Role of University on Undergraduate Employment by Disciplines

This study starts from the perspective that preparing students for employment is the most important role of undergraduate degree programs. Therefore, we examine the determinants of undergraduate employment, especially highlighting the differences by disciplines. We classify 28 factors into five categories such as personal attributes, entrance attributes, students’ employment-related activities, regular curriculum and employability programs provided by universities. This study is based on data from 7,616 students from a Korean university over four and half years. Findings reveal that university efforts are crucial in engineering. Only exchange programs and employment programs have an impact on science. There are no specific factors in humanities and social science. Grade point average and students’ efforts are important in business. Face-to-face coaching in employability support programs is effective for securing employment except in science disciplines. The study results do not point to the absence of a role of university even in the low employment disciplines. Rather, the issue is that of an over-supply of graduates exceeding job offers that results from the worldwide expansion of higher education services.