GW Established Partnership With University of Seoul

The George Washington University School of Business will now accept graduate credits from students at the University of Seoul.

Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Scholarships

GW Established Partnership With University of Seoul

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The George Washington University School of Business has launched a new academic partnership with the University of Seoul to facilitate credit transfers. Qualifying students from the South Korean institution are now eligible for merit tuition scholarships toward nine specialized master's degree programs.

Why it matters

The collaboration serves as a strategic initiative to boost the presence of international students within the GW School of Business. This move follows a period of declining international enrollment at the university, which saw nearly 1,000 fewer such students in 2026.

Students may transfer a maximum of six graduate credits toward nine specialized master's degree programs at the GW School of Business. The partnership follows three years of development and joins 29 existing U.S. university agreements held by the University of Seoul.

The players

Ellen Granberg

She serves as the President of The George Washington University.

George Washington University School of Business

It is an academic institution based in Washington D.C. that offers various specialized master's degrees.

University of Seoul

It is a public university located in Seoul, South Korea, that maintains extensive international academic partnerships.

The details

The program allows University of Seoul students to transition into GW graduate studies with recognized coursework and financial incentives. This partnership aims to strengthen academic ties between the D.C.-based university and institutions abroad while addressing domestic enrollment trends.

Negotiations for the partnership lasted three years.
President Ellen Granberg visited Seoul in June 2026.
GW partnered with Georgian National University SEU in August 2026.
President Granberg addressed enrollment declines in September 2026.
The partnership was announced in October 2026.

Culture Shift

The partnership with the University of Seoul marks a targeted effort to reverse the 2026 decline in international student enrollment at George Washington University. This initiative reflects a broader push by universities to stabilize global enrollment figures through formal academic credit alliances.

Prospective students at the University of Seoul can now leverage existing coursework to reduce the time and cost required to earn a master's degree in Washington. For the local community, this move introduces a new pathway for international students to join the George Washington University campus.

The takeaway

Academic partnerships provide a structured route for international students to navigate graduate admissions. By aligning credit transfer policies with financial incentives, universities aim to create more accessible pathways for global scholars.