Pohang University of Science and Technology Scholarships for International Students 2026

No, POSTECH’s scholarship system is built mainly for admitted undergraduate and graduate students rather than for fully online degree study.

For degree-seeking international students, English is the main answer. POSTECH says its new international undergraduate track comes with a 100% English-taught curriculum, and the graduate admissions FAQ says that all graduate programs at POSTECH are taught entirely in English. At the broader campus level, POSTECH also describes itself as a bilingual campus, so you will still see Korean in daily life and some non-degree or exchange contexts. This fits the scholarship stories well: Hajiyev Sarkhan said his IELTS 6.5 showed readiness for “English-medium coursework.”

There’s no POSTECH-specific age limit on the major university scholarship. The eligibility rules focused on things like nationality track, educational background, academic preparation, language proof, and scholarship-specific conditions instead of age. So for POSTECH’s own tuition scholarships and most university-level support, the practical focus is your fit and eligibility rather than your age. However, if you are applying through an external program such as GKS, you should still check that year’s government guideline separately because national scholarship rules can be updated. The recipient stories also suggest different life stages are possible: May Myint Myat worked in education technology before her master’s, Chaitali Bhattacharyya moved from BTech to master’s to PhD, and Hajiyev Sarkhan continued on to work in Korea after graduation.

Generally, POSTECH scholarships are strongest for STEM and engineering because POSTECH itself is built around science, technology, and research.

Official program lists include Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial & Management Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Convergence IT Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Materials Science, Advanced Nuclear Engineering, Interdisciplinary Biosciences and Bioengineering, Ferrous & Eco Materials Technology, and Battery Engineering.

For engineering, POSTECH is a particularly strong fit; for business, the closest official options are business-adjacent and quantitative areas such as Industrial & Management Engineering plus economics and management-related study in HASS or interdisciplinary tracks rather than a classic standalone business school.

For humanities, POSTECH does have HASS with literature, history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, economics, management, and politics.

The recipient stories reflect this STEM tilt well: Chaitali Bhattacharyya is in Electrical Engineering and works on LLMs, May Myint Myat is in Environmental Science and Engineering studying “air pollution,” and Hajiyev Sarkhan worked in advanced materials and biomedical applications.

POSTECH is fairly broad here, but the exact answer depends on the scholarship. For undergraduate international admission, POSTECH has one track for applicants and parents with foreign citizenship and another for students who completed all 12 years of schooling outside Korea, so it is not limited to one nationality.

For graduate international admission, POSTECH’s materials similarly focus on foreign citizenship or overseas educational background rather than naming only a few countries. But there are some exceptions: POSCO Global Scholarship is for nationalities designated by the foundation, and GKS follows the Korean government’s eligible-country framework. The recipient examples show how international the pool already is: Chaitali Bhattacharyya is from India, May Myint Myat is from Myanmar, and Hajiyev Sarkhan is from Azerbaijan.

Usually yes for English, but not usually for TOPIK. On the undergraduate side, POSTECH’s FAQ says a complete file includes an English-language proficiency score report or exemption documents. On the graduate side, POSTECH explicitly requires proof of English ability unless you qualify for an accepted exemption or can submit proof that your degree program was taught in English; the graduate GKS materials list minimum scores such as TOEIC 750, TOEFL PBT 550, TOEFL iBT 79, TEPS 327, or IELTS 6.0. Korean proficiency is not generally an essential admission requirement for POSTECH graduate application, although POSTECH notes that some Korean ability can be preferred, and undergraduates can later receive a Korean proficiency scholarship for TOPIK 4 or above. The stories make this personal: Hajiyev Sarkhan entered with IELTS 6.5 and later reached TOPIK Level 3, while Chaitali Bhattacharyya noted that after receiving GKS, students need a Korean language year and the required TOPIK level.

There’s no single published universal minimum GPA for regular degree admission to POSTECH on the public international admissions pages I reviewed. For undergraduate international admission, POSTECH describes a document-based evaluation that looks at academic records, recommendation letters, and other supporting materials, so the process appears more holistic than a simple cutoff. What POSTECH does publish more clearly are scholarship continuation thresholds after enrollment, not a guaranteed admission cutoff before enrollment. In practice, the recipient stories suggest that strong grades help a lot: May Myint Myat had a GPA of 4.77 in Chemistry, Chaitali Bhattacharyya had 8.50/10 in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, and Hajiyev Sarkhan had 89/100 in his bachelor’s and 92.4/100 in his master’s.

A strong POSTECH scholarship profile is usually STEM-heavy, research-aware, and clearly matched to your intended field or lab. Good grades matter, but so do research fit, purpose, and preparation. Chaitali Bhattacharyya is a strong example because she paired an 8.50/10 GPA with research exploration, papers, and a clear move into AI and LLMs; she explained that the real challenge in her field is “power, memory, and time efficiency.” May Myint Myat shows that a chemistry background can still work if you connect it well to your new field, since she moved into environmental science through sustainability-related short courses, extra training, and strong communication with referees and a prospective supervisor. Hajiyev Sarkhan also stresses planning and clarity; his advice was to “Prepare early. Be strategic. Stay authentic.” For business-leaning or humanities-leaning applicants, the best profile is usually one that still shows quantitative ability or interdisciplinary fit, because POSTECH is much more STEM-centered than a broad comprehensive university.

For undergraduate international admission, POSTECH’s public FAQ makes clear that your application is only complete if you submit the required original hard-copy documents by post, send an official English proficiency score report or approved exemption documents, have recommendation letters sent directly by recommenders, and complete the online application with fee payment. The same FAQ also says apostilled or consular-authenticated original transcripts and graduation documents must be mailed in original form when required, and non-English documents need notarized translations.

For graduate admission, POSTECH’s guide lists an online application, personal statement and research plan, CV, proof of citizenship, recommendation letters, official transcripts, degree certificates, English score report or proof of English-medium instruction, and optionally a degree thesis. If you apply through graduate GKS, POSTECH additionally asks all applicants for an English score report, CV, and a prospective advisor list, and Medical Science and Engineering applicants need extra program-specific documents.

The recipient stories reinforce how important preparation is: May Myint Myat said she contacted academic referees and a prospective supervising professor three to four months in advance and stayed highly responsive during document requests.

Yes. For undergraduate international admission, POSTECH’s English FAQ and notices clearly say the application fee is required, non-refundable, and non-waivable once paid. For graduate admission, a recent official guide shows an application fee of 80 USD or 80,000 KRW, with payment by credit card or bank transfer, and notes that applicants from POSTECH partner universities may have the fee waived in that guide. Because POSTECH updates its materials by intake, it is best to confirm the current round before paying.