Program Summary and Degree Programs

What is Sookmyung Women’s University Graduate School of Distance Learning’s Business Administration for the Elderly Program?

The Business Administration for the Elderly Program was established to foster industry experts who will lead the 21st century era defined by an aging population, and to elevate the quality of this industry in Korea. As the private sector’s participation is increasing in this industry to satisfy the needs of the rapidly growing senior population, we seek to guide business administration for the elderly in the right direction and in that regard provide practical education in ways to provide high-quality and satisfactory services to the elderly, as well as help the industry produce products and services that meet their needs, thereby ensuring a happy and healthy life for seniors.

Is this an official Master’s Degree program?

Sookmyung Women’s University Graduate School of Distance Learning’s Business Administration for the Elderly Program is an official elderly business administration master’s degree program.

What is the total duration of the program?

The Program is 5 semesters long, with early graduation possible at 4 semesters upon request. In the last semester, a graduation thesis, graduation coursework, or degree certification test (the last of which requires 2 additional courses) must be completed in order to receive a Master’s Degree. Depending on your program, your options may differ, and you may have to consult the Head Professor of your program.

Is it possible to receive a license?

It is possible to receive an elderly psychological counseling license upon completion of the Business Administration for the Elderly Program. The license will be issued upon the completion of program courses and the special lecture series as well as clinical training.

Application Eligibility

What are the admissions eligibility criteria for the Graduate School?

Only applicants with Bachelor’s Degrees (including those expecting to graduate) may apply.

• Applicants who have completed or are expected to complete a 4-year undergraduate program
• Applicants who received Bachelor’s Degrees from foreign academic institutions.
• Applicants who have degrees at the same level or higher than a Bachelor’s Degree as recognized by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development (Cyber University, Korean National Open University, Academic Credit Bank System, Self-Education Programs, etc.)
• Applicants with different undergraduate majors may be admitted.
• Applicants who have received more than 6 academic credits in a related major at domestic or foreign graduate schools (transfer only)

May I apply regardless of my undergraduate major?

Yes, it is possible. Currently, the graduate students in our Program represent a wide diversity of undergraduate academic concentrations.

Are men eligible to apply?

They may certainly apply. The male enrollment rate for our Graduate School is high. In addition, they may use all of its facilities including the library and the student service center.

Can those residing abroad apply?

It is possible to enroll in the Graduate School of Distance Learning from abroad. Of importance for students residing abroad is the interaction with the professor and classmates. Students in Korea find it easy to interact not only in the online classroom but also by phone or through offline meetings, while students living abroad face different time zones and locations and thus requiring them to proactively participate in online interactive opportunities. In situations where you may not be able to attend special offline lectures, we will make video recordings of the sessions and provide them online. Therefore, once you enroll in the Graduate School of Distance Learning from abroad, as long as you are proactively making progress in the coursework, you will be able to successfully complete the curriculum at our school.

Admissions

What is the new student admission timeline and additional admissions timeline like?

The first half of new student admissions takes1 place from the end of October to November, and the later half from the end of April to May. However, there may be changes each year, and it is advisable to visit the Graduate School of Professional Studies’ homepage to confirm the exact dates. Additional admissions may take place depending on the circumstances of each semester. This may occur after new student admissions, and you should check whether new information has been posted.

What is the procedure for application?

Application is divided into written application and interviews. For the 1st phase of the application process, you must submit application forms, graduation certificates, transcripts and other application documents. For the 2nd phase of interviews, Distance Education & Technology interviews take place, and there are no additional tests or evaluations thereafter.

Do you recognize academic credits from a different graduate school?

They are recognized only for transfer students. If more than 6 academic credits were obtained at other domestic•international graduate schools or graduate schools at our University, then up to 12 academic credits may be recognized following an internal review and approval at our Graduate School.

Interview Preparations

Are any special preparations necessary for the interview?

The common feature of the Graduate School of Distance Learning application process is that the applicant’s vision, passion and commitment to the particular Program, and motivation for applying will be comprehensively evaluated. In addition, the applicant’s behavior, personality, and previous experience will be considered, and each interview will take 5 to 10 minutes.

Which books should I study in order to prepare for the interview•oral test for admission into the Business Administration for the Elderly Program?

• Sook Eung Kim • Oui Hoon Lee (2004), Marketing Business Administration for the Elderly. Hyungsul Publications.
• Articles in daily newspapers • economics-related papers related to business administration for the elderly.

Class Details

How are classes held for this Program?

Every Tuesday, there is an online lecture, and once a month on Saturday, there is an offline class. The classes are 2 hours long and are held between 10AM and 6PM, with possible changes depending on circumstances.

How do you fulfill the foreign language (English test) requirement?

The foreign language (English test) requirement may be fulfilled in any of the following 4 ways. You may select an approach that works best for you in fulfilling the language requirement.

• The foreign language test (English) requirement may be fulfilled by attending English classes at the Graduate School of Professional Studies, or by achieving a certain score on TOEFL, TOEIC, SMU-MATE, or IELTS and submitting relevant forms.
• Every March and September, you may take the test for the English class, and passing this test will fulfill the language requirement.
• In addition, after taking the offline English class at the Graduate School of Professional Studies, you may also pass the mid-term and final qualification tests.
• Students who cannot visit our campus in person can take the online English class (e-Learning) offered by the Graduation School of Professional Studies and take the final qualification exam.

Graduation Criteria

Is it possible to obtain Master’s Degree without writing a thesis?

It is possible. Currently, in accordance with education law, you may receive a Master’s Degree by either completing 24 academic credits as well as writing a thesis or by completing 30 academic credits and passing the graduation qualification test. Therefore, you may receive the Master’s Degree by completing 6 more credits and passing the graduation qualification test.

What are the criteria for graduation?

Master’s Degree conferral is possible after completing more than 4 semesters of coursework, maintaining an average of B-(GPA 2.7) or above, and passing thesis defense or qualifications tests. Those who passed the foreign language test (English) / obtained more than 24 academic credits with a grade point average of B-(2.7) or higher.

Is early graduation possible?

Early graduation within 4 semesters or more is permissible for students who accumulated sufficient credits for graduation. In such cases, they must submit an “Additional Academic Credits Request Form,” and pay registration fees for the additional credits requested. Only students in their first or second semester may apply, and 24 academic credits must have been completed by the third semester.