With the advancement of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the importance of data science continues to grow. Accordingly, the need to apply data science across various fields is also increasing. The College of Health Science is an interdisciplinary college where social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering converge around the concept of “health,” utilizing data science as a key tool across all fields.

This program focuses on building a foundational understanding of statistics and data science and applying them to various areas of health. Accordingly, it will be jointly operated by three schools within the College of Health Science.

• Develop a fundamental understanding of data science and statistics based on Health Science
• Build coding and programming skills
• Apply data science across social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering

• Demand for data science continues to grow, and demand for healthcare data science is also increasing, indicating a strong outlook for this microdegree.
• This program is expected to attract students who wish to gain a basic understanding of statistics and data science, as well as those who want to integrate data science into their major field of study.

As demand increases for next-generation interdisciplinary professionals who can bridge the gap between traditional Health Science and advanced technologies and navigate the complexities of precision medicine, the Precision Public Health microdegree has been established. This microdegree aims to address challenges in an aging society by integrating the strengths of science and technology, particularly biomedical engineering, with public health approaches that promote population health and reduce health disparities, fostering talent capable of interdisciplinary solutions.

This program aims to cultivate interdisciplinary professionals in Precision Public Health who contribute to building a “healthier society for all” by integrating precision-based technological innovation with equity-driven public health agendas.

• Develop a fundamental understanding of biomedical engineering technologies centered on biosignals and the ability to apply them
• Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to address real-world public health challenges using their expertise

As demand for precision medicine and healthcare technologies continues to grow, along with related societal challenges, the outlook for this microdegree is highly positive.
This program is expected to attract students who wish to develop technical expertise in healthcare, as well as those who want to understand diseases, healthcare systems, and policies in order to apply and implement these technologies in practice.

The human microbiome is an emerging biohealth industry and a promising next-generation biopharmaceutical field. Recently, Seres Therapeutics and Ferring Pharmaceuticals have developed and commercialized microbiome-based drugs for treating Clostridioides difficile infections. Major pharmaceutical companies worldwide are conducting clinical trials in areas such as cancer, autism, and dementia. As of the end of 2023, 27 companies specializing in microbiome industries have joined the Korean Microbiome Pharmaceutical Association, indicating the formation of a new job market. In addition, leading pharmaceutical companies such as Celltrion and Samsung Biologics have established dedicated departments to address unmet medical needs through microbiome-based therapeutics. Cosmetic and food companies such as LG Household & Health Care and CJ have also rapidly established microbiome-related divisions. Therefore, industrial demand for specialists in the human microbiome field is expected to continue increasing. However, since the human microbiome industry is relatively new, there are few undergraduate programs that offer specialized education in this field. As a result, companies are currently limited to hiring individuals with general biology backgrounds. The School of Biosystems and Biomedical Sciences at Korea University is the only department in Korea offering “Human Microbiome” as an undergraduate major course. It also provides essential courses for microbiome research, such as pathogenic microbiology, immunology, and biomedical science laboratory courses. By systematically connecting these existing courses, the Human Microbiome microdegree has been designed. This initiative aims to promote employment opportunities and cultivate specialized professionals in this field.

This program aims to support students’ employment in microbiome-based pharmaceutical companies by providing an integrated curriculum of relevant major courses, while also cultivating future professionals in research and development within this field.

Biology majors have traditionally faced challenges in gaining a competitive edge over pharmacy or chemistry majors when seeking employment in pharmaceutical companies. However, the microbiome therapeutics field is an area where biology majors have a strong advantage compared to those in chemistry or pharmacy. Therefore, demand for this microdegree among undergraduate students is expected to be high. This program is expected to provide strong competitiveness for students pursuing careers or further studies in the pharmaceutical field.