3 answers
vanessa
Student
Miami, Florida
1
Question
Asked
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is it better to specialize your degree or remain general?
what are the advantages and disadvantages, not sure on weather i should stick with one career to further advance in it , or remain general for change and more job opportunities?#indecisive #degree
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3 answers
Spruce Cox
Retired Aerospace Engineer and Rocket Scientist
76
Answers
Updated
Spruce’s Answer
Hey Vanessa,
Great question---this comes up a lot. My general recommendation is that for your Bachelor’s program you should remain general as long as it is practical and pursue specialization only if you’re sure, specialize as required for any advanced degrees, and because learning never stops you’ll have opportunities to specialize after you start work.
First, here are some general examples, then below is a long answer to a specific field of study from which hopefully you can draw some observations that can be applied to your own situation.
My own field of study is mechanical engineering, and for that I would recommend that you go straight through the Bachelor’s program because for mechanical that is the general approach. Same with electrical and civil. For computer and software engineering I believe there are more opportunities not so much to specialize but to widen your knowledge base.
Let’s start here for the long example. If you are sure, for example, that you want to be a psychologist or psychiatrist today, then as far as starting college and even the first four or more years, you would probably go down the same path for either discipline and then specialize after that.
If you’re sure, for example, that you want to practice medicine (including psychology, psychiatry, M.D., RN, pharmacy, nutrition), that’s probably the same path as above. If medicine is fine but so are physical therapy, occupational therapy, dental hygiene, athletic training, radiology, and pretty much anything in a hospital or doctor’s office, then you’ll need to check college requirements for your areas of interest because you might have to pick between two or more Bachelor’s programs.
If you’re thinking that any of the above would be okay but you also might like clinical social work, regular social work, mental health counselor, marriage counselor, public health, then these might require yet another Bachelor’s program different enough that few of your credits if any would count towards any of the other fields.
The message is that general knowledge versus specialized knowledge depends on your field of study, and if you’re uncertain, then keep as many options open as practical as you go through the programs. Please remember that regardless of any recommendations you receive, the most important thing for you is that you choose a path that you think is right for you. Good luck.
Great question---this comes up a lot. My general recommendation is that for your Bachelor’s program you should remain general as long as it is practical and pursue specialization only if you’re sure, specialize as required for any advanced degrees, and because learning never stops you’ll have opportunities to specialize after you start work.
First, here are some general examples, then below is a long answer to a specific field of study from which hopefully you can draw some observations that can be applied to your own situation.
My own field of study is mechanical engineering, and for that I would recommend that you go straight through the Bachelor’s program because for mechanical that is the general approach. Same with electrical and civil. For computer and software engineering I believe there are more opportunities not so much to specialize but to widen your knowledge base.
Let’s start here for the long example. If you are sure, for example, that you want to be a psychologist or psychiatrist today, then as far as starting college and even the first four or more years, you would probably go down the same path for either discipline and then specialize after that.
If you’re sure, for example, that you want to practice medicine (including psychology, psychiatry, M.D., RN, pharmacy, nutrition), that’s probably the same path as above. If medicine is fine but so are physical therapy, occupational therapy, dental hygiene, athletic training, radiology, and pretty much anything in a hospital or doctor’s office, then you’ll need to check college requirements for your areas of interest because you might have to pick between two or more Bachelor’s programs.
If you’re thinking that any of the above would be okay but you also might like clinical social work, regular social work, mental health counselor, marriage counselor, public health, then these might require yet another Bachelor’s program different enough that few of your credits if any would count towards any of the other fields.
The message is that general knowledge versus specialized knowledge depends on your field of study, and if you’re uncertain, then keep as many options open as practical as you go through the programs. Please remember that regardless of any recommendations you receive, the most important thing for you is that you choose a path that you think is right for you. Good luck.
r c n
Retired reference librarian
3
Answers
California, California
Updated
r c’s Answer
Vanessa, that's a good question with no simple answer. The question of specialization vs generalization depends on several factors, such as your field of study, where you are in your college experience, and if you prefer or think you're better at specializing or generalizing. For example, in the career of librarianship, a 4-year college degree covering a wide range of subjects can be very beneficial prior to graduate school. You may want to re-post your question with more specifics. For a broad look at this question, please see: https://www.technibble.com/specialize-generalize-skills/ For a balanced view from a Business perspective, see: https://tech.co/specialization-vs-generalization-business-strategy-2015-08
Simeon Snow
Risk Assurance
1792
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
If you're not certain about a career path, I would recommend against specializing in it. Rather, it's better to diversify your degree, usually by choosing a divergent major and minor, but you could also double major, or even do one degree in undergrad and a different one for graduate school. I did the last option and it helped me immensely to have an undergraduate degree in a different field once I started hitting career walls trying to use my graduate degree.