Summer Program in Seoul Details
Program Dates
June 17, 2025-June 28, 2025 Mandatory Course (3 credits)
June 29, 2025-July 4, 2025 Optional Course (2 credits)
Optional Internship for credit (2 or 3 credits) or no-credit after coursework
Application
Applications are being accepted now and are due on March 29, 2025, but those seeking internships are encouraged to apply early. If you are a first-year law student, please wait until you have your first-semester grades to apply and apply with a transcript reflecting those grades. Those applying for internships will be contacted for further steps after the application is submitted.
Academic Policies
The Summer Institute is accredited by the American Bar Association. Fordham’s academic rules and regulations apply for awarding academic credit. Fordham uses an “A-F” grading system.
Acceptance of any credit or grade for any course is subject to determination by the student’s home institution. All classes and internships qualify for academic semester credit hours towards the JD or LLM degree at Fordham. Fordham Law Evening Division students who are planning to transfer to the full-time day division are eligible to participate.
Non-Fordham Law students should consult their law school’s registrar to verify that the Fordham course and internship may be credited toward their degree.
Summer grades are generally available by late-July to early-August; transcript requests are free of charge and should be addressed to the Fordham Law Office of the Registrar.
Internships
Participating students have the option of applying to be placed in internships with legal employers either for credit or for no credit. Internship lengths can be anywhere between two to four weeks.
Two-credit internship last three weeks and three-credit internships last four weeks. In the past, placements have been made in law firms, multinational corporations, public interest organizations, and judicial research institutes affiliated with the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court of Korea, but placements vary year to year.
Because of the limited number of internships, those seeking one are encouraged to apply early. Internship applicants may be asked to submit additional information and be interviewed.
Language
Instruction and internship are in English, and knowledge of Korean is not required or expected, though useful in some employment settings. The program will offer a Korean language course for absolute beginners for those interested. The class dates will be determined once the roster is complete, but there will likely be 15 evening sessions, meeting for one hour at a time, between May 19 and June 11, 2025 over Zoom.
Housing
The program will offer single-occupancy rooms at a serviced residence (not at the university) in a safe neighborhood in central Seoul for the duration of the program for those who request housing. Please refer to the section on Fees for more information. The fee may be lower than the fee listed if you are placed in a double-occupancy room with a roommate. Please inquire further if you are interested in this option.
Travel and Documentation
Transportation costs to and from Korea are not included. Participants arrange travel on their own. A passport is required for travel to South Korea. Students are responsible for obtaining their passports. This process takes time, so students are encouraged to plan ahead and secure a passport early.
U.S. citizens can enter the Republic of Korea without a visa for a stay of 90 days or less for tourism or temporary business purposes. Though a visa is not needed to enter the country, the Korea Electronic Travel Authorization (K-ETA) is required for nationals of visa-free countries and can be applied for as late as 24 hours before departure. Read more inofrmaiton at https://www.k-eta.go.kr/portal/apply/index.do.
Participants who will stay for longer than 90 days, or stay on for other employment (unpaid internships undertaken through the Fordham-SKKU Institute are NOT considered employment for visa purposes), for any profit-making reason, or to teach English, will need to get a visa at an ROK embassy or consulate prior to entering the Republic of Korea. In addition, stays of longer than 90 days also require an Alien Registration Card. Full details, including visa entry requirements for nationals of other countries, can be found on the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (http://www.mofa.go.kr).
Accident and Sickness Insurance
Students should consult their individual insurance carriers and obtain supplemental insurance as desired.
Cancellation Policy
The Korea Summer Program reserves the right to alter or cancel its programs. Cancellation would occur in the event of under-enrollment by May 1, 2024, or unforeseen international events that could inhibit program operations or seriously affect participants' safety.
In the unlikely event that the program is canceled, students will be notified immediately via telephone and email; the refunds of the otherwise non-refundable application fee and all other payments will be requested within 20 days of cancellation; and Fordham will use its best efforts to make alternative arrangements for any enrolled student to attend a similar program, if desired. If the program were to be modified substantially, students affected by the modifications would be entitled to a refund upon request.