Video summary

"철학과 갈걸" 컴공 선택 단 3명..AI 등장에 취업률 뒤집힌 '대반전' (자막뉴스) / SBS

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Key takeaways

News and Commentary

Overview

Seoul National University (SNU)’s Liberal Arts program is experiencing a major shift in student major preferences. A previous standout trend—many students choosing the College of Computer Science/Computer Engineering (about one in four)—is rapidly reversing as AI reduces demand for traditional “developer” roles.

Reported Major Shifts

Computer Engineering preference collapses

The share of Liberal Arts students at SNU choosing Computer Engineering fell sharply:

  • 28.8% (2023) → 12.9% (this year)
  • In the second semester, it dropped further to 3.5%

Computer major “momentum” breaks after GPT release

After GPT’s release in 2023:

  • 69 students chose computer science as a major (peak)
  • Following that, applications declined sharply; this semester only 3 chose Computer Engineering

The report also notes:

  • 80 students who initially selected Computer Engineering switched majors this year.

Employment outcomes for CS decline

Employment rates for SNU College of Computer Science graduates fell:

  • 86.8% (2021) → 72.6% (2025) (a drop of about 6 percentage points)

Majors That Are Rising

Electrical & Information Engineering grows

Growth is attributed to perceived hiring advantages at semiconductor companies (e.g., Samsung, SK hynix):

  • 9–14 students/year (2021–2025) → 18 students this year

Philosophy rises strongly

Despite being traditionally viewed as difficult for employment:

  • Employment rate increased from 55.6% (2021) → 77.3% (2025)
  • The report says Philosophy surpassed Computer Science as of last year

Admission Competitiveness Shifts

  • General early admission: CS competition declined
    • 7.59:1 → 4.31:1
  • Philosophy: competition surged
    • 9.92:1 → 15.56:1 (over the same period)

Explanation: AI-era hiring priorities

The coverage argues that in the AI era, companies increasingly value:

  • the ability to understand human language and context
  • problem-solving through communication
  • more than raw proficiency in a specific programming language

International parallel

The article adds that a similar shift (from CS toward Liberal Arts) is reportedly occurring overseas, with big tech hiring Liberal Arts graduates for key roles where language/context strengths are important.

Presenter/Contributor: Kim Min-jung (SBS)

Original video