Classes, a company placement, weekend trips, and a city that never stops. Here’s what a semester at Hanyang ERICA actually looks like.
When students think about studying abroad in South Korea, they usually picture one thing: a semester at a great university in Seoul, a new social life, and the chance to explore a country they’ve been curious about for years. That’s already a lot. But the Hanyang Work Experience Program adds something most study abroad programs simply don’t offer: real work experience in South Korea, running alongside your academic semester.
The result is a semester that covers a lot of ground. You’re studying at one of Korea’s most respected universities, gaining hands-on professional experience at a Korean company, exploring Seoul on weekends, and building the kind of international network that tends to outlast the semester itself. Here’s what that actually looks like from the inside.
The study part: Hanyang University ERICA Campus
Your academic semester takes place at Hanyang University ERICA Campus, located in Ansan in the Seoul Capital Area, about 30 to 40 minutes from central Seoul by public transport. Hanyang is one of South Korea’s top universities, welcoming over 7,000 international students annually and consistently ranked among the most internationalised institutions in the country.
The ERICA Campus was built around the idea that academic study and real industry should be connected rather than separate. Students don’t just listen to lectures, they solve problems, collaborate in teams, and engage in Hanyang’s signature IC-PBL model, which links classroom learning with actual industry challenges. For students who find purely theoretical study frustrating, it’s a refreshing change of pace.
Courses are taught in English across a wide range of fields including business, engineering, IT, economics, and social sciences. You need to take at least one course per semester, but most students take more. Dormitories are guaranteed for international students who request them, and the campus offers everything from student clubs to cultural activities, buddy programs, language support, and counselling.
Hanyang ERICA at a glance
Ansan, Seoul Capital Area (30–40 min from central Seoul)
One of South Korea’s top universities
English-taught courses across business, IT, engineering, economics and more
Over 7,000 international students annually
Guaranteed dormitory for international students
Buddy programme, language support and cultural activities on campus
The work part: a real company placement in Seoul
Alongside your studies, the program includes a non-paid practical training placement at a company in Seoul or Gyeonggi Province. This isn’t a shadowing experience or a campus simulation, it’s a genuine work placement at a Korean company, running 20 to 40 hours per week with flexible scheduling built around your academic timetable.
Getting real work experience in South Korea during the same semester you’re studying there is rare. South Korea has a unique and fascinating professional culture. By working in a Korean company, students experience what daily life looks like in a Korean workplace, including teamwork, communication styles, and how businesses operate in one of Asia’s most innovative economies. That context is genuinely hard to get any other way.
The fields available for placements include IT, Computer Science, Marketing, Business Administration, Communication and Media, Education, and Web Development. Asia Exchange manages the full placement process, so you don’t have to find the company yourself.
How the placement process works
1. Resume review
Your CV is reviewed and adapted for the Korean professional context, about four months before the program begins.
2. Online interview
You complete an online interview where you can express your preferred field and professional interests.
3. Company matching
Based on your profile and interview, you’re matched with a company in Seoul or Gyeonggi Province.
4. Placement begins
20–40 hours per week, flexible scheduling, either during or after your academic semester depending on company requirements.
5. Certificate of completion
Your host company issues an official certificate alongside your Hanyang University academic transcript, two documents that together make a strong CV.
You leave with a Hanyang University academic transcript and an official certificate from your host company. A combination that most study abroad programs simply can’t offer.
The adventure part: life in Seoul and beyond
Studying abroad in South Korea means living in one of the most exciting student cities in the world. Seoul is a 24-hour city: ancient palaces and mountain trails sit alongside night markets, world-class restaurants, and some of the most creative neighbourhoods in Asia. Being based at ERICA means you’re close enough to get into Seoul easily for evenings and weekends, while still having a proper campus community to come back to.
The flexible scheduling of your work placement is designed precisely to protect your weekends for exactly this kind of exploration. And Korea’s public transport system makes it remarkably easy to travel further afield, to coastal towns, national parks, the historic city of Gyeongju, or even a short flight to Japan, Taiwan, or Southeast Asia.
Students who’ve done internship programs abroad in South Korea consistently describe the cultural experience as one of the unexpected highlights, not just the temples and street food, but the everyday moments of navigating a new culture, building friendships across language barriers, and discovering what Korean professional and social life actually feels like from the inside.
What you come back with
A semester that combines study abroad in South Korea with genuine work experience leaves you with more than memories. You come back with an academic transcript from a top Korean university, a professional certificate from a Korean company, a network of international contacts, and the kind of cross-cultural confidence that’s increasingly valuable in the job market.
Many graduates today have similar academic backgrounds, so employers often look for experiences that set candidates apart. Completing a study and internship abroad program in South Korea demonstrates exactly the qualities that do that.
How to apply
Applications are handled through Asia Exchange entirely online, with confirmations often within a day. The placement process starts around four months before the program begins, so the earlier you apply, the better your company match will be. The first four applicants to each intake receive a 200 EUR tuition discount, a practical reason to move quickly if this sounds like the right fit.
Program at a glance
Hanyang University ERICA Campus, Ansan (Seoul Capital Area)
One semester: academic study + 2-month work placement
20–40 hours per week, flexible scheduling
Non-paid practical training placement
Hanyang University transcript + host company certificate IT, CS, Marketing, Business, Communication, Education, Web Development
First 4 applicants: 200 EUR tuition discount
Ready to study abroad in South Korea and gain real work experience at the same time? Apply to the Hanyang Work Experience Program through Asia Exchange.
The post Study abroad in South Korea: study, work and adventure appeared first on Asia Exchange.
Article source: https://asiaexchange.org/blogs/study-abroad-in-south-korea-study-work-and-adventure/
