SNU Office of Admissions announced that it will newly establish a ‘School of Liberal Arts’ and will accept students starting in 2009. The Office has answered some of the most frequently asked questions about the new school.

What will distinguish the School of Liberal Arts from other colleges?

“The most distinctive feature of the School of Liberal Arts is that students can choose their major after entrance. Also, choice of their major will not be constrained by what their departments were in high school, and they can even design their own major. By taking a variety of courses that are not limited to their major, students will be able to pursue interdisciplinary study.”

What will students study in the School of Liberal Arts?

“The curriculum of the School of Liberal Arts is divided into three categories. First, there is core curriculum that all students at SNU are required to take. Core courses introduce students to the essential knowledge that is needed in any field of study, and include ‘Oriental and Western Classic Literature’, ‘Writing’, ‘Mathematics’, ‘Fundamental Science’, as well as foreign languages.

Secondly, there is ‘major curriculum’ that students will design for themselves usually during their third semester. Under the guidance of their counselors, students need to submit an application for approval of their self-designed major along with detailed plans. It is also possible to choose any major that SNU currently offers with the exception of those in the field of medicine. Students may also choose a combined major or minor study as well.

Thirdly, students are required to take exclusive lectures and programs. These can be courses such as ‘Freshman Seminar’, in which students participate proactively in a small sized class focusing on a particular issue, ‘Volunteer Social Service’, which sends students to nearby social institutes to do volunteer work. Also, students can take ‘Undergraduate Independent Study’ to study in greater depth a topic of their interest. The ‘Study Abroad Program’ will also be another option.

In order to meet graduation requirements, students will need to submit their graduation thesis or graduation work that is an outcome of their interdisciplinary study.”

November 13, 2008
Translated by SNU English Editor Jisun Jeong