What does a non-thesis master’s in Korea require for graduation?

A non-thesis master’s does not mean a programme without graduation requirements. Check the required courses and credits, grades, examinations and any project conditions for the exact programme. Before asking whether entry is easy, examine whether its completion structure fits your plan.

Read the whole requirement row

Ajou’s graduate business guidance separates thesis and non-thesis routes by concentration and lists grade and comprehensive-examination requirements. Follow the row for your own programme to its end.

An admission guide explains entry; regulations and academic guidance explain what happens afterwards. Connecting both documents helps assess eligibility and the work needed to graduate.

Compare the routes using the same questions

Item	Thesis route	Non-thesis route
Credits	Taught and research components	Required taught or replacement components
Assessment	Proposal, examination and thesis review	Any comprehensive exam, report or project
Grades	Required GPA and course standards	Required GPA and course standards
Calendar	Supervision, proposal and review deadlines	Exams, course availability and final submissions
Costs	Research or additional-semester items	Additional-semester or project items

This is an enquiry framework, not a universal list of substitutes. Keep only the requirements actually applying to the route, and record the entry cohort or regulation version.

Check when compulsory courses are offered

Reaching a credit total and completing compulsory subjects in sequence are different tasks. A course offered in one term only, or with limited places, can affect the plan. Review completion requirements again after a change of major, double-major decision or recognition of earlier credits.

For example, a non-thesis student who misses a compulsory course cannot predict graduation using the remaining credit total alone. Check its next offering, any approved alternative and examination sequence.

Connect the choice to research and career plans

If doctoral study or research is a later goal, examine the research experience available now. Do not decide future eligibility from the word “non-thesis”. Compare actual doctoral entry requirements with current courses and projects.

For professional development, ask whether the curriculum covers the work you want to learn and whether projects connect to your interests. Choose for the educational content, rather than simply for avoiding a thesis.

Obtain a practical pre-entry answer

Confirm the route for your concentration, compulsory credits, examinations or reports, any deadline for changing routes and a realistic study sequence. Save the reply with the programme and applicable rules. Organise your goals in the free roadmap and compare completion structures through GEA university matching.

Sources

아주대 경영대학원 수강·졸업 이수 안내

Sources checked: 26 October 2026 · GEA