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An academic discipline, or field of study, is a branch of knowledge which 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, and the learned societies and academic departments or faculties to which their practitioners belong.
Fields of study usually have several sub-disciplines or branches, and the distinguishing lines between these are often both arbitrary and ambiguous. 1
Overview
The University of Paris in 1231 consisted of four faculties: Theology, Medicine, Canon Law and Arts.2 Most academic disciplines have their roots in the mid- to late-19th century secularization of universities, when the traditional curricula were supplemented with non-classical languages and literatures, social sciences such as political science, economics and public administration, and natural science and technology disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering.
In the early 20th century, new disciplines such as education, sociology, and psychology were added. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was an explosion of new disciplines focusing on specific themes, such as media studies, women's studies, and black studies. Many disciplines designed as preparation for careers and professions, such as nursing, hospitality management, and corrections, also emerged in the universities. Finally, interdisciplinary scientific fields such as biochemistry and geophysics gained prominence as their contribution to knowledge became widely recognized.
There is no consensus on how some academic disciplines should be classified, e.g., whether anthropology and linguistics are social sciences disciplines or humanities disciplines. More generally, the proper criteria for organizing knowledge into disciplines are also open to debate.
An asterisk (*) denotes a field whose academic status has been debated among this article's editors.
Humanities
History
- See also Branches of history
Languages and linguistics
Main articles:
Language and
Linguistics
- See also List of languages, Branches of linguistics, Anthropological linguistics
Literature
Performing arts
Philosophy
- See also Branches of philosophy
Religion
- See also List of religions
Visual arts
Main article:
Visual arts
Social sciences
Main article:
Social science
Anthropology
Main article:
Anthropology
- See also Branches of anthropology
Archaeology
Main article:
Archaeology
- See also Branches of archaeology
Area studies
Main article:
Area studies
- See also Branches of area studies
Cultural and ethnic studies
Economics
Gender and sexuality studies
Geography
- See also Branches of geography
Political science
- See also Branches of political science
Psychology
- See also Branches of psychology, Cognitive science, Affective science, and Behavioural science
Sociology
- See also Branches of sociology
Natural sciences
Space sciences
Main article:
Space sciences
- See also Branches of astronomy
Earth sciences
Main article:
Earth science
- See also Branches of earth sciences
Life sciences
Main article:
Life sciences
- See also Branches of life sciences
Chemistry
- See also Branches of chemistry
Physics
- See also Branches of physics
Formal sciences
Computer sciences
- See also Branches of computer science and ACM Computing Classification System
Logic
Mathematics
Main article:
Mathematics
- See also Branches of mathematics and AMS Mathematics Subject Classification
Statistics
Systems science
Professions and Applied sciences
Agriculture
Main article:
Agriculture
Architecture and design
Main articles:
Architecture and
Design
Business
Divinity
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- Scriptural study and languages
- Theology
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Education
Engineering
- See also Branches of engineering
Environmental studies and Forestry
Family and consumer science
Health sciences
Main article:
Health science
- See also Branches of medicine
Human physical performance and recreation*
Journalism, media studies and communication
Law
Library and museum studies
Military sciences
Public administration
Social work
Main article:
Social work
Transportation
Main article:
Transportation
See also
Notes
- ^ Andrew Abbott, Chaos of Disciplines University Of Chicago Press 2001 ISBN 0226001016
- ^ History of Education, Encyclopædia Britannica (1977, 15th edition), Macropaedia Volume 6, p. 337
References
- Andrew Abbott, Chaos of Disciplines University Of Chicago Press 2001 ISBN 0226001016
- Alexandra Oleson & John Voss (eds) The Organization of Knowledge in Modern America, 1860-1920 Johns Hopkins University Press 1979 ISBN 0801821088
External links