Graduate

The Graduate Program of the Department of Chemistry at PNU

1. Training of Self-Directed Cooperative Researchers

The graduate program of PNU Chemistry is characterized by the student-directed and interdisciplinary curriculum served by 17 faculty members, who cover the fundamental areas of organic, physical, analytical, inorganic and biological chemistry and actively participate in interdisciplinary research. Based on their coursework, each student can choose their subfield and conduct their own research in depth, utilizing state-of-the-art instruments supported by the department and by the school. As full-fledged scientists, the department alumni play an active role in various parts of industry and society.

Graduate career status

Government and government-owned corporations: Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, National Forensic Service, Rural Development Administration, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, etc.
Government-funded research institutes: Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, etc.
Industry: Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Electronics, LG Chem, SK Innovation, Lotte Chemical, POSCO, GS Caltex, etc.
Academia: Professors

2. Supports for Sustainable Research

Research Support Programs

Research of graduate students is large supported by the BK21 project, an educational funding project of the South Korea government to foster graduate schools and graduate-level researchers. The Education and Research Center for Molecular Materials, a BK21 center of the department, is supported by the BK21 FOUR project for seven years from September 2020. The center is developing a research-friendly environment and preparing various training programs for graduate students. The department also conducts large research projects, such as Basic Research Laboratory (BRL) grant, Mid-career Research grants, and Samsung Science & Technology Foundation grant. Every professor in the department has his or her own research projects funded either by the government or by industry to financially support research of graduate students.

Fellowships

The department has a variety of fellowships to support graduate students. Following is a list of fellowships that international students can apply for:

Fellowships
No	Name	Detail	Award
1	BK21 FOUR scholarship	Funded by the BK21 FOUR project	Master student: KRW 700,000/month Doctoral student: KRW 1,100,000/month
2	SAM fellowship	Aims to support graduate students studying science, arts, and mathematics	KRW 1,000,000
3	Research excellence awards	Aims to encourage graduate students who conduct excellent research	Master student: KRW 500,000 Doctoral student: KRW 1,500,000
4	Research excellence award of the College of Natural Sciences	Aims to encourage graduate students from the college of natural sciences who conduct excellent research	Certificate + prize (subject to the corresponding rules of the College of Natural Sciences)
5	Work-study program for international students	The participating students are paid to help other international students	KRW 10,000/hour (the total working hours vary depending on the budget)
6	Chemistry Fair excellent presentation award	Aims to encourage graduate students who present their research at the Chemistry Fair held by the department	KRW 100,000 to 300,000 (subject to the corresponding rules of the department)
7	Travel award for international conferences	Aims to financially support graduate students who attend international conferences	Actual travel expense (the total amount limited by the budget)