An academic discipline or field of study is known as a branch of knowledge. It is taught as an accredited part of higher education. A scholar's discipline is commonly defined and recognized by a university faculty. That person will be accredited by learned societies to which they belong along with the academic journals in which they publish. However, no formal criteria exist for defining an academic discipline.
Disciplines vary between universities and even programs. These will have well-defined rosters of journals and conferences supported by a few universities and publications. Most disciplines are broken down into (potentially overlapping) branches called sub-disciplines.
There is no consensus on how some academic disciplines should be classified (e.g., whether anthropology and linguistics are disciplines of social sciences or fields within the humanities). More generally, the proper criteria for organizing knowledge into disciplines are also open to debate.
Main articles: Social science, Outline of social science, and Humanities |
Main articles: Anthropology and Outline of anthropology |
Main articles: Archaeology, Outline of archaeology, and Archaeological sub-disciplines |
Main articles: History and Branches of history |
East and Central African history
Main articles: Linguistics and Outline of linguistics |
See also: Language |
Main articles: Philosophy and Outline of philosophy |
Main articles: Religion, Religious studies, and Outline of religion |
Main articles: Food, Culinary arts, Cuisine, and Outline of cuisines |
Main articles: Literature and Outline of literature |
Main articles: Performing arts and Outline of performing arts |
Main articles: Economics and Outline of economics |
Main articles: Geography and Outline of geography |
Main article: Interdisciplinarity |
Main article: Area studies |
Main article: Organization |
Main articles: Politics, Political science, and Outline of political science |
Main articles: Psychology, Outline of psychology, and List of psychology disciplines |
Main articles: Sociology and Outline of sociology |
Main articles: Natural science and Outline of natural science |
Main article: List of life sciences |
See also: Biology and Outline of biology |
Main articles: Chemistry and Outline of chemistry |
Main articles: Earth science and Outline of earth science |
Main articles: Physics, Outline of physics, and Outline of physical science |
Main article: Outline of space science |
Main articles: Formal science and Outline of formal science |
Main articles: Computer science and Outline of computer science |
See also: ACM Computing Classification System |
Also a branch of electrical engineering
Main articles: Logic and Outline of logic |
Main articles: Mathematics, Outline of mathematics, Pure mathematics, and Mathematical sciences |
Main article: Applied mathematics |
Main articles: Statistics and Outline of statistics |
Main article: Systems science |
Main articles: Profession, Applied science, and Outline of applied science |
Main articles: Agriculture, Outline of agriculture, and Agricultural science |
Main articles: Architecture, Outline of architecture, Design, Outline of design, and Applied arts |
Main articles: Business, Outline of business, and Business education |
Main article: Divinity (academic discipline) |
Main articles: Education and Outline of education |
Main articles: Engineering, Outline of engineering, Engineering education, Technology, Outline of technology, and Technology education |
See also: List of engineering branches |
Main articles: Environmental studies, Outline of environmental studies, and Forestry |
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Main article: Family and consumer science |
Main articles: Human reliability and human behavior |
Main articles: Journalism, Media studies, Communication, Communication studies, and Outline of communication |
Main articles: Law and Outline of law |
Main articles: Library science, Outline of library science, and Museology |
Main articles: Medicine, Healthcare science, Outline of health sciences, and Biomedical sciences |
See also: Outline of medicine and Branches of medicine |
Main articles: Military science and Outline of military science and technology |
Main article: Public administration |
Main article: Public policy |
Main article: Social work |
Main articles: Transport and Modes of transport |