Starting next spring, students pursuing student-designed majors will qualify for the same dual degree as students enrolled in double majors, while information on the program will become more easily accessible.

The student-designed major is a program that allows for a unique learning experience different from existing majors, minors and integrated studies, in that it allows students to construct a new field of study and take courses according to their respective plans. Human Rights Studies, Happiness Studies, Criminology and Exercise Science are some of the student-designed majors currently being pursued. Under the current administrative system, students not enrolled in the College of Liberal Studies can earn a minor degree at most for pursuing self-designed majors. In addition to insufficient credit, lack of information on preceding examples creates obstacles for students wishing to explore the unique opportunity. A new system aiming to overcome these problems is to be adopted in March of 2022, along with the refurbished snugenie site that will offer curricula information for past student-designed programs.

A Degree that Recognizes One’s Unique Major

Under the new administrative system, all students pursuing student-designed majors will be eligible to earn a dual degree. In addition to this change, students must include 51 credits (18 more than what was previously required) when first proposing their curriculum. In the course of their studies students must now take a minimum of 39 credits, an increase from the original requirement of 21.

Many students are looking forward to the new policy. Lee Tae-kyung of the Department of Political Science and International Relations, who plans to start his self-designed major this Fall, expressed his approval of the new system: “there will be more motivation for students to pursue self-designed studies now that it counts as a double major for everyone.”

Increased Support to Provide Sufficient Informationp

Informational support for students pursuing self-designed majors will also expand significantly. SNU plans to organize and post data regarding previous student-designed majors on the snugenie website, while creating a new administrative body focusing wholly on the management of student-designed majors. Kim Min-ju, Assistant Manager of the Division of Educational Affairs, says that under the new system the office will resolve the issue of information shortage and provide an environment in which students can take a systematic approach to planning curricula and taking courses. Prospective students will be given active assistance on finding advisors and designing roadmaps.

Students already involved in the program welcomed the proposal with open arms. Yang Seung-hoon of the College of Liberal Studies is currently pursuing a self-designed Food Studies major. “Because there was no institute in charge of this program, I had a difficult time visiting both the Department of Food and Nutrition and the Department of Consumer Science to get permission to take courses and include them in my curriculum,” Yang said. With the establishment of an official body in charge of student-designed majors, he hopes students who might have been hesitant due to lack of information or because of the complexity of the administrative process will participate in the program.

With a rising demand for interdisciplinary talent, the student-designed major is an excellent option for students eager to create their own unique area of expertise. “It wasn’t easy planning out a new major, but I learned a lot in the process,” Yang said. “Student-designed majors often involve subjects that don’t fit neatly within the mainstream categories of study. If you have an interest in a non-mainstream field and you want to develop it further, you might want to give this program a try.” With the new system in place, enterprising students seeking to pursue self-designed majors will be able to follow their unique academic aspirations with far more ease.

Source: https://www.snu.ac.kr/snunow/snu_story?md=v&bbsidx=131821

Written by Hyunjoo Lee, SNU English Editor, legohj1001@snu.ac.kr
Reviewed by Professor Travis Smith, Department of Asian Languages and Civilizations, tlsmith@snu.ac.kr