[Future Car Talent War]②The 4th Industrial Revolution Sparks Popularity of IT Departments... Future Cars Join the Trend

Top Natural Science Programs at Leading Universities... From Life and Chemical Engineering to Computer Science, AI, and Mobility
Future Car Employment Opportunities Open, Related Departments Strong
The Phenomenon of Top Talents Preferring Medical Fields Remains a 'Challenge'

With the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution era, winds of change are blowing in college admissions as well. Majors in core 4th Industrial Revolution technologies such as Software (SW), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Computer Engineering, and Smart Mobility are popular. Among them, future cars, which are a concentration of advanced technologies, play a key role in this transformation. Recently, the demand for SW personnel has explosively increased not only in the IT industry but also in the automotive industry, affecting the competition rates in college admissions.

A recent three-year survey on the preference of majors at major universities in Seoul (excluding medical, dental, oriental medicine, veterinary, and pharmacy schools) clearly shows these changes. Jongro Academy has compiled the top three natural science majors based on regular admission competition rates at 11 major universities from 2021 to this year. The top five preferred majors this year are Computer, Semiconductor, AI, Energy, and Data Statistics, in that order. Two years ago, in 2021, the order was Life Sciences, Computer, Energy, Food Science, and Clothing. While the range of preferred majors was diverse in the past, this year the focus has intensified on IT majors. The automotive major, directly related to future cars, rose to 8th place this year. Two years ago, automotive was outside the ranking.

There are also changes in the admission score cutoffs. Comparing the regular admission placement tables of Jongro Hakpyeong and Megastudy, ten years ago (2013), the top majors at major Seoul universities, excluding medical fields, were Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Mathematics. However, this year, Computer Engineering, Semiconductor Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Smart Mobility majors have taken the top spots.

In the case of Seoul National University, ten years ago, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering was at the top of the placement table. This year, the top is Computer Engineering. At Korea University, Cyber Defense, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Life Sciences were the top three majors, but ten years later, the order is Semiconductor Engineering, Cyber Defense, and Smart Mobility. At Yonsei University, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Biotechnology, and Mathematics were strong, but this year, System Semiconductor Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Science occupy the top ranks.

The future car specialized major, established last year, is also positioned in the upper ranks. It is a contract major where companies support tuition and curriculum and guarantee employment. It is a kind of preemptive talent acquisition. Last year, Hyundai Motor Company and Korea University jointly established the Smart Mobility Department. It is Korea’s first five-year combined bachelor’s and master’s contract major. Although there is no past admission cutoff data, this year it entered as the third-ranked major in the natural sciences at Korea University’s placement table.

However, all these rankings exclude medical fields such as medicine, dentistry, oriental medicine, and pharmacy. In Korea’s college admissions, outstanding talents first flock to medical fields. The industry is also considering various talent attraction measures to solve this chronic phenomenon.

Im Seong-ho, CEO of Jongro Academy, said, “In the past, mechanical, electronic, and architectural engineering were the flagship natural science majors, but now semiconductor, AI, and future car-related majors have become the leading ones,” adding, “In the future, the admission cutoff for future car-related majors is expected to be maintained at a level just below medical and pharmacy fields.”