Discussing higher education, especially advanced degrees like a doctorate, requires specific vocabulary. This guide provides essential Korean terms and phrases related to pursuing a doctoral program (박사과정), covering everything from basic terminology to discussing research and academic life in Korea.
Table Of Content
Core Expression
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Expression: 박사과정
Pronunciation: bak-sa-gwa-jeong
Meaning: Doctoral program / PhD program
Basic Terminology
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Expression: 박사 학위
Pronunciation: bak-sa hak-wi
Meaning: Doctorate degree / PhD degree -
Expression: 대학원
Pronunciation: dae-hak-won
Meaning: Graduate school -
Expression: 대학원생
Pronunciation: dae-hak-won-saeng
Meaning: Graduate student -
Expression: 교수님
Pronunciation: gyo-su-nim
Meaning: Professor (honorific) -
Expression: 지도교수님
Pronunciation: ji-do-gyo-su-nim
Meaning: Academic advisor / Supervising professor -
Expression: 논문
Pronunciation: non-mun
Meaning: Thesis / Dissertation -
Expression: 박사 논문
Pronunciation: bak-sa non-mun
Meaning: Doctoral dissertation -
Expression: 연구
Pronunciation: yeon-gu
Meaning: Research -
Expression: 전공
Pronunciation: jeon-gong
Meaning: Major / Field of study -
Expression: 입학
Pronunciation: ip-hak
Meaning: Admission / Entrance -
Expression: 졸업
Pronunciation: jol-eop
Meaning: Graduation -
Expression: 장학금
Pronunciation: jang-hak-geum
Meaning: Scholarship
Discussing Your Studies
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Expression: 저는 박사과정 학생입니다.
Pronunciation: jeo-neun bak-sa-gwa-jeong hak-saeng-im-ni-da.
Meaning: I am a doctoral student. -
Expression: 박사과정에 지원하려고 합니다.
Pronunciation: bak-sa-gwa-jeong-e ji-won-ha-ryeo-go ham-ni-da.
Meaning: I intend to apply for the doctoral program. -
Expression: 제 전공은 [전공 이름]입니다.
Pronunciation: je jeon-gong-eun [jeon-gong i-reum]-im-ni-da.
Meaning: My major is [Major Name]. -
Expression: 지금 박사 논문을 쓰고 있습니다.
Pronunciation: ji-geum bak-sa non-mun-eul sseu-go it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I am currently writing my doctoral dissertation. -
Expression: 연구 주제를 찾고 있습니다.
Pronunciation: yeon-gu ju-je-reul chat-go it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I am looking for a research topic. -
Expression: 지도교수님과 상담했습니다.
Pronunciation: ji-do-gyo-su-nim-gwa sang-dam-haet-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I consulted with my academic advisor. -
Expression: 박사과정은 보통 몇 년 걸리나요?
Pronunciation: bak-sa-gwa-jeong-eun bo-tong myeot nyeon geol-li-na-yo?
Meaning: How many years does the doctoral program usually take? -
Expression: 수업을 듣고 연구를 병행하고 있습니다.
Pronunciation: su-eop-eul deut-go yeon-gu-reul byeong-haeng-ha-go it-seum-ni-da.
Meaning: I am taking classes and conducting research concurrently. -
Expression: 내년에 졸업할 예정입니다.
Pronunciation: nae-nyeon-e jol-eop-hal ye-jeong-im-ni-da.
Meaning: I plan to graduate next year. -
Expression: 연구실에서 많은 시간을 보냅니다.
Pronunciation: yeon-gu-sil-e-seo man-eun si-gan-eul bo-naem-ni-da.
Meaning: I spend a lot of time in the research lab. -
Expression: 학회에 참석할 계획입니다.
Pronunciation: hak-hoe-e cham-seok-hal gye-hoek-im-ni-da.
Meaning: I plan to attend an academic conference. -
Expression: 박사 학위를 따는 것이 제 목표입니다.
Pronunciation: bak-sa hak-wi-reul tta-neun geo-si je mok-pyo-im-ni-da.
Meaning: Obtaining a doctorate degree is my goal.
Asking Questions about Doctoral Programs
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Expression: 박사과정 입학 요건은 무엇인가요?
Pronunciation: bak-sa-gwa-jeong ip-hak yo-geon-eun mu-eot-in-ga-yo?
Meaning: What are the admission requirements for the doctoral program? -
Expression: 지원 마감일이 언제인가요?
Pronunciation: ji-won ma-gam-il-i eon-je-in-ga-yo?
Meaning: When is the application deadline? -
Expression: 어떤 서류를 제출해야 하나요?
Pronunciation: eo-tteon seo-ryu-reul je-chul-hae-ya ha-na-yo?
Meaning: What documents do I need to submit? -
Expression: 연구 계획서가 필요한가요?
Pronunciation: yeon-gu gye-hoek-seo-ga pil-yo-han-ga-yo?
Meaning: Is a research proposal required? -
Expression: 장학금 신청은 어떻게 하나요?
Pronunciation: jang-hak-geum sin-cheong-eun eo-tteo-ke ha-na-yo?
Meaning: How do I apply for a scholarship? -
Expression: 외국인 학생도 지원할 수 있나요?
Pronunciation: oe-guk-in hak-saeng-do ji-won-hal su it-na-yo?
Meaning: Can international students apply? -
Expression: 이 분야의 유명한 교수님은 누구신가요?
Pronunciation: i bun-ya-ui yu-myeong-han gyo-su-nim-eun nu-gu-sin-ga-yo?
Meaning: Who are the renowned professors in this field? -
Expression: 졸업 후 진로는 보통 어떻게 되나요?
Pronunciation: jol-eop hu jil-lo-neun bo-tong eo-tteo-ke doe-na-yo?
Meaning: What are the typical career paths after graduation? -
Expression: 박사과정 수업은 주로 어떻게 진행되나요?
Pronunciation: bak-sa-gwa-jeong su-eop-eun ju-ro eo-tteo-ke jin-haeng-doe-na-yo?
Meaning: How are doctoral program classes usually conducted? -
Expression: 논문 심사 과정은 어떻게 되나요?
Pronunciation: non-mun sim-sa gwa-jeong-eun eo-tteo-ke doe-na-yo?
Meaning: What is the dissertation defense process like?
Korean Culture Notes
Respect for Educators: In Korea, professors (교수님 – gyo-su-nim) are highly respected figures. Always use the honorific title 교수님 when addressing or referring to them. Using formal language (존댓말 – jon-daen-mal) is crucial.
Importance of Degrees: Advanced degrees, particularly doctorates, hold significant social prestige in Korea. Having a 박사 학위 (bak-sa hak-wi) is often seen as a mark of high achievement and expertise.
Advisor Relationship: The relationship with one’s academic advisor (지도교수님 – ji-do-gyo-su-nim) is very important and often extends beyond purely academic matters. Building a good rapport is key to navigating graduate school successfully.
Research Lab Culture: Many PhD students, especially in STEM fields, spend considerable time in their research labs (연구실 – yeon-gu-sil). These labs often have their own internal culture and hierarchy, with senior students (선배 – seon-bae) guiding junior students (후배 – hu-bae).
Networking: Attending academic conferences (학회 – hak-hoe) and building connections within the academic community is highly valued for future career prospects.
Real Conversation Example
Situation: Two university students, Minji (undergraduate) and Jihoon (PhD student), meet at a campus cafe.
Roles:
A: Minji (민지) – Undergraduate student considering graduate school.
B: Jihoon (지훈) – Current PhD student.
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Expression: A: 안녕하세요, 선배님. 혹시 대학원생이세요?
Pronunciation: an-nyeong-ha-se-yo, seon-bae-nim. hok-si dae-hak-won-saeng-i-se-yo?
Meaning: Hello, senior. Are you perhaps a graduate student? -
Expression: B: 네, 맞아요. 저는 컴퓨터공학 박사과정 3년차예요.
Pronunciation: ne, maj-a-yo. jeo-neun keom-pyu-teo-gong-hak bak-sa-gwa-jeong sam-nyeon-cha-ye-yo.
Meaning: Yes, that’s right. I’m in the 3rd year of the Computer Engineering doctoral program. -
Expression: A: 와, 대단하시네요! 저도 졸업 후에 박사과정에 지원할까 생각 중이에요.
Pronunciation: wa, dae-dan-ha-si-ne-yo! jeo-do jol-eop hu-e bak-sa-gwa-jeong-e ji-won-hal-kka saeng-gak jung-i-e-yo.
Meaning: Wow, that’s amazing! I’m also thinking about applying to a doctoral program after graduation. -
Expression: B: 그래요? 좋은 생각이네요. 혹시 어떤 분야에 관심 있어요?
Pronunciation: geu-rae-yo? jo-eun saeng-gak-i-ne-yo. hok-si eo-tteon bun-ya-e gwan-sim it-seo-yo?
Meaning: Really? That’s a good idea. Are you interested in any particular field? -
Expression: A: 인공지능 쪽 연구를 하고 싶어요. 박사과정은 많이 힘든가요?
Pronunciation: in-gong-ji-neung jjok yeon-gu-reul ha-go sip-eo-yo. bak-sa-gwa-jeong-eun man-i him-deun-ga-yo?
Meaning: I want to do research in Artificial Intelligence. Is the doctoral program very difficult? -
Expression: B: 네, 솔직히 쉽지는 않아요. 특히 박사 논문 쓰는 게 가장 큰 과제죠. 그래도 보람은 있어요.
Pronunciation: ne, sol-jik-hi swip-ji-neun an-a-yo. teu-ki bak-sa non-mun sseu-neun ge ga-jang keun gwa-je-jyo. geu-rae-do bo-ram-eun it-seo-yo.
Meaning: Yes, honestly, it’s not easy. Writing the doctoral dissertation is especially the biggest task. But it’s rewarding. -
Expression: A: 지도교수님은 어떻게 정하셨어요?
Pronunciation: ji-do-gyo-su-nim-eun eo-tteo-ke jeong-ha-syeot-seo-yo?
Meaning: How did you decide on your academic advisor? -
Expression: B: 입학 전에 미리 연구 분야가 맞는 교수님께 연락드리고 상담했어요. 그게 중요해요.
Pronunciation: ip-hak jeon-e mi-ri yeon-gu bun-ya-ga mat-neun gyo-su-nim-kke yeol-lak-deu-ri-go sang-dam-haet-seo-yo. geu-ge jung-yo-hae-yo.
Meaning: Before admission, I contacted professors whose research areas matched mine and consulted with them. That’s important.
Practice Tips
Mastering academic vocabulary takes practice! Try using these phrases when discussing your studies or future plans with Korean friends or language partners~. You could also try reading university websites or department pages in Korean to see how these terms are used in context. Searching for 박사과정 후기 (bak-sa-gwa-jeong hu-gi – doctoral program reviews) online might also provide real-life examples. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be able to discuss academic topics confidently! 화이팅! (hwa-i-ting! – Fighting! / You can do it!)
