The Bachelor's Degree Examination for Self-Education (BDES, ko, 독학학위제) makes it possible to obtain a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

without attending a regular

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

by passing the examination administered by the

South Korean government The Government of South Korea is the union government of the South Korea, Republic of Korea, created by the Constitution of South Korea as the executive, legislative and judicial authority of the republic. The president acts as the head of sta ...

. The

Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When ...

of the

Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...

states the government should promote

lifelong education Lifelong learning is the "ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated"Department of Education and Science (2000).Learning for Life: Paper on Adult Education Dublin: Stationery Office. pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons ...

. To actualize this, "the Law of Bachelor’s Degree Examination for Self-Education" was established on 7 April 1990.

History

* Gaston Bachelard's Degree and Similar System of France *1990 April 7, Promulgation of the Act of bachelor's degree Examination for Self-Education (

Statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...

No. 4227) *1990 June 20, Establishment of the Department of the Degree Approval at the National Board of Educational Evaluation *1992, The 1st Conferment of bachelor's degrees *1998 January 1, Transfer of the control to

Korea National Open University Korea National Open University (KNOU, ko, 한국방송통신대학교) is a national university of South Korea. The school provides higher education including undergraduate, graduate and non-degree programs as well as distance-learning courses ...

(KNOU) *2008 February 15, Transfer of control to National Institute for Lifelong Education (NILE) according to "the amendment of the Lifelong Education Act"

Major

*Korean Language & Literature *English Language & Literature *Business Administration *Public Administration *Law *Computer Science *Home Economics *Psychology *Information & communications engineering *Childhood Education (Only 3rd and final exam) *Nursing (Only final exam) *Chinese Language & Literature (Closed) *Mathematics (Closed) *Agriculture (Closed) Three major fields (Chinese Language & Literature, Mathematics, and Agriculture) were closed because of the decrease in the number of applicants. But, those who already passed more than a course in the three major fields are still allowed to apply for their further examinations.{{citation needed, date=November 2022 Childhood education is established only in the 3rd and the final examination, and Nursing is established only in the final examination because it requires a

practicum A practicum (also called work placement, especially in the UK) is an undergraduate or graduate-level course, often in a specialized field of study, that is designed to give students supervised practical application of a previously or concurrent ...

Process

There are 4 exams for obtaining a bachelor's degree. Applying for each exam requires

qualification Qualification is either the process of qualifying for an achievement, or a credential attesting to that achievement, and may refer to: * Professional qualification, attributes developed by obtaining academic degrees or through professional exper ...

. For example, a person who is eligible to apply for the second exam does not need to pass the first exam. *1st exam: Qualifying Examination for Liberal Arts *2nd exam: Qualifying Examination for Major-Basic *3rd exam: Qualifying Examination for Major-Advanced *Final exam: Comprehensive Examination Each exam is held once a year, which means that it takes at least a year to obtain a bachelor's degree.

External links

National Institute for Lifelong Education (Republic of Korea)

English page
Self education Education in South Korea Alternative education

History

Major

Process

See also

External links