In
academia
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
, specialization (or
specialisation) may refer to a course of study or
major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
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 policymaking to pursue goals such as
national competitiveness. For instance, there is the case of
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales
* The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
who began coordinating academic specialization — through the founding of the
Imperial College — to catch up to the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, particularly in the fields of scientific and technical education.
The split between the sciences and humanities was described by
C. P. Snow as "
The Two Cultures".
Counter-developments
Interdisciplinary studies
Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...
are an attempt to resist this siloing of knowledge. The
integrated human studies movement is another counter-approach to specialization.
References
Further reading
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See also
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Academic discipline
An academic discipline or academic field is a subdivision of knowledge that is taught and researched at the college or university level. Disciplines are defined (in part) and recognized by the academic journals in which research is published, a ...
*
List of academic fields
External links
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Specialization
Sociology of knowledge
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