"I thought it was a Samsung scholarship program, but it was a general department?" — Warning over mistaken identity in semiconductor contract majors

[Financial News] As the deadline for early admissions applications for college entrance approaches, students and parents hoping to enter contract-based majors in advanced fields such as semiconductors are facing increasingly complicated calculations. In particular, many universities have both employment-linked contract majors, which guarantee hiring at large companies, and general advanced majors with similar names. Applicants who rely only on the department name may end up making a costly mistake, so extra caution is needed.
According to the Etoos Education Evaluation Institute on the 15th, interest in semiconductor-related contract majors remains strong among applicants for the 2027 college admissions cycle amid the boom in AI semiconductors. At present, 19 such majors at 14 universities are being operated as large-company employment-linked contract programs nationwide, and semiconductor-related departments account for the largest share. However, because department names are similar from one university to another and partner companies differ, a thorough review in advance is essential.
One source of confusion is when similarly named departments exist side by side at the same university.
At Yonsei University, the Department of System Semiconductor Engineering operates as a Samsung Electronics employment-linked contract major with selection outside the regular quota. The university also offers an ordinary major called the Intelligent Semiconductor Major. The two departments differ not only in their colleges but also in location, with one in Seoul and the other at the Songdo International Campus. Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) also runs both the Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering, a Samsung Electronics contract major, and the Department of Semiconductor Convergence Engineering, a general advanced major. At Inha University, the College of Engineering, Seoul National University operates the Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering, while the College of Future Convergence runs the Department of Semiconductor Industry Convergence. Neither is a large-company employment-linked contract major, and the latter is a program for lifelong learners and working adults, so its applicants are entirely different from ordinary high school seniors.
Even a slight difference in word order or spelling can determine the partner company or the benefits offered. Applicants to the Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) and the Department of Semiconductor Systems Engineering at KAIST are linked to Samsung Electronics, while Sogang University's Department of System Semiconductor Engineering is tied to an agreement with SK hynix. On the other hand, some departments, such as the Department of Semiconductor Engineering at Sogang University, the University of Suwon, and Inje University, are general majors with no separate agreement with a specific company.
Kim Byung-jin, head of the Etoos Education Evaluation Institute, said, "As multiple admissions units containing the word 'semiconductor' exist at a single university, the risk has grown that students and parents will confuse admissions results or the structure of the selection process." He added, "When choosing a department, students should not simply chase current popularity at the time of admission. They should also consider the required service period after graduation and make a decision with a forward-looking perspective."
He also warned that the names of contract majors may change, or the departments themselves may disappear, as industry trends shift. In fact, Kyungpook National University (KNU)'s Mobile Engineering Major recently signed an agreement with Samsung Electronics to be reorganized into the Mobile AI Engineering Major, and it has been converted into an integrated bachelor's and master's program. By contrast, Gachon University's Department of Cloud Engineering will stop recruiting new students from the 2027 admissions cycle after its contract with partner company Kakao Enterprise ends.
Kim stressed, "Before applying, students must check the university's official admissions guide to confirm for themselves whether the department is truly a contract major selected outside the regular quota." He added, "They should be especially careful not to confuse general majors with similar names and last year's admissions results, as that could lead to mistakes in their early admissions strategy."

[email protected] Kim Man-ki Reporter