Despite push from universities, interest falls short on undecided major programs
Published: 03 Oct. 2024, 17:29
Updated: 03 Oct. 2024, 17:30
![Kang Chang-uh, head of Seoul National University's College of Humanities, reads a statement at Seoul National University, urging the Education Ministry to cease promoting undecided majors, on Jan. 24. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/10/03/7f9d0b89-2796-41b1-8923-710ac76b1ee7.jpg)
Kang Chang-uh, head of Seoul National University's College of Humanities, reads a statement at Seoul National University, urging the Education Ministry to cease promoting undecided majors, on Jan. 24. [YONHAP]
Major universities are preparing to expand the number of undecided major students, but the lagging application-to-seat ratio shows that students are less interested than expected, with the exception of prestigious institutions, according to data released by Jongro Academy, one of Korea’s largest cram schools, on Thursday.
Among the 21 Korean universities that established or expanded their undecided major programs for the 2025 academic year — including Korea University, Ewha Womans University and Sogang University — 71.4 percent had lower application-to-seat ratios for undecided programs compared to the average figures for all majors under the susi tracks. Susi refers to the high school grade-based admission track.
Undecided major programs allow freshmen to enroll in universities without choosing a specific major, offering them the opportunity to select their major in their sophomore year. Universities have been striving to expand the number of undecided major students, following a Ministry of Education promise to incentivize schools that broaden students’ options for selecting majors.
For instance, Korea University selects undecided major students under the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, whereas Sogang University offers undecided majors through various divisions: AI-based Interdisciplinary Studies in the College of Computing, Science-based Interdisciplinary Studies in the College of Natural Sciences and Humanities-based Interdisciplinary Studies in the College of Humanities.
![The Korea University campus in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2024/10/03/b3c6a851-1563-4005-a63e-d5966d364da6.jpg)
The Korea University campus in Seongbuk District, northern Seoul [NEWS1]
However, half of the 12 universities that introduced type 1 undecided major programs for the 2025 academic year saw application-to-seat ratios lower than the average figures under susi tracks. Type 1 undecided majors allow students to choose from all majors except for medical and education fields.
All nine universities offering type 2 undecided majors — which allow students to only choose from majors within the college or department they enrolled in — saw lower application-to-seat ratios compared to the averages.
For the 13 universities that had previously introduced undecided majors, seven had application-to-seat ratios for undecided programs lower than the average figures for all majors under susi tracks.
Some suggest this trend reflects students’ preferences for applying to specific departments, particularly following the expansion of medical school quotas.
“There can be a big gap in preference for undecided majors depending on what university the program is offered at, with factors such as whether the university is in Seoul or suburban areas also playing a role,” said an official from Jongro Academy. “Students who successfully enroll in undecided majors might still opt not to attend due to overlapping admission offers, even at prestigious universities.”
Only undecided major programs at high-ranking schools — including Seoul National University and Korea University — experienced application-to-seat ratios higher than the averages for susi tracks. Seoul National University's application-to-seat ratio for undecided majors under the susi track was 10 to 1, while the average ratio for all majors was 9.07 to 1. Korea University's undecided major program had an application ratio of 33.5 to 1, while the figure for all majors under susi tracks was 20.3 to 1.
BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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