Pusan National University (PNU) will ease its criteria for transferring between majors starting in the second semester of 2025. However, the College of Natural Resources and Life Science and the College of Humanities will maintain their existing restrictions.

According to “Channel PNU”, PNU announced changes to its transfer policy on July 15th under the notice “2025 Second Semester Undergraduate Transfer Guidelines.” The revised plan doubles the maximum number of outgoing transfer students from 10% of each department’s enrollment quota to 20%. Students can now transfer twice during their studies instead of once, and eligibility has been expanded to those who have completed their first year of credits, whereas previously applications were only permitted from the start of the second semester of sophomore year until the start of the first semester of senior year. The changes are based on amendments to PNU academic regulations made on August 1st and will take effect from the 2025 fall semester.

Discussions on reforming the transfer system began in May 2025 in line with amendments to the Higher Education Act Enforcement Decree, aimed at guaranteeing students more freedom in choosing their majors and reducing dropout rates. Specifically, a February 2023 revision to Article 29, Paragraph 3 abolished the rule that only sophomores and above could change majors.  Lim Sun-joo (Academic Affairs Division) said, “When meeting with students on academic probation, many say their problems stem from dissatisfaction with their major. We expanded transfer opportunities to address this issue.”

Easing transfer rules reflects a nationwide trend. Many universities — including Gangwon University, Seoul National University, University of Seoul, Ewha Womans University, Chonnam National University, Chungnam National University, Chungbuk National University, and Hanyang University — already allow up to 20% of students in each department to transfer. The Ministry of Education also evaluates universities on how actively they support major transfers as part of the National University Development Project, citing expanded academic choice as an innovation indicator. Students have welcomed the changes. PNU student A (College of Natural Science) said, “It will help more students explore their career paths.”

But students in the College of Natural Resources and Life Science and the College of Humanities, where restrictions remain, expressed frustration. Students from the College of Humanities are barred entirely from transferring due to admissions routes (reported by “Channel PNU” on August 31, 2023). “I understand it is meant to preserve student numbers, but it feels like discrimination,” said one sophomore in the College of Humanities. Jang Da-Young (Dept. of Life Science and Environmental Biochemistry, 22) added, “It’s disappointing that PNU has not explained the reasons for excluding us.” On July 17th, a student posted a petition on PNU’s official “Suggenstion box” website requesting that the 20% rule also apply to the College of Life Resources and Sciences.

The Office of Academic Affairs of PNU said the decision reflects structural differences between colleges and was made after consultation with each faculty. Under PNU’s revised academic regulations, department-specific restrictions on transfers will continue to apply. In the College of Natural Resources and Life Science, transfers into the college are rare while transfers out are high — 70 outgoing students and zero incoming from spring 2023 to fall 2025.  An administrative staff member explained, “If more students transfer out, it could harm the learning rights of those who remain.” Regarding this issue, the College of Humanities declined to comment.

Reporter Yun Hae-Rin

Translated by Seo Young-Chae