Pukyong National University

Pukyong National University Launches Integrated Bachelor’s-Master’s-Doctoral Program with Full Scholarships

- Accelerated Pathway to Ph.D. in Six Years; Expanded Graduate Student Support

Pukyong National University (President Bae Sang-hoon) has announced the launch of an Integrated Bachelor’s-Master’s-Doctoral Program and will provide full tuition waivers to participating students, marking a bold step in supporting graduate education.

Starting in the second semester of the 2026 academic year, Pukyong National University will implement this program, enabling students to earn a doctoral degree in as little as six years. Prestigious universities, including Seoul National University, have already adopted similar systems.

Notably, students enrolled in the program will receive full tuition waivers for up to 10 semesters: four semesters during the undergraduate program (starting from the third year), three semesters for the master’s program, and three semesters for the doctoral program. Based on engineering program tuition rates, this translates to a scholarship benefit exceeding KRW 24 million.

Pukyong National University already provides full scholarships to students in its integrated bachelor’s-master’s program and operates over 20 scholarship programs funded by initiatives such as the BK21 Project, the National University Development Project, and the university’s own budget. Outstanding graduate students receive scholarship support ranging from KRW 300,000 to over KRW 8 million per semester. The number of applicants for the bachelor’s-master’s integrated program has been steadily increasing each year.

Pukyong National University is expanding graduate student support as part of its efforts to strengthen its status as a leading research-centered university in the Busan region. The university currently ranks first among national universities in Korea in terms of research funding per full-time faculty member (as of August 2025, public disclosure data).

Meanwhile, Pukyong National University will accept additional applications for graduate programs for the 2026 academic year in mid-January. Applications for the newly established Integrated Bachelor’s-Master’s-Doctoral Program, which will begin in the second semester of 2026, are expected to open around May next year. <Pukyong Today>