Catholic University of Pusan

About Catholic University of Pusan

Catholic University of Pusan is an independent, degree-granting private university associated with the Catholic educational tradition. The Korean government’s Study in Korea register records a 1964 foundation year and confirms bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral education. The institution is operating in 2026: its main site carries current academic notices, while its admissions service publishes a 2027 undergraduate admissions plan and application schedule. The university’s present form reflects several stages of development. Its official history records the establishment authorization of Busan Catholic College in 1990. In 1999, that college was approved to integrate with Jisan College, adding a substantial group of nursing, allied-health, engineering, and business fields. The institution then changed from college to university status under its current Korean name. This background helps explain the university’s continuing emphasis on nursing, clinical and rehabilitation disciplines, and other professionally oriented subjects. Catholic identity appears in the university’s educational ideals of truth, love, and service. Prospective students should nevertheless assess the institution primarily through program fit, language readiness, professional licensing implications, and cost. The official English name is Catholic University of Pusan, not the database record’s word-order variant “Pusan Catholic University.” The principal campus address is 57 Oryundae-ro, Geumjeong-gu, Busan.

Admission procedures depend on applicant category. For Korean-school applicants, the official 2027 plan divides undergraduate selection among school-record-based, holistic, and national college-entrance-examination routes, with specialized categories for regional, Catholic-leader-recommended, opportunity-equity, rural, mature, and other applicants. The admissions homepage lists the 2027 early-cycle application period as September 7–11, 2026. Applicants must consult the final 2027 guide because the implementation plan may be revised and requirements differ by category and department. The 2026 spring international undergraduate route was for applicants whose parents were both foreign nationals and who had completed, or expected to complete, secondary education recognized as equivalent to Korean high school. It used an eligibility document review followed by an interview assessing motivation, study and career plans, and general preparedness. Applicants outside Korea normally interviewed remotely, while those in Korea interviewed in person. International applicants had to hold a TOPIK result or complete at least one year of the university’s regular Korean program with the institute director’s recommendation. Those below TOPIK level 3 were required to take designated Korean-language education. Academic records issued abroad required apostille or Korean consular authentication where applicable. The reviewed international guide applies specifically to spring 2026; future applicants must obtain the guide for their intended intake before acting on these requirements.

The undergraduate portfolio is strongest in health and human-service fields. The university’s 2026 international undergraduate guide lists Nursing; Clinical Laboratory Science; Physical Therapy; Radiological Science; Dental Technology; Hospital Management; Speech and Hearing Therapy; and Industrial Safety and Health. Applied fields available through that route include Fire and Disaster Prevention and Computer Information Science and Engineering. Social-science options include Distribution Marketing, Social Welfare, and Counseling Psychology. The same guide identifies a Division of Korean Studies reserved for international students, with common study in the first two years followed by major study in the third and fourth years. The university’s broader academic site also displays an autonomous-studies division with interdisciplinary options such as forensic science, smart healthcare, media-content production, unmanned aviation, and biohealth data science. Availability and eligibility can differ by admissions route, so applicants should use the relevant annual guide rather than assume that every university department accepts international entrants. Graduate education is also established. The Korean government register lists master’s and doctoral programs, including doctoral study in areas such as computer engineering, energy-convergence security, social welfare, counseling psychology, and business-related fields. Instruction is predominantly in Korean. International applicants without TOPIK level 3 are required by the 2026 guide to complete university-designated Korean-language education, so language preparation should be treated as part of the academic plan rather than an admissions formality.

Key Highlights

• Private Catholic, degree-granting university operating in Busan
• Government register confirms bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral study
• Institutional foundation year recorded as 1964
• Present university name and integrated structure date from 1999

Student Life & Environment

Campus life is organized around a relatively compact university community with on-campus housing and dedicated support for international students. The Student Life Education Center operates two residence halls. Katharina Hall opened with capacity for 192 men and women, while Caritas Hall opened as a women-only residence with capacity for 326. The housing site provides room applications, assignment checks, maintenance requests, meal information, community rules, and resident-council information. The 2026 international admissions guide describes rooms with beds, desks, bookcases, chairs, wardrobes, and bathrooms. Shared facilities include laundry rooms, a computer room, a book café, and lounges. Room configurations and eligibility differ by building and gender, and placement should not be assumed until formally confirmed. International entrants must attend an orientation organized by the Office of International Affairs. That office also handles international admission and provides academic-year and vacation contact hours. The university’s main site links students to its learning platform, library-related services, academic calendar, certificates, and AI-supported interview and résumé tools. Students interested in clubs, pastoral activities, counseling, disability support, or particular sports should confirm current opportunities directly because sufficiently detailed 2026 English information was not available in the reviewed sources.

Location & Surroundings

The university is located at 57 Oryundae-ro in Geumjeong-gu, in the northern part of Busan. The Office of International Affairs and the residence halls use nearby campus addresses on Oryundae-ro, indicating that academic, administrative, and residential functions are grouped within the same campus area. This can simplify movement between classes, student services, and housing for residents. Busan is one of South Korea’s largest metropolitan areas, but applicants should distinguish the university’s Geumjeong-gu setting from the better-known waterfront and central districts. Daily travel times will depend on the chosen neighborhood and connections to the campus. The reviewed official sources did not provide sufficiently clear current English-language public-transport instructions, so commuters should verify routes through the university’s Korean directions page and a current local transit planner before selecting accommodation. For international students, the practical location considerations are Korean-language navigation, the distance from off-campus housing to Oryundae-ro, and access to placements or clinical training associated with a chosen program. Residence-hall applicants can reduce the immediate need to arrange private housing, but availability is not guaranteed.

Costs & Career Outcomes

The latest detailed official figures reviewed come from the spring 2026 international undergraduate guide, but its tuition table is explicitly based on the second semester of 2025 and may change. It listed tuition per semester of KRW 3,675,000 for Nursing, KRW 4,011,000 for the listed health-science and applied-science programs, and KRW 3,135,000 for the listed social-science programs. These are not verified 2026/27 prices, so students should request a current invoice or fee notice before budgeting. The same dated basis applies to housing. Katharina Hall was listed at KRW 650,000 for a two-person room. Caritas Hall was listed at KRW 700,000 for two- or three-person rooms and KRW 660,000 for four-person rooms. Meal coverage was not clearly established in the reviewed material. International-student entry scholarships ranged from 20% to full tuition according to TOPIK level, while continuing awards depended on attendance, completed credits, and class standing. A qualifying language-based living-support award could cover residence fees for one year excluding vacations; all awards remain subject to university rules and decisions. Career planning should be program-specific. Many fields prepare students for regulated health, rehabilitation, safety, or human-service work, but admission does not itself guarantee Korean professional licensure or employment. International students should check licensing, visa, language, and clinical-placement requirements early. The university provides career-related digital tools, including AI interview and résumé support, but no current official graduate salary or placement rate was verified.