     Thank you for raising this question - I'm in a similar boat as the author and look forward to hearing the opinion of others on this topic. 
     Having just graduated a few weeks ago from SNU with an MA in Korean Studies I've been struggling recently about whether I should return to the U.S., or stay here in Korea, to pursue my PhD. As my focus is US-Korean relations, specifically North Korean - U.S. relations, it seems natural to limit my choices to the U.S. or Korea (Kim Il-sung University???) but I would really like some feedback on the trade-offs involved in studying here in Seoul versus back in the States.
     Thank you in advance for any advice you may have.

Scott Fisher
English Instructor
Graduate School of Translation and Interpretation
Ewha Womans University



--- Kevin Shepard <kevin_shepard@yahoo.com> wrote:
While working in a Korean university for the past three years, I have heard many comparisons made between the quality and legitimacy of higher education in Korea and in the West.  I wish to pursue a PhD in N.K. policy,  or more generally in Korean politics but am hesitant as where I should study.  While I understand that generally, degrees from the States are more widely recognized, would research into Korean policy be sufficient justification for researching at a Korean school?  
I am asking for input from those of you working in the field now... how do you and your peers feel about degrees from Korean schools as compared to those from the US (I am American)?  The general atmosphere here is that (for studies in Korea) usually only degrees from the Seoul elite schools are worth pursuing , with the exception of Korean politics, when Kyungnam University's North Korean Studies graduate school seems to be respected.  Are these programs worth investigating?  Any advice will be greatly appreciated.



Kevin Shepard 
Lecturer of English Conversation 
Kyungnam University, Department of International Studies 
449 Wolyoung-Dong, Masan, Kyungnam 631-701 
South Korea 
FAX: 82-55-249-2939 C.P: 011-9208-1329

---------------------------------
Do you Yahoo!?
The New Yahoo! Shopping - with improved product search

_____________________________________________________________
http://1stopKorea.com - your 1 stop site for Korea and things Korean.


