In
academic, 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 indicato ...
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 who began coordinating academic specialization - through the founding of the
Imperial College
Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...
- 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 Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
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 betwee ...
, particularly in the fields of scientific and technical education.
Further reading
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References
External links
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Specialization