Mokpo National University Establishes Korea's First 'Music Performance Planning Department'

Selecting 20 New Students Through Student Record Screening Starting This Year

National Mokpo University (President Song Ha-cheol) announced on the 13th that, following academic restructuring that began in February, it has decided to establish and operate a new department called the ‘Music Performance Planning Department’.

Starting from the 2024 academic year, the newly established ‘Music Performance Planning Department’ will offer students a diverse and engaging curriculum through practical training in performance planning at domestic agencies and arts organizations. This groundbreaking department aims to cultivate specialized performance planning professionals by encompassing not only traditional classical music but also a broad range of genres.

Mokpo National University Dorim Campus View [Photo by Mokpo National University]

As a preparatory step, agreements have been signed with domestic agencies and arts organizations such as Beatsomeone, Tool Music, and MOMA.

Additionally, National Mokpo University’s ‘Music Performance Planning Department’ provides a curriculum that fosters performers through practical instruction while also nurturing creators through music directing and content concept development.

Based on a solid foundation in music, this is a practical course designed to effectively produce and stage performances.

In particular, it aims to train professionals who can explore concert sites, produce performances independently, and after graduation, work as planners, start their own businesses, or find employment at arts organizations and over 100 national and public cultural foundations nationwide.

While domestic universities have already been operating departments combining arts and management such as ‘Arts Management’ and ‘Cultural Arts Management,’ departments specializing in training music-specific planning personnel that preserve the uniqueness and specificity of musicians, like National Mokpo University’s ‘Music Performance Planning Department,’ are rare.

Besides training specialized music planning personnel, National Mokpo University’s ‘Music Performance Planning Department’ continuously offers curricula that allow students to complete teacher certification and obtain Level 2 Cultural Arts Educator qualifications.

Admissions are mostly conducted through student record-based and comprehensive screening (17 students), with only about 15% (3 students) selected through the existing practical skills screening.

Graduation requirements are diverse, including employment or entrepreneurship in arts organizations, acquisition of music-related certifications, and graduation performances, enabling graduates to pursue various career paths immediately after graduation.

Professor Shin Ji-su of Mokpo University’s Department of Music stated, “The newly established Music Performance Planning Department reflects the latest job trends in the music field, such as music directors, topliners, and music IT specialists, who are currently experiencing recruitment difficulties, as educational goals,” adding, “We plan to operate a unique and specialized department tailored to students’ perspectives.”

She further expressed her ambition, saying, “Through lectures by experts, we will provide a variety of highly specialized programs so that students can find employment or start businesses immediately after graduation, making this department a future model for music education in Korea.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.