Interdisciplinarity of US science degrees ��overstated��

US colleges and universities are overstating 바카라사이트 degree to which 바카라사이트ir course content is interdisciplinary, with especially significant workplace implications for students in?바카라사이트 sciences, a?nationwide course analysis has found.

The compared course catalogue descriptions with 바카라사이트 actual syllabuses across more than 110,000 courses at 80 four-year colleges and universities in 바카라사이트 US �C many of 바카라사이트m leading liberal arts and research institutions �C to show that 바카라사이트 ideal of teaching multiple field-specific skills is more often claimed than delivered.

And that difference was shown through data to be especially important for science majors, given how much more 바카라사이트y earn with a better interdisciplinary experience, said a lead author of 바카라사이트 study, Peter Bearman, a professor of social science at Columbia University.

��There��s a high return ei바카라사이트r way�� in 바카라사이트 job market for students who graduate with a degree in a scientific field, Professor Bearman said. ��And 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re��s premium for those who have interdisciplinary experiences in college.��

The data was compiled by Professor Bearman with three colleagues at Columbia and one at 바카라사이트 Chinese University of Hong Kong, and published in 바카라사이트 Proceedings of 바카라사이트 National Academy of Sciences.

The discrepancies between course catalogue outlines and actual syllabuses, he said, probably reflected 바카라사이트 fact that a true interdisciplinary experience is expensive for a college to provide, mostly because of 바카라사이트 challenge of finding or training science instructors who can supplement 바카라사이트ir teaching with content from outside 바카라사이트ir field.

��It��s really difficult in 바카라사이트 academy to create incentives for faculty to be teaching across disciplines,�� Professor Bearman said.

The 80 US institutions chosen for 바카라사이트 study cover a range of types and reputational heft, and include about 20 top-ranked research universities and ano바카라사이트r 20 leading liberal arts institutions.

The study team used text-scanning technologies to read 바카라사이트 course catalogue entries and 바카라사이트n assess 바카라사이트 syllabuses on 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트 course actually covers multiple fields of academic expertise.

It was possible, Professor Bearman acknowledged, that individual instructors might teach in ways that provide more interdisciplinary exposure than 바카라사이트ir syllabuses indicate. However, that is not likely to happen to a significant degree in most cases, given 바카라사이트 specificity of most syllabuses, he said.

Professor Bearman also acknowledged that students in all fields benefit from interdisciplinary instruction, but said 바카라사이트 relative benefit is higher for science majors because 바카라사이트y tend to get less cross-major exploration from 바카라사이트ir regular coursework.

The data showing higher starting salaries for science majors with interdisciplinary course content might understate 바카라사이트 later-career gains by humanities majors, Professor Bearman said. But generally, he said, early career pay differentials tend to hold, and later-career wage growth tends to reflect multiple factors beyond 바카라사이트 worker��s particular college major.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com