Formerly, Korea University (KU) did not allow students to switch majors for whatever reason. Therefore, students who were dissatisfied with their chosen major either had to drop out of the school they studied hard to get into and reapply to another, or simply bear with the major that made them unhappy. A new regulation allowing students to change majors, therefore, may act as a silver lining for students who are seriously considering a change in their studies.

One of the changes that students at KU have been continuously asking for was the implementation of a policy that allows students to change their major during their studies. As KU students have been demanding this for a long time, the school has decided to allow the change of major studies for the first time in its history. This policy will be in effect starting from the second semester of this year.

According to the Office of Academic Affairs, this policy will give students a chance to change their major once during their entire time at KU. The application period for students to apply for a change of major will be opened once a year, in the fall semester. The specific regulations for a change of major varies according to each major. The common requirements that the school has set are as follows. Only students who have finished at least three and less than six semesters at KU can apply for a change of major. Also, students must also have a grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or higher in order to apply. Applicants for a transfer of major will then be evaluated by their GPA, reason for transfer of major, study plan, and an interview. Also, students who have successfully changed their major are not allowed to transfer back to their original major.

Students are only allowed to choose one major to transfer to. Application to more than one major will result in a cancellation of both applications. Also, transfer students from other universities, re-entry students (those who have terminated their studies in the past but later decided to resume), and dual-major students are not eligible to apply. Not only this, but students in the School of Interdisciplinary Studies who have already chosen a specific major are also not able to apply to a change of major studies. Finally, there are some majors to which students are not able to apply, such as the College of Medicine and the College of Nursing.

Again, each major has its own specific regulations regarding this new policy. Currently, the school and the individual majors are still in preparation of the specific regulations. Each major is currently setting detailed regulations, such as the number of students to allow for a transfer to its major and the specific evaluation criteria for the selection process. The Office of Academic Affairs announced that these specific regulations and criteria will be finalized by the end of this semester. Students are advised to pay close attention to the regulations that are to be announced by each major throughout this semester and plan their academic path and career development accordingly.

As much as the students of KU have been demanding for an establishment of a policy like this, this new policy is expected to open up students to more diverse opportunities. However, it is also true that newly established policy may face opinions of discontent and opposition. It will, therefore, be expected of the school to show effective communication regarding the introduction of this policy and adequate reasoning based on the specific regulations that they set for it.