by: Bridget Kulla
Want to try something new? Really new? That list of majors in the course catalog isn’t static. As technology advances and business evolves, fields of study that weren’t imagined or that may have been limited to a few specialized classes emerge as full-blown majors. Check out these 10 fields of study that hardly existed a decade ago.
1. New Media
Online media is one of the fastest growing areas of journalism. New media majors combine traditional journalism studies with courses on the design and management of digital media.
Some programs, like the new media program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, concentrate on computer skills and design of online media. Other programs, like the one at Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, integrate communications and digital skills.
2. Biotechnology
Biotechnology combines biology and technology to solve agricultural, food science and medical issues. It is an interdisciplinary field and is often combined with a business degree, like the joint degree program at Johns Hopkins University. Most biotechnology degrees are at the master’s level, yet bachelor’s degrees in biotechnology, like the one at Delaware State University, are starting to emerge as this field becomes more in demand.
Related fields include bioinformatics, biomedical engineering and biomedical engineering.
3. Organic agriculture
The first organic agriculture program in the U.S. began at Washington State University (WSU) in 2006. Demand for those knowledgeable in organic agriculture is growing. "Large corporations increasingly are interested in meeting the nation's growing appetite for organic foods [and] are seeking employees who understand organic agriculture systems,” says Dr. Cathy Perillo, coordinator of WSU’s organic agriculture program, in a press release.
This major is not widespread, but other institutions are looking into adding an organic agriculture degree program, including University of California, Davis. The University of Florida also launched an organic agriculture major in 2006.
4. Homeland security
New degree programs in homeland security have been established since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Homeland security majors study everything from psychology to disaster relief and federal law to handling hazardous materials. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security offers scholarships and fellowships for homeland security majors and runs an intensive 18-month degree program at the Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
Homeland security education is expanding rapidly at community colleges. Close to 85 percent of students trained in homeland security-related fields graduate from community colleges, according to the American Association of Community Colleges.
5. E-Business/E-Marketing
This field focuses on buying, selling and marketing items on the Internet and may also include communicating with customers, employees and business partners. Demand for employees in this field is expected to grow faster than average, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Degree programs in e-marketing are usually in universities' business schools and are more common at the graduate level. Some schools, like the University of Akron, offer bachelor's programs in e-marketing, while others, like Missouri State University, offer a minor for business students.
6. Computer Game Design
Students playing video games in their dorm rooms can now avoid a lecture from their parents by majoring in computer game design. Computer game design programs were nearly nonexistent a decade ago. Today more than 150 colleges offer programs and courses in game design.
Some programs, like the computer games development program at DePaul University, focus on the programming of games while others, like the game art and design program at the Art Institute of Phoenix, concentrate on the visual design. Michigan State University is launching a Serious Game Design master's degree program in the fall of 2007 for students with "a desire to create and study games which change the world." The International Game Developers Association offers resources, including a scholarship, for students interested in game design.
7. Forensic accounting
The controversy surrounding recent corporate scandals has drawn attention to the expanding field of forensic accounting. While it has existed for many years, forensic accounting is now the fastest-growing field of accounting. Forensic accountants are like money detectives – they investigate suspected financial mishandling and assist in legal matters. Forensic accountants must have a broad understanding of business practices beyond standard accounting skills.
Bachelor’s degrees in forensic accounting, like the program offered at Franklin University, are required for most careers in this field. Students can also earn a master’s degree and post-graduate certificate through a program like the one at West Virginia University.
8. Human Computer Interaction
Human computer interaction (HCI) majors focus on designing ways to improve human experiences and work practices with technology. HCI investigates the impact of technology on individuals and organizations. While courses in this field have been offered since the 1960s, degree programs in HCI have been growing. Human computer interaction majors are usually located in schools of computer science, but studies are multidisciplinary.
Most HCI programs are at the graduate level, like the program at Iowa State University, but some, like the HCI program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, have a bachelor's degree program.
9. Society and the Environment
Society and environment majors study the interactions between society and the environment. Degree programs in this field go by slightly different names, like Indiana University’s joint environmental science and public affairs degree and Columbia University’s climate and society program. Students in these majors apply social science theories to environmental issues. Most programs are at the master’s degree level, but programs like the one at UC-Berkeley offer undergraduate degrees as well.
10. Nanotechnology
Developments in technology have made it possible to control matter at smaller and smaller levels. The field of nanotechnology works with systems at the molecular level and can be applied across many different disciplines, including physics, engineering and chemistry. Interest in nanotechnology is growing and is being encouraged by the National Nanotechnology Initiative, organized in 1998.
Most nanotechnology programs are at the graduate level, but several programs provide a background in nanotechnology studies, like bachelor's program in nanosystems engineering at Louisiana Tech University.
Ten Majors that Didn't Exist 10 Years Ago
Unusual College Majors
by: Pamela Mood
“I didn’t know you could major in that!”
With so many new and unusual undergraduate majors at colleges and universities across the country, today’s students have more options than ever. Fans of the outdoor life can major in adventure recreation at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont. Students with this major can also gain professional certification in areas such as whitewater rafting, open water diving, skiing and snowboarding. Students at the University of Denver can earn bachelor’s degrees in computer gaming and animation.
At Mansfield University in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, the biology department offers an undergraduate fisheries major through which students can be certified as associate fisheries scientists.
Students at Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth can get bachelor’s degrees in ranch management.
A love for horses can lead to a major in equestrian science or equestrian business management for students at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. The major is designed for students who want to work professionally in a horse-related field.
Dance the night away at Birmingham-Southern College (BSC) in Birmingham, Alabama, where students can major in dance education.
Though some of these majors may sound like fun and games, many have tough prerequisite and core classes.
Green Mountain requires all students who want a bachelor’s in adventure recreation to take classes in outdoor emergency care and leadership skills.
Before TCU students can take any ranch management classes for their major, they are required to complete a business minor. Business classes include economics, accounting and finance.
Required courses for fisheries majors at Mansfield include ichthyology (the branch of zoology that studies fish) and limnology (the study of fresh-water life).
In addition to taking riding classes, Stephens students majoring in equestrian science or equestrian business management also take classes in business and management, horse nutrition and applied equine anatomy.
BSC students in the dance education major must complete all the dance major requirements before they can earn a teaching certificate.
Students who graduate with a degree in an unusual major have a variety of job options to choose from after they graduate.
Fisheries program grads can find jobs with private fish farms or the U.S. Department of Agriculture, for example.
Equestrian graduates can earn livings as barn owners or managers, horse trainers, riders and teachers. Graduate school is also an option for equestrian majors. Some students earn an MBA or go to veterinary school.
Graduates of a ranch management program can start out as ranch managers or assistant ranch managers.
Your College Major Match
by: Emilie Le Beau
Quit worrying. You’ll find a major that works for you—even if it takes a while.
Undergraduate degrees can be specific and hard to select. Brown University in Rhode Island has more than 100 majors. The University of Iowa-Iowa City offers about 105, and undergrads at the University of Florida-Gainesville can choose among 110 majors.
Undecided is OK
So many choices can leave students undecided. But being undecided isn’t as bad as you may think.
“You’re not in the minority if you don’t know what your major is going to be,” says Steven Jarvi, Ph.D., head of the Academic Center for Exploratory Students at the University of Connecticut-Storrs. “That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself at 17 years old.”
Typically, undecided students can work on their general education requirements their first three semesters. Most schools require second-semester sophomores to declare a major. Until then, students can fill requirements and explore new fields. “Sticking with general education is a safe bet,” says Jarvi.
By that, he means taking general education courses like sociology, psychology or statistics. As a high school student, you may not have been exposed to many topics besides basic math, science and literature. Use college to explore new subjects and help expand your interests.
Narrow it down
Once you’ve explored new subjects, you’ll be ready to look deeper at your interests and what the school offers.
Elizabeth Ciner, Ph.D., associate dean of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, asks students to list the criteria they are using to decide on a major, and assign a level of importance to each point.
“The student might say, ‘I want a major I’m interested in, where I can figure out the job prospects, and the requirements aren’t too onerous,’” she says. Once the factors are identified, you then make a separate list of majors and compare how it relates to your wish list.
Priorities might include selecting a major that allows you to be work-ready after graduation. Accounting, education or engineering degrees prepare students for a focused profession, whereas history, literature or psychology degrees can provide students with a less-defined learning experience. “There are other majors that are not training for a profession, it’s the pursuit of knowledge,” says Jarvi.
What will you do with it?
But what to do with a degree in psychology? Perhaps nothing. A major doesn’t lock you into a career. It’s just one element, combined with experience and character, that will determine your career path.
“Most people don’t pick a major that leads to a career,” says Jarvi. You may want a major that leads directly to a job. Or if you’re considering a medical or counseling career, you may want to pick a major that enhances your options for graduate school.
“Instead of asking, ‘What can I do with this major?’ you may want to ask ‘What can’t I do with this major,’” says Ciner.
English majors, for example, don’t have the math requirements needed for a graduate degree in engineering. And a science major might not have the research papers needed to apply for a graduate program in literature.
“While being a pediatrician and working with kids is admirable, without the biochemistry strengths, it’s just not a realistic goal,” Jarvi says.
“Choosing something that you don’t have natural talent in is really risky,” Ciner says. “I have seen students do it, and I have seen students knocking their heads against the wall.” (And head banging or hair pulling isn’t the point of college.)
You will find one
Israel García, a junior majoring in sociology and political science at the University of Colorado-Boulder, says he’s found his passion.
“I know my number-one passion is people,” says García, 20, from Monte Vista, Colorado. “That’s how I was drawn to sociology. It’s the study of people, society and the communities we create and its effect on us.”
García is also working on a minor in ethnic studies and a certificate in leadership, development and theory. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in sociology after graduation and says he first developed his interest in high school. “I was lucky enough to take some college courses in high school,” he says. “Psychology is too much on the individual and isolates them from what is going on around them. In my sociology course, I saw how there is a bigger connection.”
García says you shouldn’t stress out if you’re undecided. “It’s a really good thing when it comes down to it,” he says. “It exposes you to a broad spectrum of courses. Somewhere along the way, one of those courses will perk your interest.”