Yeungnam University’s academic structure will be reorganized from March 2023. The most significant change in the new academic structure is altering the names and number of colleges.
Why do we need? According to the Education Innovation Division announced on May 21, they are preparing for the decline of the school-age population and strengthening the competitiveness of our university.
There are two guidelines for academic restructuring. First is the response to social and economic transformation and university financial support in keeping with the fourth industrial revolution. Second, recruitment units are adjusted based on expected unfilled spaces and recruiting international students.
How will the names of colleges change? The College of Liberal Arts will be changed to “College of Humanitiesˮ, and the College of Basic Studies will be changed to “College of Chunma Leaders.ˮ Recently, where only the Department of Humanities Free Majors exists, the “Department of Natural Free Majorsˮ and the “Department of All Series Free Majorsˮ will be added in 2023. The new “College of Social Sciencesˮ will combine the College of Political Science & Public Administration with three departments (Sociology, Psychology, Media & Communication) from the College of Humanities. The College of Business & Economics will be integrated into the College of Business. The College of Mechanical & IT Engineering and the Department of Architecture will integrate into the College of Engineering. Lastly, the new College of Arts will combine the current College of Design & Art and the College of Music.
Additionally, a College of International/Future Global and a College of Convergence Software will be created. A Department of Human Services in the College of Life Sciences will also be established.
The academic restructuring has an impact on the minimum credit requirement for graduation. According to the current academic structure, 66 departments require 130 credits, and the College of Education and other colleges require over 140 credits. How will this change? Sixty-six departments will require 120 credits, the College of Education 130 credits, and other colleges will be considered separately. By decreasing the minimum required credits for graduation, required liberal arts credits have been reduced to 30~45 from the existing 33~56.
The minimum credit requirement for graduation is 63 credits for each department in principle, but it can be designated within 55 % of the total. However, if it exceeds the 55 % range, it must be approved by the Curriculum Committee. You can designate up to 24 credits for the minimum credit requirement for a core major. In the case of departments in which the minimum credit requirement for a single major is 66 credits or more, 66 credits are designated. Double majors, except for the College of Education and the Department of Architecture, will be lowered by three credits compared to 2021.
