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Korean graduate students’ perceptions of guidance and professional development

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Abstract

Past studies have indicated shortcomings in the training of graduate students in the US, especially for practical career skills, teaching skills, and non-academic careers. Students thus find professional development and guidance lacking for the demands of the modern marketplace. This study extends this research to the unique situation of current graduate students in Korea, who represent an under-studied population and face further challenges from the demands of internationalization. From survey data at one representative university, this study examines (1) whether Korean graduate students feel that they receive sufficient guidance, training, and support for professional development and (2) whether Korean graduate students feel prepared for specific academic and professional careers and career skills. Additionally, English skills, motivation, and other factors are examined. Various shortcomings in these areas are reported, which parallel those found in the US, while unique problems also arise from the demands of English for academic and professional purposes. Korean graduate students require additional support and professional development programs to address these shortcomings.

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Notes

  1. This number excludes foreign students studying abroad at XU and professional graduate programs.

  2. In XU’s general graduate school, a thesis is compulsory for master’s students so the nature of graduate work is similar to doctoral students.

  3. An additional 73 questions dealt with other issues for a separate study. Space limitations preclude us from including all the items here, but readers can email the authors for the complete survey contents.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions. We also thank Kathy Lee for her insights, and the CTL staff for help with data collection. This paper was supported by a Korea University grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Foreign Language Studies, International Studies Hall 208A, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Korea

    Kent Lee

  2. Department of English Language & Literature, College of Liberal Arts, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Korea

    Hikyoung Lee

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Correspondence to Hikyoung Lee.

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Lee, K., Lee, H. Korean graduate students’ perceptions of guidance and professional development. High Educ 73, 725–740 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-9988-9

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