Humanities’ Shrinking Presence on Campus

The status of humanities in universities is steadily declining, with the consolidation and abolition of humanities departments accelerating nationwide.  In this situation, students who chose to major in humanities are half-willingly, half-reluctantly adding business-related fields as double or minor majors. Experts worry that this decline of the humanities may not only signal academic downfall but also trigger a shift in societal values.  

According to coverage compiled by “Channel PNU,” various statistics indicate a decline in the humanities field.  Department consolidations and abolitions triggered by a decreasing school-age population are mostly occurring in humanities departments.  According to the “Status of Department Consolidation, Abolition, and Establishment at Four-Year Universities Nationwide” provided by the Ministry of Education (MOE), from 2013 to 2022, 4,108 departments at four-year universities were either consolidated, abolished or newly established, and among them, 763 cases (18.5%) were from the humanities and social sciences—the largest share.  In particular, language departments were heavily consolidated, with English Language and Literature disappearing in 51 universities, Chinese in 36, and Japanese in 27.  At Pusan National University (PNU) as well, in 2023, the College of Education’s German and French Language Education departments were consolidated into the College of Humanities’ German and French Language and Literature departments per a report by “Channel PNU” on March 2nd, 2023.  

Even in double and minor major enrollment, humanities departments remain less favored.  According to the Office of Academic Affairs of PNU, the most popular double major departments are School of Economics, Dept. of Business Administration, Semiconductor Convergence Major, Dept. of Media and Communication, and the Global Studies Program in the School of Global Studies. Minors also concentrated in employment-friendly departments like the School of Economics, Dept. of Media and Communication, Dept. of Public Administration, School of Public Policy and Management, and Dept. of English Language and Literature. Jung Hee-Hoon (Dept. of German Language and Literature, 20), who minors in the School of Public Policy and Management, said, “It’s advantageous to take business-related courses if you’re preparing for a job in the public sector or as a civil servant.”  

According to the “Change in Enrollment Quota by Major from 2003 to 2022,” published in 2022 by the Korean Higher Education Research Institute, the humanities experienced the largest decrease in admissions. Compared to 2003, by 2022, about 10,000 spots (21.6%) were reduced, with the majority (90%) in the languages and literature field.  Notably, after law schools replaced undergraduate law programs, the law field moved almost entirely to graduate school (-75.1%).  Languages and literature followed closely behind with a 36.1% decrease.  In contrast, business and economics only saw a 17% reduction. Even at PNU, the enrollment gap between colleges is striking.  The Dept. of English Language and Literature, the largest in the College of Humanities, has 48 students, while the Dept. of Business Administration has 225—over 4.6 times more. Even the School of Economics (86 students) and the School of International Trade (84 students) have around 1.7 times more than the Dept. of English Language and Literature.  

■ Humanities students with nowhere to go  

The reason students avoid humanities is job insecurity. According to the “2023 Tertiary Education Graduate Employment Statistics” released in 2024 by the MOE and the Korean Educational Development Institute, the humanities had the lowest employment rate among academic fields. Employment rates were highest in the medical field (82.1%), followed by engineering (71.9%), education (69.5%), social sciences (69.4%), arts and sports (67.2%), and natural sciences (66.5%). Excluding distance learning universities like Korea National Open University, cyber universities, distance universities, and technical universities, the humanities field remained below 60%, recording 58.7%.  

At PNU, a major national university, the employment rate for the humanities is relatively stable, but students still feel unsatisfied.  According to Higher Education in KOREA in 2022, employment rates in PNU’s College of Humanities were:  Dept. of Chinese Language and Literature (64.3%), Dept. of French Language and Literature (63.2%), Dept. of History (60%), Dept. of Russian Language and Literature (58.1%), Dept. of German Language and Literature (51.4%), Dept. of Language and Information (50%), Dept. of Korean Language and Literature (45.2%), Dept. of Korean Literature in Classical Chinese (41.7%), Dept. of English Language and Literature (40%), Dept. of Japanese Language and Literature (38.5%), Dept. of Archaeology (37.5%), and Dept. of Philosophy (33.3%). In comparison, business-related departments like the Dept. of Tourism and Convention (64.7%), Dept. of Business Administration (58%), School of International Trade (57%), and School of Economics (51.2%) showed stronger results. Still, there is a general perception among students that “humanities are disadvantageous for employment.” Hong Seung-Taek (Dept. of Philosophy) said, “Unless you’re taking a public service exam or at least adding a double or minor major, it’s hard to find a job as a humanities major.”  

A prevailing social atmosphere discourages choosing humanities as a major. Jung Hee-Hoon (Dept. of German Language and Literature, 20) also said, “Humanities are great as general elective courses, but making a career out of it takes a long time, and society doesn’t place much value on it.”  PNU Student B, who transferred from the College of Humanities to the Dept. of Business Administration, said, “When I told people I was in the College of Humanities, they often asked where I’d get a job. The reaction wasn’t very positive.” Yoon Min-Jong (Prof. of Education, PNU) analyzed, “It’s a natural phenomenon in capitalism for students to flock to business-related majors, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing.”  

In a reality where students struggle to even keep their chosen majors, humanities students voiced frustration.  Even those who wish to pursue studies or research in humanities end up choosing double majors, minors, or transferring due to job prospects and practical conditions.  PNU Student A (Dept. of Korean Language and Literature, 24) said, “There are many courses I want to take in my major, and I’m pursuing an intensive track, but realistically, it’s hard to find a job related to my major.”  Hong Seung-Taek (Dept. of Philosophy) added, “Initially in high school, I wanted to study in the Dept. of Ethics Education and thus, chose the Dept. of Philosophy, but the content is more abstract than expected and the job prospects uncertain, so I’m minoring in the Dept. of Social Welfare.”  Also, PNU Student B said, “After transferring to the Dept. of Business Administration, there seem to be more opportunities for related contests and extracurricular activities.”  

■ A crisis fueled by policy neglect  

Despite the stark decline in the humanities, the government continues to invest primarily in engineering and business fields, worsening the academic inequality. In 2016, the MOE launched the “PRIME (Program for Industrial Needs–Matched Education)” project, encouraging universities to increase enrollment quotas in STEM and medical fields while reducing them in humanities and arts. Selected universities received substantial government funding, prompting many to reduce humanities enrollment or consolidate departments.  

The government’s R&D budget also neglected humanities and social sciences. In 2023, only about 30 billion won (1.2%) out of 6.574 trillion won of the national R&D budget was allocated to humanities and social sciences. This is a stark contrast to countries like the UK and US, which allocate around 10% of government academic research budgets to those fields. Prof. Yoon said, “The government and universities continually send the message that only economically beneficial disciplines matter, turning universities into job training centers instead of places to foster academic curiosity. As a result, we are losing basic civic literacy and independent thinking skills.”  

Recent policies to expand admissions through major-free or major-flexible systems are also believed to contribute to the decline of humanities. Under this system, students are initially admitted without choosing a major and take various introductory courses in their freshman year before selecting their major in the second year.  PNU implemented two types: Type I (fully free choice) and Type II (choice within a set range). In 2025, 139 students were admitted to the following Type II tracks: Dept. of Engineering Open Major, Dept. of Nano Open Major, and Dept. of Global Open Major Division as per a report by “Channel PNU” on March 3rd, 2025. Kim Seung-Ryong (Prof. of Korean Literature in Classical Chinese, PNU) commented, “The system guarantees student choice in theory, but in practice, it strengthens the tendency to favor job-friendly majors and accelerates the decline of humanities. It’s merely institutionalizing an already existing imbalance.”  

■ To escape the crisis in humanities  

The decline of humanities is likely to escalate from a mere academic issue into a broader societal crisis.  Experts warn that if the trend continues, society’s moral compass and ability to make value judgments may weaken, leading to a system focused only on efficiency and profit, neglecting human-centered thinking. Prof. Kim stated, “Academics without humanity are reduced to mere techniques. The decline of humanities is not just about losing one field—it’s about losing one of the essential pillars that supports a coexisting society.”  

To combat this, the MOE ran the “CORE (College of Humanities & Social Sciences for Research and Education)” project from 2016 to 2018, supporting the college of humanities from 19 universities. It was the first government-led project aimed at protecting and fostering humanities education, developing programs aligned with social needs, and expanding career opportunities. From 2023 to 2025, the MOE and the National Research Foundation of Korea have been running the “Humanities and Social Convergence Talent Development Project,” breaking down barriers between departments and universities to foster interdisciplinary talent based on humanities and social sciences.  

Experts emphasize that it’s not just about increasing the number of humanities majors, but preserving their intrinsic value while finding intersections with practical disciplines. Prof. Kim also stated, “The humanities must preserve their intrinsic value while also opening up new horizons through integration with other disciplines. Universities should actively support humanities major students in gaining foundational knowledge in other academic fields as well.”

Experts agree that both the state and universities must step up to protect and revitalize the status of humanities. Prof. Kim said, “I hope all academic disciplines that teach practical value also prioritize humanity and humanities.” Prof. Yoon added, “While it is natural to give more teaching incentives to more popular departments, we must not let foundational disciplines be sacrificed. Basic academic fields must be protected and supported to maintain a balanced academic ecosystem.”

Reporter Lee Bo-Young

Translated by Thadar-Soe