George Mason University in the United States has recently announced its approval of the opening of a Korean Studies Major at the undergraduate level within the Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

In its general meeting on November 1, the university’s curriculum committee approved the move, and decided to offer the program beginning in the fall semester of 2019.

This great achievement comes just two years after the university opened its Minor in Korean Studies in the fall semester of 2017. According to university authorities, the recent drastic increase in the number of students enrolled in Korea-related courses was a major driving force behind the decision.

The number of students enrolled in Korean Studies courses sharply increased to about 240 in the 2017-2018 academic year, up from about 90 in 2014-2015. Based on this significant demand for Korean Studies, the university aims to open a master’s degree course in Korean language and literature within the next five years.

관련기사: http://www.koreatimes.com/article/1214007