奬 Scholarship
KOICA Scholarship Program (CIAT)
◎ Government · Korea International Cooperation Agency
Who is it for?
Fully funded. Benefits include: full tuition fees
- You are applying for a graduate (master / phd) program.
- You want full-tuition funding.
- You are from an eligible country (Citizens of KOICA-designated ODA partner…).
Quick facts
Type
Government
Level
Graduate (Master / PhD)
Who can apply
Citizens of KOICA-designated ODA partner
Funding period
Master’s about 17 months; Doctoral about 36 months (unverified)
Recipients
For the 2024 admission round KOICA planned to select 365 fel
Intake year
2027
What you get
Benefits
- Fully funded. Benefits include: full tuition fees
- one round-trip airfare
- settlement (relocation) allowance
- dormitory accommodation
- monthly living allowance
- National Health Insurance fee
- private medical insurance fee
- and a Scholarship Completion Grant.
- Additional support: pre-departure orientation, arrival briefings and orientation, settling-in/immigration support, academic experiential learning, meetings with field experts, industrial visits, participation in international conferences, Korean language classes, ongoing monitoring and emergency assistance.
Funding period
- Master’s about 17 months
- Doctoral about 36 months (unverified).
Eligibility
Who can apply
- All applicants must be (1) citizens of designated ODA partner countries selected by the Korean government/KOICA from the OECD DAC List of ODA Recipients (the country list changes annually and is provided through KOICA overseas offices or Korean Embassies)
- (2) government officials who receive an official nomination from their own government for the KOICA Scholarship program
- (3) preferably under the age of 40
- (4) in good mental and physical health
- (5) fluent in English (speaking and writing).
- Applicants must also meet the admission criteria of the specific host institution.
- Restrictions: individuals who previously received a degree-program scholarship from the Korean government are NOT eligible (a prior Korean-government bachelor’s-degree scholarship does not disqualify)
- former KOICA SP fellows whose scholarship was cancelled after enrollment are NOT eligible.
- For the Doctoral program, applicants must be KOICA SP fellows who successfully completed the KOICA Master’s Degree Program and must not have received prior foreign assistance for a doctoral scholarship.
Nationalities
- Citizens of KOICA-designated ODA partner (developing) countries drawn from the OECD DAC List of ODA Recipients
- the eligible-country list is set annually by KOICA and provided via KOICA overseas offices/Korean Embassies.
- Historically the program has trained fellows of over 80 nationalities.
- Not open to Korean nationals or applicants from non-eligible countries.
How to apply
Application period
- Annually, one main round per year (guideline published well ahead of intake).
- The 2027 round guideline and application forms were posted on the CIAT Notice board on Jun.
- 08, 2026.
- Exact application deadlines are set by each KOICA overseas office / Korean Embassy, not by KOICA headquarters.
- Typical timeline: overseas-office/Embassy screening and application submission around March
- institution (university) screening April-June
- admission notification July
- entry to Korea and final screening August (schedule subject to change).
How to apply
- NOMINATION-ONLY / GOVERNMENT-CHANNEL application.
- There is NO direct individual online application to KOICA headquarters or to the universities.
- An applicant must (1) be a serving government official, (2) obtain an OFFICIAL NOMINATION from their own government, and (3) submit the completed KOICA application forms (plus the required admission package and ‘Document Checklist’) by e-mail to the KOICA overseas office or Korean Embassy in their country.
- The KOICA overseas office / Korean Embassy conducts an on-site interview and initial screening, then forwards successful candidates to the host institution, which performs its own document screening, medical check-up, original-document submission (via DHL) and interview (sometimes an additional written exam).
- Applicants should contact their local KOICA overseas office / Korean Embassy for the country-specific deadline and the current list of eligible countries and courses.
Required documents
- Completed KOICA Scholarship Program Application Form (official.docx form provided with the guideline) and a ‘Document Checklist’
- plus the admission-package documents required by each host institution as listed in that program’s Program Information (typically including academic transcripts and degree certificates, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, English proficiency evidence, and results of a local medical check-up
- original documents submitted to the institution by DHL after passing document screening).
- Exact document lists are specified in the annual KOICA Application Guideline and each course’s Program Information. (unverified full itemized list – see official guideline PDF)
Keeping the scholarship
Renewal conditions
- Not a renewable/annual-competition award but a fixed-term funded program: Master’s degree programs run about 17 months (multi-country)
- Doctoral programs run longer (approx.
- 36 months) (unverified exact PhD duration).
- Continued funding is contingent on maintaining enrollment and satisfactory academic progress
- KOICA conducts regular monitoring meetings, and fellows are expected to complete the program and return to their home country.
- Scholarship may be cancelled for non-compliance (and such former fellows are then barred from re-applying).
Track record. KOICA fellowship program since 1963 (rebranded CIAT in 2012; degree Scholarship Program since 1997); 4,200-5,000+ graduates of 80+ nationalities.
Contact & where to study
Official page
Contact
- KOICA HQ: +82-31-7400-114, 825 Daewangpangyo-ro, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13449.
- Apply via your local KOICA overseas office / Korean Embassy.
- CIAT board: koica.go.kr/ciat.
Participating universities
- KAIST, Yonsei University, Hanyang University, Soongsil University, Incheon National University, KDI School of Public Policy and Management, University of Seoul, Kangwon National University, Kyungpook National University, Handong Global University, Yeungnam University, Seoul National University (GSIS), Ajou University (partner list varies by year
- specific host universities and courses are announced each round in the Program Information / Notice)
Before you apply — verify.
- Scholarship amounts, quotas, dates, and eligibility can change every cycle — always confirm the current details with the official source before you apply.
- This scholarship is usually applied for through your university’s international office (nomination-based) — check the process and their internal deadline.
Data from official sources · last updated 2026-07-03
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