The Office of the School of Liberal Studies



The opening of the School of Liberal Studies at SeoulTech in Spring 2025 appeared to go smoothly. The school allows students to enter SeoulTech and explore different fields before choosing their major. The program admits two types of students: Type 1 students, who will select their majors starting in Spring 2026, and Type 2 students, who selected theirs in Fall 2025. However, the results of the Type 2 selection have raised concerns. Liberal Studies students are required to select from among partnering departments after their initial semester, but several affiliated departments, including Civil Engineering, Optometry, English Language and Literature, and Health and Fitness, received no applicants.

In response to the concerns reported in Issue 17 of The SeoulTech, the Office of the School of Liberal Studies stated that there was no evidence of bias in the student surveys used to set quotas. The office added that it would work closely with departments when allocating quotas to minimize disruption. However, there are concerns that if things continue as they are, the optimism of the first semester could soon fade.

To explore the issue further, The SeoulTech conducted additional interviews with the Office of the School of Liberal Studies to discuss the program’s long-term sustainability and examine its future direction in more depth.

Q. In the School of Liberal Studies’ Type 2 major selection process, some departments received many more applicants than others. What steps were taken to address this imbalance, and what measures will prevent similar problems in the future?

A. While certain departments did experience a large concentration of applicants, we don’t believe it was severe enough to impede departmental operations. We plan to improve the system to ensure that any imbalances do not hinder departmental operations or students’ freedom to choose their majors.

Q. Why are applications more concentrated in some majors than others?

A. The School of Liberal Studies surveyed students on their reasons for choosing a major subject and found that the most common were achievement and satisfaction (55 students), employment prospects (54 students), self-development (15 students), department popularity (11 students), and educational conditions (8 students).

Q. Some departments had no applicants for Fall 2025. Does the office plan to reduce or eliminate quotas for these departments? If not, what steps will be taken to boost applications to them going forward?

A. We are continuously working to highlight each department’s strengths through STella major exploration courses and department tour programs, giving prospective students more opportunities to learn about different fields. Any changes to admission quotas for specific departments, including the allocation of autonomous quotas, are coordinated by the Planning Office.

Q. There is significant student interest in the newly proposed Department of Biomedical Sciences. Will students in the School of Liberal Studies be able to select this department as their major?

A. Students who have entered the School of Liberal Studies in 2025 are not able to select the Department of Biomedical Sciences, but students entering the School of Liberal Studies in 2026 will be able to select it as their major.

Q. It has been confirmed that students of the School of Liberal Studies will not be able to apply to certain departments from 2026. Will any other departments be excluded?

A. From the 2026 academic year, both the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Department of Environmental Engineering will be excluded.

The results of this semester’s major selection exposed clear challenges. Yet, through the interview, the School of Liberal Studies expressed a commitment to addressing them. If handled proactively, these challenges could become stepping stones that strengthen the school’s identity and long-term sustainability.

Reporter

Hyeonseon Namgung

namgung0121@seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 남궁현선

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• e-mail : namgung0121@seoultech.ac.kr