Students flock to more practical majors and contract majors amid employment crisis

[Anchor]

It must be due to the employment crisis.

There is a changing trend in the choice of university majors.

Students are flocking to practical majors such as AI and semiconductors.

Kim Min-hyuk reports.

[Report]

The analysis targets 10 major universities in the metropolitan area, including Seoul National University, Yonsei University, and Korea University.

Based on the regular admission acceptance scores of the 2024 academic year, we looked at which three majors ranked the highest.

Among the 39 natural science majors, excluding the medical and pharmaceutical fields, AI and semiconductor-related majors ranked the highest, followed by computer and electronic & electrical engineering majors.

AI and semiconductors have surpassed traditionally popular majors like electronic & electrical engineering and computer science, showing an upward trend every year since 2021, establishing themselves as representative majors.

It can be interpreted that changes in the industrial structure and the employment crisis have had a significant impact on major selection.

In particular, the inclusion of many contract majors linked to semiconductor giants like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix has led to a rise in the popularity of practical majors that offer employment benefits and stability.

Amid the ongoing employment crisis, this trend is expected to continue for the time being.

However, the concentration on medical schools and the expansion of enrollment may act as another variable in major selection.

[Lim Seong-ho/CEO of an academy in Jongno: “For a consistent inflow of top-tier students (for AI and semiconductor majors) the medical school concentration and the expansion of enrollment quotas may pose some barriers.”]

The preference for practical majors is also evident in the humanities department.

While the business administration major remains strong, economics, media, and statistics
majors that emphasize practical skills like big data analysis are gaining attention.

Not a single major from the language and literature field made it into this ranking, leading to calls for the discovery of policy-oriented majors in the humanities that align with industrial changes.

KBS News, Kim Min-hyuk.