report | Everyone, unless waived |
| Curriculum vitae (CV) | Everyone |
| Two recommendation letters (submitted by recommenders) | Everyone |
| Scholarship or sponsorship letter | Self-funded applicants using an outside sponsor |
| Certificate of employment | Optional, if relevant to your field |
| Proof of excellence (awards, publications, GRE, etc.) | Optional, recommended |
Some details that matter:
- Redact sensitive numbers. KAIST asks you to obscure your own and your parents' passport numbers, alien registration numbers, and bank account numbers on every document.
- Translate non-English, non-Korean documents. Anything in another language must be translated, preferably by the issuing institution or a notary. Untranslated documents carry no weight.
- Chinese applicants can substitute CHESICC verification for the degree, and CHESICC academic transcripts for the transcript.
- Apostille comes after admission, but prepare early. You upload plain scans to apply, but if you are admitted you must provide apostille or embassy-verified originals of your degrees and transcripts. KAIST strongly recommends submitting authenticated documents from the application stage. Our apostille guide walks through it country by country.
The statement of purpose
The statement is where a graduate committee decides whether your goals fit their labs. KAIST splits it into short answers plus one longer essay.
The short answers (up to 500 bytes each, so a few sentences) cover what you studied before, why you chose your major, your study plan, your plans after graduating, any honors, and, if you selected one, why your second-choice major. The main statement of purpose (up to 5,000 bytes) is your space to make the case: your background, what you have accomplished, the research you want to do, and why KAIST and your chosen advisor are the right place for it. If you want help shaping essays like these, our guide on how to write a statement of purpose and study plan covers the structure and the common mistakes.
The timeline
KAIST runs a Spring and a Fall intake, and the process is the same each cycle even though the exact dates shift. The calendar below is the 2026 Fall Regular track, shown as the shape to expect. Confirm the live dates at the source before you plan around them.
| Stage | When (2026 Fall Regular) |
|---|---|
| Online application and document upload | Early to mid March (closes 5PM KST) |
| Recommendation letter deadline | About a week after the application closes |
| Document screening by KAIST | March to early May |
| Interview, only if the department requests one | May to early June |
| Decision announcement | Late June, through the online system |
| Enrollment and start of the semester | Late August |
The application portal becomes inaccessible during the department evaluation period and reopens on the announcement day, when decisions are posted along with the registration guide. Departments contact applicants directly by email if an interview is needed, so check your inbox through late spring.
Funding: the KAIST Scholarship and beyond
This is the part that makes KAIST unusual among top universities: most admitted international students are funded, and there is no separate scholarship application. When you select the KAIST Scholarship as your financial resource in Step 1, you are considered automatically, and admission and funding are decided together.
The KAIST Scholarship covers full tuition, pays a monthly stipend to support living costs, and covers your National Health Insurance premium. How many semesters of tuition it guarantees depends on your program.
| Program | Semesters of full tuition | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Master's | 4 | Monthly stipend and National Health Insurance premium |
| Master's-PhD integrated | 10 | Monthly stipend and National Health Insurance premium |
| Doctoral (PhD) | 8 | Monthly stipend and National Health Insurance premium |
The exact stipend depends on your department, advisor, and research involvement, and students in active research can receive more through their lab. On top of the base scholarship, KAIST runs named awards that its scholarship holders are automatically considered for.
| Scholarship | Who it is for | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| KAIST Scholarship | Most admitted international students who select it | Full tuition, a monthly stipend, and the health insurance premium |
| KAIST Global Presidential Scholarship (KGPS) | Master's and integrated scholarship applicants (department nominates the most competitive) | Full tuition plus a 1,000,000 KRW monthly stipend for 4 regular semesters |
| KAIST Prestige Scholarship | Integrated and PhD scholarship applicants (top academic and research records) | Full tuition plus a 300,000 KRW monthly stipend for 8 regular semesters (integrated recipients start it at the PhD phase) |
| Global EPSS (Samsung) | Electrical Engineering applicants from top universities in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam | Full tuition, a monthly stipend, a Samsung internship, and guaranteed employment at Samsung Electronics |
| GT-TEP | Government officials from AfCFTA (Africa) or ASEAN member states, in the mobility and trade program | Full tuition, stipends, round-trip airfare, and academic activity support |
Two things to keep in mind. Admission and scholarship decisions are made independently, so KAIST may admit you without the scholarship option you chose, or assign a different one. And the named awards are competitive: the department head nominates only its strongest applicants, so your record and your fit with a lab still drive everything.
If you self-fund
If you do not take the KAIST Scholarship, you plan around tuition plus living costs. Tuition for 2026 is 9,559,000 KRW per semester for most departments, with a few exceptions (the Graduate School of Global Digital Innovation is lower, and the MBA programs are considerably higher). Beyond tuition, KAIST estimates non-tuition costs for a single graduate student living on campus at about 5,350,000 KRW per six months, and students living off campus should expect 35 to 50 percent more.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, most departments | 9,559,000 KRW per semester |
| Non-tuition living costs, on campus | About 5,350,000 KRW per six months |
| On-campus dormitory (Daejeon) | From about 115,000 KRW per month |
| Bank balance for the student visa | About 16,000 USD, the minimum the Ministry of Justice expects for your first year |
Self-funded and sponsored applicants must show they can cover these costs, which for the D-2 student visa means a bank statement at roughly the level above. Our guides on financial proof for a Korean student visa and the cost of studying in Korea go deeper on both.
The application fee waiver
The 80 USD fee cannot be waived except through KAIST's dedicated program for applicants from the least developed countries.
Programs and English instruction
KAIST's graduate programs are taught in English, and its international community spans dozens of countries, so you can complete a master's or PhD without Korean. That said, some programs list additional materials (a portfolio for Industrial Design, a medical license for the Physician-Scientist track), and a few tracks such as GDI-ITTP and KINS-KAIST have their own rules. Read your target program's own page before you apply, and use the KAIST research portal to find the labs and advisors that match your interests. If you are weighing KAIST against other English-taught options in Korea, our guide on English-taught degree programs in Korea maps the wider field.
What to do next
- Check the citizenship rule and the degree-level rule against your own situation first. It is the fastest way to know whether this route is open to you.
- Search KAIST faculty and labs in your field, and, for a PhD or integrated program, start a conversation with a prospective advisor early.
- Book your English test now if you need one, or confirm you qualify for a waiver.
- See the KAIST International Student Scholarship listing for the funding at a glance, and read our graduate school in Korea guide and the GKS Graduate Scholarship guide to compare KAIST's own funding with the government route.
- Confirm this cycle's exact dates and requirements on KAIST's official graduate admissions site before you commit to a plan.