The Effect of a Job-linked Microdegree Course on the Perception of Job Information for Employment and Entrepreneurship and Career Exploration

This study aimed to empirically verify the educational effects of microdegrees, which are gaining attention as an alternative to resolving the competency gap between rapidly changing industrial demands and university education in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution. In particular, it analyzed the effects of 'job-linked' microdegree courses on students' 'Perception of Job Information for Employment and Entrepreneurship,' 'Career Decision Self-Efficacy,' and 'Career Exploration Behavior.' For this research, a one-group pretest-posttest design was applied to 153 students enrolled in job-linked courses at the Microdegree College of S University in Gyeonggi-do during the second semester of 2024. The levels of 'Opportunity Awareness and Knowledge Acquisition,' 'Career Decision Self-Efficacy,' and 'Career Exploration Behavior' were measured using the same scale before and after the course, and the collected data were analyzed using a paired-samples t-test. The analysis results showed statistically significant improvements in all three variables after taking the job-linked microdegree courses. 'Opportunity Awareness and Knowledge Acquisition' significantly increased from a pre-test mean of 2.85 to a post-test mean of 3.50(t=-8.123, p<.001). 'Career Decision Self-Efficacy' significantly increased from 3.10 to 3.65(t=-7.541, p<.001), and 'Career Exploration Behavior' also significantly increased from 2.90 to 3.30(t=-6.229, p<.001). These findings suggest that job-linked microdegree courses serve as an effective educational intervention that provides the 'mastery experiences' emphasized by Social Cognitive Career Theory. This implies that such courses can create a 'virtuous cycle of career development' by not only delivering knowledge but also fostering students' career confidence and connecting it to concrete exploratory actions. By empirically verifying the educational outcomes of microdegrees, this study provides important practical implications for the development and expansion of flexible, practice-oriented curricula that respond to industrial demands.