Starbucks Korea said on the 11th that, in collaboration with Hanyang Cyber University, it will support employees in earning master's and doctoral degrees, marking the first time for Starbucks globally.
Starbucks Korea explained that the program is part of the SCAP (Starbucks College Achievement Plan) it operates, and was prepared to help employees proactively design their personal career paths and long-term career goals. Korea is the first among Starbucks worldwide to expand support beyond bachelor's programs to include master's and doctoral programs.
Starting last year, Starbucks Korea began supporting employees in earning master's and doctoral degrees in partnership with Hanyang Cyber University. Any Starbucks employee without a master's or doctoral degree can apply to Hanyang Cyber University's master's or doctoral programs and receive tuition-reduction benefits.
Collaboration between Starbucks and Hanyang Cyber University has continued since the bachelor's level. After signing an academic exchange cooperation agreement for the 2016 fall semester, the two sides have supported employees without bachelor's degrees in earning four-year bachelor's degrees. The program, which began with 73 people, has expanded to a cumulative total of about 2,000 participating employees including new entrants for the 2026 spring semester, and there have been 596 graduates.
Currently, the bachelor's and master's program majors offered to Starbucks employees number 37 and 9, respectively.
A feature of the program is that there is no requirement to remain employed at Starbucks after graduation. For the bachelor's degree program, full tuition is covered in the first semester of enrollment, and from the second semester, if an average grade of B or higher is earned, full tuition can be covered through the "Starbucks Scholarship."
A Starbucks official said, "The purpose of the SCAP program is to provide a practical educational environment so that each employee can expand their potential," adding, "Starbucks will continue to provide ongoing support so that employees can grow their careers and dreams within the company."