Guide
GKS-G Timeline and Deadlines: The Spring Calendar
GKS-G runs months before the undergraduate cycle, on a spring calendar. Miss that, and you wait a year. Here is the calendar and how to work backward from it.
The most common GKS-G mistake is assuming it shares the undergraduate calendar. It does not. While GKS-U closes in October, GKS-G runs on a spring cycle, with deadlines around February and March. This guide lays out the pattern. As always, the exact dates are published in each year's guidelines, so confirm them at the source.
- GKS-G is a spring cycle. Deadlines fall around February and March, far earlier than the autumn undergraduate program.
- Two tracks, two deadlines. The embassy track has a fixed central deadline; university-track deadlines are set by each university and vary.
- Selection mirrors the undergraduate program: the embassy track runs three rounds, the university track two.
- Expected graduates have a mid-year document deadline (commonly around July 31) to submit their final degree certificate and transcript.
- Start your apostille in the autumn before, because the spring deadline arrives fast.
The annual calendar
| Stage | Embassy track | University track |
|---|---|---|
| Guidelines published | Late winter (around January / February) | Late winter (around January / February) |
| Application deadline | Late February (a 2026 example: Feb 25) | Set by each university, typically late winter to spring |
| First-round result | Spring | Spring |
| NIIED evaluation | Spring | Spring |
| Final scholars announced | Spring (around May / June) | Spring (around May / June) |
| Expected-graduate documents due | Around July 31 | Around July 31 |
| Scholars arrive in Korea | Late summer / autumn | Late summer / autumn |
How the selection rounds work
The structure mirrors the undergraduate program:
- Embassy track (three rounds): the Korean embassy reviews and recommends candidates to NIIED, NIIED evaluates them (often with an interview), and your chosen universities make the final admission decision.
- University track (two rounds): the university reviews and recommends you, then NIIED evaluates.
The general logic of choosing a track is the same as for the undergraduate program; see the embassy track vs university track guide.
The expected-graduate deadline
If you apply while still finishing your current degree, you must submit your final degree certificate and final transcript by the deadline in the guidelines (commonly around July 31 for the spring cycle). Miss it, and your acceptance is cancelled. Build this into your plan if you are graduating the same year you apply.
Work backward, not forward
Because GKS-G closes in late winter, the work starts in autumn:
- Autumn: shortlist programs and identify potential advisors. Start your apostille and translations.
- Early winter: draft your study or research plan and contact advisors.
- Late winter: the guidelines drop and the window opens. Submit well before the deadline.
The slowest step is always document authentication, so begin it before the guidelines are even published. The full document set is in the GKS-G documents guide.
What to do next
- Identify advisors and schools now: see the GKS-G universities guide.
- Start your documents and apostille.
- Confirm you qualify in the GKS-G eligibility guide.