It has been almost 20 years since the education of popular music-also known as the term 'Applied Music' in Korean universities was established and totally over 70 colleges or universities, 42 junior colleges and 30 universities currently operate Applied Music department. This study surveys the beginning of the Applied Music department and its transitional process, and establishment shapes of the department. From this study, three different establishment shapes and patterns of 'Applied Music' department were categorized as a result. They are 1) the developmental model in which "Applied Music" as a term was used for the department at the start, 2) the developmental model that sub-categorizes "Applied Music" within the study of contemporary and pre- existing musical genres such as "Music" or "Living Music", and 3) the developmental model in which "Applied Music" as an independent department eventually developed and separated from Group Two's sub- categorized model.