Strategic Prioritization for the College of Maritime Studies at M Maritime University Using the SWOT–AHP Approach

This study applied the SWOT–AHP hybrid approach to identify and prioritize strategic factors for maritime college development. Based on literature review and expert surveys, 23 factors were evaluated using Expert Choice 11.5. Results showed that “high employment rate as a specialized maritime university” (0.199) ranked first, followed by “improvement of seafarer welfare” (0.081) and “field-oriented industry– academia cooperation” (0.077). The findings suggest that maritime colleges should adopt growth-oriented strategies linking internal strengths—employment competitiveness, practical training, and international-standard education—with external opportunities such as policy support and rising global seafarer demand. Four strategic directions were derived: enhancing career appeal (S–O), improving training systems (S–T), promoting maritime awareness (W–O), and expanding lifelong education (W–T). This study provides actionable insights for strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of maritime education.