Starting from 2009, a new reformed curriculum has been applied to the students of Hanyang University (HYU). Significant changes in the curriculum have included: an increased amount of credits will be required to graduate, new regulations on retaking courses, a mandatory Hanyang Volunteer program, and the revision of the HELP (Hanyang Essential Leadership Plus) program.
  Starting in 2009, the mandatory amount of credits the freshmen at HYU must take in order to graduate, increased from 130 ~ 136 to 136 ~ 140. Kim Youn-san, a staff member from the Office of Academic Affairs at HYU, explained the reason for this change. He said, “Increasing the amount of required credits is a difficult burden for the school, especially during this economic crisis. However, this will provide a better image for HYU.”
  Restrictions were also applied to students retaking courses. Starting in 2012, students will only be able to retake subjects with grades lower than B0. Kim said, “In the past, students simply retook previous courses in order to change their grades. This resulted in an inflation of higher grades. This was unfair to the students who were taking the course for the first time. That is why this change was necessary.”
  The Hanyang Volunteer Program, which is worth a single credit will be mandatory from 2009 for freshmen. This program, which is also available for foreign students, will also be a required course. Kim said “This program fits HYU’s motto, ‘Love in truth and in deed,’ and this is the reason why we made this course mandatory.”
The HELP program has been improved.  Kim said, “In order to implement global trends into the HELP program, we created an English version of the HELP program which students can choose to take instead of the Korean version. We have a group of students called ‘Young Leaders of Hanyang’ who work on monitoring and improving the HELP program.”
  HYU’s 2008 curriculum was selected as one of the top four in Korea by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. This was higher than Korea University’s evaluation. However, HYU’s staffs in the Office of Academic Affairs will continue to improve HYU’s curriculum. Only time will tell if their changes were appropriate and effective.

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