Fields of research, study, and application can be divided in a few different ways. For the purposes of INFO 2010, we'll stick with the way they are typically categorized in an academic setting like a university. At the broadest level we have categories of disciplines. These include the Humanities, the Social Sciences, the Natural Sciences, the Formal Sciences, the Applied Sciences (see tables below). Each of these broad categories contains multiple disciplines and sub-disciplines. Educational institutions generally organize these disciplines into "colleges" and/or departments. Organization at a university will likely depend on it's size and mission. For example, at SUU the Psychology, English, and Philosophy departments are all housed in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Understanding a little bit more about this structure will help you situate your major within this larger structure of SUU, but it it will also help you contextualize your major and what you are learning and researching within the broader discipline it fits into. The table below is not exhaustive, but will give you a basic set of disciplines and sub-disciplines. Don't worry if your major field of study is not in the table below. You will use a broader set of resources for the the Module 2 Assignment that will help you see where your major fits into the bigger scheme of things.
| Discipline Category | Discipline | Sub-Disciplines examples* |
|
Humanities
|
Languages and Literature | Creative Writing, English Literature, Linguistics, Literary Theory |
| Law | Civil law, Criminal law, Legal management | |
| Philosophy | Epistemonlogy, Ethics, Logic, Metaphysics | |
| Theology | Biblical Studies, Hindu Theology, Jewish Theology, Muslim Theology | |
| Visual arts | Applied arts, Architecture, Fashion, Fine arts | |
| History | American History, Ancient History, Asian History, European History, World History | |
| Performing arts | Dance, Film, Music, Theatre | |
|
Social Science
|
Anthropology | Archaeology, Cultural anthropology, Linguistic anthropology |
| Economics | Behavioral economics, Consumer economics, Econometrics, Microeconomics | |
| Education | Elementary education, School adminisration, Instructional design | |
| Geography | Physical geography, Human geography, Integrated geography, Cartography | |
| Political Science | Civics, Geopolitics, International relations, Peace and conflict studies, Public administration | |
| Psychology | Abnormal psychology, Clinical psychology, Cognitive psychology, Developmental psychology | |
| Sociology | Criminology/Criminal justice, Cultural studies/ethnic studies, Demography/Population | |
| Social Work | Clinical Social Work, Community practice, Mental health, Person-centered therapy | |
|
Natural Science
|
Biology | Anatomy, Evolutionary biology, Marine biology, Microbiology, Molecular biology, Neuroscience |
| Chemistry | Biochemistry, Chemical engineering, Environmental chemistry, Organic chemistry, Pharmacology | |
| Earth Science | Environmental science, Geology, Glaciology, Hydrology, Paleontology | |
| Space Science | Astronomy, Astrophysics, Numerical simulations, Planetary science | |
| Physics | Acoustics, Aerodynamics, Nuclear physics, Quantum physics | |
|
Formal Science
|
Computer Science | Algorithms, Artificial intelligence, Data structures, Computer graphics, Computer security |
| Mathematics | Algebra, Geometry, Cryptography, Statistics | |
|
Applied Science
|
Business | Accounting, Business management, Finance, Marketing, Operations management |
| Engineering | Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering | |
| Technology | Educational Technology, Systems science, Network science | |
| Medicine/Health | Dentistry, Dermatology, Emergency medicine, Internal medicine, Nursing |
*for a more complete list of sub-discipline, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_academic_disciplines
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