Korea Maritime & Ocean University

Key Highlights

• National university founded in 1945, with an institutional predecessor dating to 1919
• Active undergraduate and graduate operations verified through August 2026
• Specialized institutional focus spanning maritime professions, ocean fields, engineering, business, law, and policy

Student Life & Environment

Campus life is strongly influenced by KMOU's maritime identity and residential facilities. The university maintains student dormitories for undergraduate and graduate students, and its housing office was issuing current placement and move-in notices for the first semester and summer of 2026. The spring 2026 move-in notice required specified health documentation and photographs and advised residents to bring certain personal equipment. Housing is therefore administered through a formal application and registration process rather than being automatically available to every student. The official English site directs students to clubs, the library, welfare facilities, computing and network services, transportation information, banking, insurance, and visa guidance. International students are supported through a dedicated Office of International Affairs, which posts admissions information as well as notices about Korean-language support, residence matters, exchange activities, and student programs. Its 2026 notices included a summer-vacation dormitory application and activities for international participants. Students considering a maritime professional program should distinguish its residential and training expectations from those of other majors. The College of Maritime Sciences describes dormitory education, mentoring, uniforms, and ocean training as parts of its educational environment, but conditions and benefits may be program-specific. Applicants should obtain the current department and residence rules before treating older or college-specific arrangements as university-wide guarantees.

Location & Surroundings

KMOU's official address is 727 Taejong-ro, Yeongdo-gu, Busan 49112, South Korea. The main campus occupies an island setting in Yeongdo, a district closely associated with Busan's port and maritime economy. That location reinforces the university's focus on ships, ports, navigation, ocean technology, logistics, and maritime policy and places students in South Korea's principal port city. The setting is distinctive but should be evaluated practically. Students should consult the university's current directions and transportation pages when comparing commuting options, particularly if they expect to live outside university housing. Access to central Busan, internships, or part-time activities will depend on the relevant route and schedule rather than proximity alone. Busan offers a large urban environment beyond the campus, while Yeongdo provides immediate maritime context for study. International applicants should budget for ordinary city living as well as tuition and housing, and should not assume that the island campus is a self-contained residential community. The university's Office of International Affairs provides local-life information covering transportation, banking, insurance, visas, and other practical matters.

Costs & Career Outcomes

Tuition is charged in Korean won and varies by college and academic field. The published 2026 undergraduate admissions material displayed different figures for maritime, engineering, science, sports, and humanities or social-science categories, but it also stated that final 2026 tuition would be determined later. Those preliminary figures should not be treated as confirmed 2026 or 2027 charges. Applicants should obtain the current bill or fee table from the admissions office and include housing, meals, insurance, visa expenses, transportation, books, uniforms, and any practical-training costs in their budget. Scholarships and Korean government funding routes are referenced through KMOU's admissions resources, including the Global Korea Scholarship. Availability, eligibility, duration, and covered expenses depend on the relevant year's rules; older university brochures do not establish present awards. Dormitory charges and placement also require separate confirmation through the housing office. Career preparation is closely tied to the chosen field. Maritime Sciences connects study with navigation, marine engineering, maritime transportation, coast guard, ship operations, and related professional certification or training. Other colleges support directions in shipbuilding and ocean systems, environmental and civil engineering, AI and data science, ports and logistics, shipping management, maritime law, international trade, public administration, and research. These are curricular pathways, not guaranteed employment outcomes. Students pursuing licensed shipboard work should verify how the selected program satisfies current Korean and destination-country certification rules, while graduate applicants should assess faculty fit, laboratories, publication expectations, and industry connections at department level.