A new survey found over 60% of current high school seniors view the policy expansion favorably. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Mar. 20 (Korea Bizwire) – As South Korean universities prepare to broaden “undecided major” admission tracks for the 2025 academic year, a new survey found over 60% of current high school seniors view the policy expansion favorably.
The poll released on March 19 by Jongro Academy showed 64.5% of 1,104 students surveyed agreed with increasing admission quotas for undecided major students at universities. Support was higher among liberal arts-track students at 74.2% compared to 57.7% of those on the natural sciences track.
When applying as undecided majors, students enter university without declaring a field of study. They then select a major upon advancing to the second year, an approach aimed at cultivating multi-disciplinary talent adaptable to fast-changing technologies.
An overwhelming 75.7% said universities should maintain separate admissions quotas for liberal arts and natural sciences tracks, even with no initial major designated.
Once enrolled, 74.8% felt students should still specify a departmental major on their diplomas at graduation, even if they were originally admitted as “undecided”.
Looking ahead, there was a clear split in intended major preferences depending on current academic tracks. Among undecided major applicants, 65% of natural sciences students planned to ultimately choose a STEM field major, nearly double the 35% intending liberal arts.
That divide was also reflected in stated major interests – 95.8% of natural sciences students preferred STEM disciplines like engineering (33.2%) and computer science (32.2%). For liberal arts students, popular intended majors included media/social sciences (44%), business/economics (33.6%) and humanities (22.4%).
When asked about the merits of undecided major admissions, 37.7% cited the ability “to experience diverse areas before deciding on a major” as the top reason for supporting the policy.
“While planning to enroll as ‘undecided’, students overall still tend to prefer declaring a specific departmental major,” said Jongro Academy president Lim Seong-Ho. “Once the time comes to select majors, there could be highly concentrated demand for certain programs.”
Universities are expected to unveil detailed admissions guidelines incorporating expanded undecided major tracks by the end of March, providing more clarity for the Class of 2025.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
