Korean

Language Placement

Revised July 2008

All students with any knowledge of Korean, however acquired, who plan to enroll in a University of Texas at Austin Korean language course for the first time must take the UT-administered Korean placement exam to help determine their most appropriate course level. The Korean placement exam is administered by the Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment.

In fall 2008, the test will be given on August 27. Students with prior knowledge of Korean who wish to register for Korean-language courses for the first time in fall 2008 should plan to take this exam. The Korean placement exam consists of the SAT II Korean and a UT Austin written exam. Students who have already taken the SAT II Korean in high school will be able to take just the written exam portion in order to receive credit and placement.

Lower-level courses: Based on exam results, students will be placed initially into the correct level of first-year Korean (KOR 506/507) or second-year Korean (412K/412L). In general, students are expected to enroll in the highest level course for which they qualify; instructors reserve the right to transfer students between levels if appropriate.

Accelerated First-/Second-year Korean: The one-year, KOR 604/KOR 612 sequence is designed primarily for students who understand and speak but do not read or write Korean. To enroll in KOR 604, a student must be ineligible for KOR 507 based on placement test results; students registering for KOR 604 may not simultaneously claim credit for KOR 506.

Students otherwise appropriate for the accelerated sequence who feel that their vocabulary is too limited may, with instructor permission, take KOR 506 instead. More generally, students unsure about their appropriateness for the accelerated Korean sequence must take the placement exam but should also contact the course instructor with their questions.

Based on course performance, it is possible to switch from the accelerated sequence to the regular lower-level sequence and vice versa, at the recommendation or with the permission of course instructors. Thus, students who experience difficulty with KOR 604 might subsequently switch to the regular 412K/412L second-year sequence, while students completing KOR 507 may possibly be eligible to switch to the accelerated second-year course, KOR 612, if they wish to.

Upper-level courses: Students who receive four semesters/18 hours of credit through the Korean placement exam who wish to register for a third-year (320K/320L) or fourth-year (330) Korean course must consult with instructors directly in order to be placed in the correct course. In general, students may register for an advanced Korean course only after receiving a grade of C or better in its prerequisite or with instructor permission (after taking the placement exam).

Additional notes:

• Returning students who have improved their Korean through summer study or some other means, without transferable credit, are strongly encouraged to consult the undergraduate advisor and Korean instructors in order to determine their best course level.
• Asian Studies majors have a priority on waitlists for Korean courses in the event of course closure. Students minoring in Korean/Asian Studies do not have any priority.
• It is never possible to enroll in two or more levels of Korean courses simultaneously.
• Students who qualify for fourth-year Korean based on placement test/instructor interview results or successful completion of KOR 320L may take the semesters of KOR 330 in any order.