{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.017475728155339806, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.796833773087071, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Linking university-wide key competencies and discipline specific major competencies for designing competency-based major curricula in Korean higher education

Objectives Competency-based education in Korean higher education is twofold - university-wide key competencies which shape the educational direction of the institution and discipline specific major competencies on which major education is based. As such, linking key competencies and major competencies in a systematic way can contribute to achieving totality and unity of university's major curricula. This study aims at laying the foundation for the systematization of competency-based higher education by developing systematic ways of linking key competencies and major competencies via understanding of the current status of competency-based education in Korean universities. 
Methods This study proposes four models of linking key competencies and major competencies that are developed from the comparative analysis of five universities in Korea. To validate the proposed model, FGI is conducted with curriculum experts, and the applicability of the model is explored by a survey among professors at major universities in Korea. 
Results First, this study finds the current competency-based education in Korean universities exhibit both a limitation and an advantage. Competency-based education was introduced among Korean universities as a means to evaluate education quality by the Ministry of Education. Oftentimes, competencies were selected without the interest and consensus of school members and competency-based curricula were not properly implemented. As a result, competency-based education in Korean universities was not fully functional in developing students' actual competencies. Nevertheless, the introduction of competency-based education contributed to the advancement of education quality management by systematizing a curriculum feedback system that reflects the needs of learners and society and emphasizing educators' responsibilities. Second, this study proposes four models of linking key competencies and major competencies, which are labelled as core major competencies model, equivalent key-major competencies model, overlapping key-major competencies model, inclusive major competencies model. They differ by the relative scope and specificity of key and major competencies. 
Conclusions Competency-based education in Korean higher education is in its initial stage. The four models that this study proposes can be utilized to further develop current competency-based major curricula.