In
academic
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
, specialization (or
specialisation) may be a course of study or
major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
at an academic institution or may refer to the field in which a
specialist practices. In the case of an educator, academic specialization pertains to the subject that they specialize in and teach. It is considered a precondition of objective truth and works by restricting the mind's propensity for
eclecticism
Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories i ...
through methodological rigor and studious effort.
It is also employed as an information-management strategy, which operates by fragmenting an issue into different fields or areas of expertise to obtain truth.
In recent years, a new avenue of specialization has manifested through double majoring. It is a way to allow for a more diverse exposure to the college curriculum.
Development
As the volume of knowledge accumulated by humanity became too great, increasing specialization in academia appeared in response. There are also cases when this concept emerged from state policy-making to pursue goals such as
national competitiveness. For instance, there is the case of
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
who began coordinating academic specialization - through the founding of the
Imperial College - to catch up to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, particularly in the fields of scientific and technical education.
Further reading
*
References
External links
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Specialization
Specialization or Specialized may refer to:
Academia
* Academic specialization, may be a course of study or major at an academic institution or may refer to the field in which a specialist practices
* Specialty (medicine), a branch of medical ...