Be as Proud of Sogang as
Sogang is Proud of You.
Director of the Service Management Program Lee, Joonkyum
As global market competition intensifies, service-centered business model innovation is becoming increasingly vital for companies seeking to meet consumer needs and secure a distinctive competitive edge. Achieving such innovation requires a proactive and transformative approach capable of analyzing service flows across the entire industry.
The Service Management major was established in 2010 after being selected for the World Class University (WCU) initiative by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in 2009. The program was founded to equip students with comprehensive knowledge of service innovation and methods for enhancing service process productivity. Since its inception, the curriculum has been continuously refined in response to the evolving service landscape—transitioning from SSME (Service Science, Management and Engineering) and Global Service Management (GSM) to its current form as Service Management. It remains the only program among Korea’s many graduate schools of business to systematically research and teach diverse specializations within the service sector.
Drawing on years of accumulated expertise and a robust educational framework, students in the Service Management major will gain the practical knowledge needed to respond swiftly to the growing demand for service-driven value creation. Furthermore, through our newly enhanced curriculum, students will develop various methodologies for identifying and resolving customer pain points from an ecosystemic perspective, while gaining analytical insights directly applicable to real-world industrial challenges.
The Service Management program is dedicated to fostering competent and ethical managers who will serve as future industrial leaders. We are committed to helping students cultivate the skills necessary to lead successful service businesses, ensuring they not only secure excellent positions upon graduation but also build sustained and competitive professional careers.
It is my great pleasure to introduce the Service Management program within the Department of Business Administration at Sogang University’s Graduate School. As a pioneer in the field, I will do my utmost to lead this program toward a future of academic and professional excellence.
Overview
Service Management is a new specialization in Business Administration, newly established in March 2023 as part of Sogang University Graduate School's EIC (Expert Incubating Curriculum) program. In accordance with Sogang University's educational philosophy, the program aims to cultivate competent, practical-oriented talent in the service sector, and is designed and operated to allow those balancing work and study to pursue their education effectively.
Program Operations
- Master’s Program: Option between Professional Topic Research (1.5 years) or Master’s Thesis (2 years)
- Doctoral Program: 4 years (3.5 years for early graduation), focusing on Case Study/Empirical/Theoretical dissertation writing
- Wednesday (Online class) 19:00-21:45, Saturday (In-person class) Period 1 09:00-11:45, Period 2 13:00-15:45, Period 3 16:00-18:45
Core Curriculum
Understanding Service
- Service Definition
- Service Concept
- Service Environment Changes
- Service Strategy
Service Design
- Service Development
- Service Architecture
- Service Innovation
- Service Problem Solving
Service Management
- Service Human Resource Management
- Service Operations Management
- Service Customer Management
- Service Performance Management
Why Service Management?
It is a top-tier service management education program that balances practical and theoretical education.
01 It provides an industry-academic convergence curriculum that balances practical and theoretical education.
Based on the opinions of experts, practitioners, and scholars in various fields, the curriculum incorporates the practical knowledge and know-how required in the field, as well as a theoretical framework for senior executives.
02 We establish an alumni network within the service industry.
We connect the professional networks harvested over the past 10 years from the SSME (Service Science, Management and Engineering) and Global Service Management (GSM) programs—the predecessors of the Service Management major—with the vast human network of business alumni who have passed through various programs at Sogang University's Graduate School of Business and Professional Graduate School of Business.
03 Together with outstanding faculty, we establish the theoretical and practical foundations of service management.
We provide lectures from Sogang University's distinguished faculty, who show excellent performance in research and education, alongside instructors with extensive practical experience. Students will receive effective guidance on research and studies from advisors specializing in various service fields.
04 We transfer the management know-how of service industry leaders who are well-versed in practice.
We provide lectures, special talks, and seminars featuring industry leaders and practitioners who have accumulated long-term experience in leading service companies.
05 It reflects the latest trends in the service industry.
Through various seminar classes, students learn about the current status and latest issues of the service industry and cultivate the ability to respond to the changing service management environment.
06 Concurrent pursuit of work and study is made easy through the operation of Wednesday night and full-day Saturday courses.
Wednesday evening (online) and full-day Saturday classes are provided at Sogang University's Shinchon Campus, which is easily accessible from anywhere in Seoul and the metropolitan area.
07 Flexible learning is possible for Master’s students balancing work and study.
In the Master's program, students can choose between practical Professional Topic Research (3 semesters) and an academic thesis (4 semesters) to study in-depth with an advisor before graduation. Those choosing the thesis track receive guidance from top-tier professors on writing dissertations on various topics, including theory, empirical studies, and case studies. Those choosing Professional Topic Research will gain systematic experience in organizing specialized knowledge and proposing development plans for specific companies through in-depth discussions with their advisor. Additionally, students can take up to 6 credits from other majors within Sogang University Graduate School or other graduate schools, enabling effective linked learning with related fields.
08 Flexible learning is possible for Doctoral students balancing work and study.
The part-time Ph.D. program helps working students pursue their studies flexibly. Through close cooperation with advisors, students can gain research experience by publishing papers in either English or Korean before graduation and receive guidance to write dissertations on diverse topics such as theory, empirical studies, and case studies. Furthermore, the schedule for major field exams can be flexibly distributed. For those who have completed the Master's program in this department, various benefits such as course waivers, credit recognition, and early graduation are provided to support a flexible transition between Master’s and Doctoral studies. Additionally, students can take up to 6 credits from other majors within Sogang University Graduate School or other graduate schools, enabling effective linked learning with related fields.