"Not Envious of Medical School?" Direct Entry to SK Hynix with a 100 Million Won Signing Bonus Upon Admission

Acceptance to Top Corporations Guaranteed Upon Admission
Contract-Based Departments Gain Popularity Amid Employment Crisis
Full Scholarships and Living Stipends Provided
Various Benefits Including Domestic and International Training Opportu

As the employment crisis, once limited to the humanities, has now spread to science and engineering fields, "contract-based departments with guaranteed employment" are shaking up the landscape of admissions for science and engineering majors. With the advantages of guaranteed career stability and full tuition support, these departments are now demonstrating competitiveness on par with medical and pharmaceutical fields, attracting the attention of top-performing students this year.

Admission Cutoff Nears Medical Fields... Contract-Based Departments Emerge as Top Choice in Admissions

At a high school in Seoul, students are seen consulting with their homeroom teacher while reviewing their 2025 College Scholastic Ability Test score reports and university admission reference sheets. This scene is unrelated to the main text.

According to Jongro Academy on September 7, based on the preliminary scores from the September mock test for the 2026 College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), the expected regular admission cutoff for contract-based departments with guaranteed employment is nearly at the level of medical and pharmaceutical fields. For example, the expected cutoff scores are 269 points for the Department of System Semiconductor Engineering at Yonsei University, 269 points for the Department of Semiconductor Engineering at Korea University, and 266 points for the Department of Semiconductor System Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University. This is similar to the expected cutoff scores for medical schools in Seoul (276-292 points), dental schools (272-283 points), colleges of Korean medicine (269-276 points), and colleges of pharmacy (266-279 points). Experts say, "Top students in the natural sciences are now looking not only at medical and pharmaceutical fields but also at contract-based departments," adding, "Contract-based departments are emerging as the top choice in admissions."

A contract-based department refers to a program in which a company partners with a university to train customized talent in specific fields. Samsung Electronics has established recruitment agreements with seven universities: Sungkyunkwan University, Yonsei University (Seoul), Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), and Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST). SK Hynix has recruitment agreements with three universities: Korea University (Seoul), Sogang University, and Hanyang University (Seoul). Students admitted to these departments receive scholarships covering full tuition as well as living stipends. Additionally, they are offered opportunities to participate in domestic and international training and internship programs. This structure is considered a win-win strategy, as it reduces the risk of talent outflow for companies while providing students with stable education and career guarantees.

Beyond Semiconductors: AI, Batteries, and Mobility

Job seekers participating in the '2025 Korea Job Fair' held at the aT Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, are seen looking at the recruitment bulletin board. This image is unrelated to the main text.

There are also contract-based departments with guaranteed employment beyond the semiconductor field. Notable examples include the Department of Cloud Engineering at Gachon University, which leads to employment at Kakao Enterprise; the Department of Smart Mobility at Korea University (Seoul), a contract-based program with Hyundai Motor Company; the Department of Information Security at Soongsil University, partnered with LG Uplus; and the Department of Display Convergence Engineering at Yonsei University (Seoul), partnered with LG Display.

This year, Sungkyunkwan University established a new Department of Battery Engineering through a recruitment partnership with Samsung SDI. The program offers internships with Samsung SDI and guarantees employment upon graduation. The newly established Department of Mobility Systems at Yonsei University (Seoul) does not guarantee employment after completing the undergraduate program, but students who choose the integrated undergraduate-graduate program can advance to the master's program in Mobility Systems Convergence and then become eligible for employment at Hyundai Motor Company.

Lee Manki, Director of the Uway Education Evaluation Research Institute, stated, "Some departments offer benefits such as overseas training or participation in academic conferences during enrollment," adding, "Students who aspire to join these companies should carefully check the university websites for admission information and the conditions for employment during their studies."