How long must I have worked?

Usually three years, varying by school.

Is tuition support available?

Yes, through national scholarships and employers.

Work first, study later (Korea)

📚 Education By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 26, 2026

Work first, study later is a Korean career path in which high-school graduates start working first and later enter university while employed, through routes such as working-adult admissions or contract departments.

Contents

1. Background
2. Routes and trade-offs
3. FAQ
4. References

Background

By the 2000s, Korea's college entry rate had approached 80%, fueling credential inflation and job mismatch. In 2010, the government opened Meister high schools and began promoting jobs for high-school graduates, along with routes to earn degrees later.

Routes and trade-offs

Options include working-adult special admissions, typically after three years of employment and without the national exam, and employer-university contract departments. Cyber universities, the Academic Credit Bank, and corporate universities are other routes. Evening and weekend study demands stamina. Check any service obligations attached to employer tuition support.

FAQ

How long must I have worked?: Usually three years, varying by school.
Is tuition support available?: Yes, through national scholarships and employers.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

교육부. 선취업 후진학 활성화 방안.
산업교육진흥 및 산학연협력촉진에 관한 법률, 국가법령정보센터. https://www.law.go.kr
고등교육법 시행령(재직자 특별전형), 국가법령정보센터. https://www.law.go.kr

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

There are no materials dedicated to this theory yet, but you can search related reports in the CampusDown library (Korean).

Find more reports · Search '선취업 후진학' on CampusDown →

Contract department (Korea)Korea's contract departments under Article 8 of the Industry-Academia Cooperation Act (2003): hiring-linked programs such as semiconductor departments, retraining programs for employees, service obligations, and what to check before applying.📚 Education Academic Credit Bank System (Korea)Korea's Academic Credit Bank System (1998): its roots in the 1995 education reform, degree requirements of 140 credits for a bachelor's and 80 for an associate degree, earning credits through accredited courses and certifications.📚 Education National Tomorrow Learning Card (Korea)Korea's National Tomorrow Learning Card, a lifelong training voucher created in 2020 by merging the unemployed and employed workers' cards: ₩3–5 million over five years, co-payments, eligibility and exclusions, and how to compare courses on Work24.💼 Business Piaget's Theory of Cognitive DevelopmentPiaget's theory of cognitive development explained: schema, assimilation, accommodation, equilibration, the four stages, comparison with Vygotsky, criticisms, and report examples.📚 Education

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This article was last updated on October 26, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.