This study aims to propose design principles and concrete models for liberal-arts-based micro-degree programs built on the general education system of Korean universities in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the shift to a lifelong learning society. To this end, it reviews the concepts, functions, and quality assurance (QA) standards of micro-credentials presented by international organizations such as the OECD and the EU, as well as domestic discussions on micro-degrees and liberal arts micro-degrees, and theoretically examines how liberal-arts-based micro-degrees can be aligned with these global frameworks. Using the competency framework of K University as a reference, approximately 230 general education courses were analyzed by applying a competency keyword dictionary to course objectives and overviews, thereby examining the coherence between stated competencies and course content. Based on these results, the study proposes design principles for liberal-arts-based micro-degrees, a QA model, and specific program examples such as “Wellness Life Coaching (Basic)” and “Cultural Contents Planning and Storytelling Production.”The findings indicate that four key design principles are required for liberal-arts-based micro-degrees: (1) maintaining the identity of liberal education, (2) competency-based design, (3) coherence and stackability, and (4) a full-cycle QA system covering the stages of establishment, operation, outcomes, and improvement/feedback. The competency coherence analysis further demonstrates that it is possible to construct liberal-arts-based micro-degrees with stepwise learning pathways (basic-intermediate-advanced) using existing general education courses alone, and that the proposed QA framework can function as a program-level QA scheme encompassing program approval, operational monitoring, assessment of competency achievement and its utilization, decisions on improvement or discontinuation, and the issuance of digital badges.
Kim et al. (Wed,) studied this question.