Sahmyook University Graduate School newly established a master’s and doctoral course in the Department of Education Counseling and Welfare, a re-education type contract department, and selected 48 new students, including 30 master’s students and 18 doctoral students. It plans to nurture practical professionals in social welfare to respond to the era of low birth rate and aging population.

On the 2nd, Sahmyook University held the ‘Education Counseling Welfare Department Welcome Ceremony and New Student Orientation’ at the Bae Chang-hyeon Memorial Hall in the Theology Hall on campus. About 50 people attended the event, including Sahmyook University President’s Il-mok Kim, Vice President and Graduate School Dean Hyun-hee Kim, Academic Dean Hae-jong Je, department head Jong-hwa Jeong, and newly admitted students.

The contract department is a system that operates a customized vocational education system (Work to school) at the university according to the needs of the industry. It is established and performed based on Article 8 of the Industrial Education Promotion and Industry-Academy Cooperation Promotion Act (Industry-Academic Cooperation Act). After completing the curriculum, it is divided into a “recruitment condition type” linked to recruitment and a “re-education type” for retraining and improving the job skills of industrial employees.

The Department of Education, Counseling, and Welfare at Sahmyook University is a re-education type and was newly established by the existing Department of Social Welfare. At a time when a fundamental transformation in care is needed in the face of national crises such as low birth rate and aging population, and the implementation of reservation integration (integration of early childhood education and care management systems) in 2025, the plan is to strengthen the capabilities of daycare center directors and staff, social welfare facility directors, and practitioners to foster experts in the field of welfare.

As for detailed majors, it operates educational counseling welfare, child play welfare, and health and welfare administration. In the master’s program, students can acquire a master’s degree (M.S.W) in Social Welfare in a one-year short-term course using regular and seasonal semesters. The completion of credits will replace the thesis. The doctoral course is completed in 2 years and four semesters. You can receive a Ph.D. in Social Welfare if you write a doctoral dissertation.

In addition, according to Article 8 of the Industry-University Cooperation Act, the industry bears 50% of the educational cost (admission fee, tuition fee). Separately from this, the university pays 20% of the tuition fee as a scholarship if specific grades are met.

Department head Jong-hwa Jeong said, “We will nurture the most important key experts in childcare and social welfare fields in the era of low birth rate and aging population.”