Almost all families grapple with the challenge of choosing the right major. American universities offer over 1,800 undergraduate majors, making it impractical to explore and compare each one thoroughly.
When talking to families, I start by dividing majors into three main categories:
1. Liberal Arts Majors: These are some of the oldest disciplines in Western education. They are typically purely academic, without skills-based training or direct career pathways. Examples include sociology, psychology, pure mathematics, and philosophy.
2. Career-Oriented Majors: As the name suggests, career-oriented majors have very clear employment directions, such as medicine, law, architecture, hotel management, journalism, and fashion design.
3. Interdisciplinary Majors: These are relatively new types of majors that require the integration of multiple traditional disciplinary fields. Examples include food science (combining biology, chemistry, agriculture, and environmental studies) and data science (combining computer science, mathematics, and statistics).
Each of these three types of majors suits different types of students. But how do you determine what’s right for you?
First, Liberal Arts Majors
How Did Liberal Arts Education Begin?
Modern liberal arts majors are typically divided into three broad disciplinary areas. The first is the humanities, which include subjects like history, philosophy, and sociology. The second is the arts, encompassing fields such as music and painting. The third is the pure sciences, covering disciplines like mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology—while notably excluding engineering. But how did these fields originate?
The concept of a liberal arts education traces its roots to ancient Greece. In this context, “liberal” meant “free.” The Greeks believed that those without freedom were, by definition, slaves. However, true freedom extended beyond physical liberty to include intellectual liberation. Education was seen as the key to freeing the mind. To achieve this, the Greeks envisioned a curriculum that cultivated the qualities of a liberated mind. This original liberal arts curriculum included philosophy, geometry, algebra, music, astronomy, logic, grammar, and rhetoric—disciplines aimed at fostering critical thinking and intellectual independence.
After the Dark Ages, Greek thought was revived during the Renaissance, as European intellectuals reconnected with classical ideals. Liberal arts education evolved as a counterpoint to the religious education that had dominated earlier eras. While religious education was centered on scripture, liberal arts education placed humanity and human experience at its core. It began to emphasize moral perspectives, incorporating history, poetry, and writing as central elements of study.
In the 18th century, the German education reformer Wilhelm von Humboldt introduced a transformative approach to education. He advocated for a holistic model that valued universal knowledge, combining theoretical understanding, practical skills, and critical thinking. Von Humboldt envisioned a comprehensive education system in which students first gained a broad intellectual foundation before specializing in skills aligned with their career goals. His balanced emphasis on theory, practical application, and critical analysis became a cornerstone of modern liberal arts education.
Historically, liberal arts education primarily served the upper classes of European and American society—those who were free from the immediate concerns of earning a livelihood and could devote themselves to intellectual pursuits. Its aim was not to impart practical expertise but to cultivate a foundational way of thinking that could adapt to a rapidly changing world.
My Experience of a Liberal Arts Education at Harvard
At Harvard, nearly all majors are rooted in the liberal arts, although in recent years, some engineering majors have emerged. Historically, Harvard focused primarily on the humanities, arts, and pure sciences. On the official website of Harvard College, the following description captures the essence of a “liberal arts and sciences education”:
“Commitment to liberal arts & sciences is at the core of Harvard College’s mission: before students can help change the world, they need to understand it. The liberal arts & sciences offer a broad intellectual foundation for the tools to think critically, reason analytically, and write clearly. These proficiencies will prepare students to navigate the world’s most complex issues, and address future innovations with unforeseen challenges. Shaped by ideas encountered and created, these new modes of thinking will prepare students for leading meaningful lives, with conscientious global citizenship, to enhance the greater good.”
From my own experience at Harvard, both the course offerings and the classroom environment emphasized developing critical thinking skills. All undergraduates were required to take at least one course in four distinct categories: the humanities, the arts, histories/sciences, and ethics/civics. This meant government majors would gain some knowledge of the sciences, chemistry majors would be exposed to the arts, and everyone would engage with philosophical and moral questions at some point during their time at Harvard.
As for the classroom experience, I’d like to share two general education courses that left a lasting impression on me.
The first course fell under the ethics/civics category. I chose Bioethics, taught by two professors—one from the Philosophy Department and the other from Harvard Medical School. Classes consisted of intense yet civil discussions on sensitive topics, such as the ethics of cloning, abortion, and euthanasia. The two professors, often holding diametrically opposed viewpoints, would engage in heated debates, while students added their own perspectives, fueling the fire. After each class, we were tasked with writing an essay expressing our thoughts on the topic. Both professors emphasized: “We won’t grade you poorly just because you disagree with our position, so write what you really think,” and they genuinely meant it.
The second course, under the sciences category, was Food Science. This class was also co-taught by two professors—one from the Chemistry Department and the other from the Engineering Department. Their interdisciplinary approach allowed us to explore fascinating topics such as why egg whites turn white when cooked, the physics of foams, and the flavor differences between grilled and boiled foods. Every other week, Michelin-starred chefs joined the class to demonstrate cutting-edge culinary techniques, ranging from the use of proteins to create uniquely shaped dishes to exploring molecular gastronomy for producing innovative flavors. While these courses had little direct relevance to career preparation, they opened up an entirely new world of knowledge for me. Even today, I draw on what I learned in class when preparing dinner each evening!
How Is Studying These Majors Different in the UK and the US?
Different U.S. universities take varied approaches to liberal arts education. Some schools—primarily top liberal arts colleges—adhere to a highly traditional and rigorous model, with a significant number of required courses. For instance, Williams College, one of the leading liberal arts colleges in the U.S., imposes much stricter general education requirements than Harvard. As mentioned earlier, Harvard mandates that students take one course from four categories. In contrast, Williams requires three courses across three categories: language/arts, social studies, and science/mathematics. Additionally, swimming is a required course at Williams, and students must participate in three different sports or arts clubs during their time on campus.
Another approach is a more flexible and less restrictive form of liberal arts education, as seen at Harvard today. In the past, Harvard required students to take courses across nine different fields. However, it has since streamlined its requirements to four categories, granting students greater freedom in choosing their classes.
Many large research universities in the U.S. also house undergraduate liberal arts colleges, often referred to as “Schools of Arts and Sciences.” However, these universities may not always succeed in integrating professors from various disciplines to teach interdisciplinary courses at the undergraduate level.
In the UK, older institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge) draw inspiration from the liberal arts education system but take a different approach. Unlike U.S. schools, Oxbridge does not require general education courses. However, it also offers little in the way of vocational training. Many Oxbridge majors might leave students wondering, “This sounds fascinating, but what practical career paths does it lead to?”
This distinction stems from historical context. In the past, Oxbridge primarily catered to the middle and upper-middle classes. Attending university was less about acquiring job skills and more about forging social connections. Among the “old money” elite, vocational education was considered lacking in sophistication. A liberal arts education, by contrast, was viewed as the hallmark of a true gentleman. While British society has evolved significantly since the Victorian era, and Oxbridge has modernized accordingly, traces of these historical attitudes still linger.
Who is Best Suited for a Liberal Arts Major?
The ideal candidates for a liberal arts major are students who plan to pursue an academic career and aim to become experts in a particular field, potentially earning a PhD. Because liberal arts majors are inherently academic in nature, they provide an excellent foundation in critical thinking, which serves as a strong basis for further specialization at the master’s or PhD level.
Another type of student well-suited for a liberal arts education is one who is highly proactive and self-motivated. These students take full advantage of the university’s resources to advance their careers. While liberal arts majors foster critical thinking, students must actively engage with opportunities outside the classroom—networking, pursuing internships, and acquiring new skills. Simply following the curriculum for four years without participating in extracurricular activities may limit a liberal arts graduate’s prospects for securing employment post-graduation.
Second, Career-Oriented (Vocational) Majors
What Are Career-oriented Majors?
Career-oriented majors focus on practical skills directly tied to specific career paths, such as medicine, law, architecture, hotel management, journalism, and fashion design. These programs aim to equip students with the expertise required for their chosen professions.
The rise of career-oriented majors can be traced to labor shortages in specific fields. For instance, in the United States, early doctors lacked standardized training, learning their craft through apprenticeships under experienced practitioners. However, during the American Civil War, the urgent need for medical professionals led to the establishment of specialized medical schools. Over time, these evolved into a structured system for training doctors.
Other popular career-oriented majors include business, engineering, applied arts (like design), and education. These programs enable students to gain industry-relevant skills and seamlessly transition into related jobs upon graduation. It’s worth noting that in the United States, fields like medicine and law are pursued at the graduate level, while in the UK and many Asian countries, students can enter these programs as undergraduates.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of These Majors?
For international students, one of the biggest advantages of career-oriented majors is the clarity they provide in career direction. Internships and job placements are often more accessible in these fields, and graduates tend to find it easier to secure employment in the countries where they study.
From an employer’s perspective, career-oriented graduates are ready to hit the ground running, having already acquired the necessary skills for their roles. Many companies maintain strong relationships with specific universities, hosting recruitment events and offering internships to students in these programs.
However, the rigidity of career-oriented majors can be a significant drawback. Switching majors is often challenging and may require starting over entirely. For example, if a student studying hotel management decides to switch to software engineering, they would likely need to repeat their first year of studies.
This is in stark contrast to liberal arts programs in the United States, which are typically housed within colleges of arts and sciences. With a shared foundation of general education courses, liberal arts students can switch majors more easily. Career-oriented majors, on the other hand, are often situated in specialized schools (e.g., business or engineering), making it easier to change majors within the same school but much harder to switch between different schools.
What Should You Consider Before Choosing a Career-oriented Major?
As career-oriented majors are not easily interchangeable, it’s crucial to ensure that your career aspirations align with the reality of the field. Have you thoroughly researched the profession’s career trajectory, curriculum requirements, necessary work experience, and typical working conditions? Popular media often glamorizes certain professions, but the reality may differ significantly. College is not the ideal time to realize that you’re unsuited for your chosen field.
Additionally, if you’re committed to a specific career path, you should check where your professional qualifications will be recognized. For example, requirements for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam differ by U.S. state—passing the exam in New York may not qualify you to work in California. Moreover, returning to your home country may require additional certification. Students who obtain credentials recognized across multiple regions or countries can gain a competitive edge in the job market. Thoroughly understanding these requirements before committing to a career-oriented major is essential.
What Kind of Students Are Suitable for Career-oriented Majors?
Career-oriented majors are ideal for students with a strong passion for a specific field. These students may excel in one or two subjects while struggling with others, or they may have average academic performance overall but a clear focus on extracurricular interests.
For instance, I once worked with a student who was deeply passionate about aerospace engineering. He attended extra physics and engineering classes and never missed a session, even optional ones, starting his day at 7 a.m. However, he consistently avoided history or language classes, which didn’t align with his interests.
Some students are drawn to unconventional fields like cooking, graphic design, or hotel management. While their academic performance may not stand out, they often possess strong people skills or dedication to their passions, making them well-suited for career-oriented majors.
It’s important to note that certain career-oriented fields, such as medicine, law, and engineering, require exceptional academic performance. Students in these areas must achieve strong overall grades to meet the demanding requirements of their programs. For other career-oriented majors, the academic thresholds are often lower. In these cases, universities place greater emphasis on students’ passion and extracurricular experiences, which demonstrate their suitability for the field.
In conclusion, I’ve observed many struggling high school students who mistakenly believe that liberal arts majors, particularly in the social sciences, are “easier.” They fail to realize that these majors often demand the highest levels of initiative and resourcefulness to secure employment. For these students, I typically recommend a career-oriented major, which offers a clear and stable career path.
Third, Interdisciplinary Majors
What is “Interdisciplinary Education”?
In the American education system, “interdisciplinary” refers to an educational approach that spans a student’s entire academic journey, from kindergarten to graduate school.
To understand interdisciplinary majors, it’s helpful to explore the origins of “interdisciplinary studies,” a concept that gained traction in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. At that time, education experts, led by scholars from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, identified a key issue: students were being confined to rigid academic disciplines too early in their education.
The U.S. education system then resembled China’s current exam-oriented approach, with strict schedules and little overlap between subject areas. Students were required to choose a major during college applications, a decision that often dictated their future career paths.
To address this, education experts proposed “interdisciplinary education,” which aimed to integrate traditional subjects—such as math, language, science, and social studies—into a cohesive learning experience. The idea was to teach these subjects around a central theme, with all teachers tailoring their curriculum to align with that theme.
For instance, if the theme of the month were “food,” students might:
• Analyze global food production data in math.
• Study the agricultural advancements of the industrial revolution in history.
• Conduct field research on supermarket food pricing in sociology.
• Explore the chemical properties of common food items in chemistry.
• Compile their findings into an academic report or presentation in English.
This approach allows students to see how various subjects intersect, recognize their real-world applications, and develop the ability to analyze complex issues from multiple perspectives.
However, implementing this model requires highly skilled teachers and significant time and effort. As a result, even today, many U.S. public schools struggle to fully integrate interdisciplinary education into their curriculum.
What Is Interdisciplinary Education Like at the Undergraduate Level?
As in K-12 education, implementing interdisciplinary education at the undergraduate level is challenging due to the complexity of university structures, which are divided into various colleges, departments, and faculties.
Undergraduate students typically encounter interdisciplinary education in two main ways:
1. General Education Courses
Top liberal arts colleges and Ivy League institutions often offer interdisciplinary elements in their general education courses. For example, during my undergraduate studies at Harvard, I took a bioethics course co-taught by professors from the biology and philosophy departments. Each session examined contentious issues from contrasting disciplinary perspectives, leading to dynamic debates and deeper insights. These courses are usually electives open to all undergraduates but are relatively rare, as few universities have the resources to offer them extensively.
2. Interdisciplinary Majors
Many universities offer specialized interdisciplinary majors, such as environmental science, data science, and food science. These programs integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines—for instance, environmental science combines biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, and economics, while data science merges mathematics, statistics, and computer science. Faculty members from various departments collaborate to teach these majors, forming interdisciplinary teams responsible for delivering the curriculum.
What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Interdisciplinary Majors?
The primary advantage of interdisciplinary majors is their relevance to solving complex, real-world problems—such as climate change or resource conservation—which require expertise from multiple fields. As a result, graduates often find promising career opportunities in industries aligned with their majors. For example, environmental science graduates might work in clean energy development, environmental governance, or urban planning.
However, a significant drawback is that interdisciplinary majors often do not provide the deep technical expertise that certain jobs demand. Covering multiple subjects in just four years makes it difficult to achieve mastery in any single discipline. These programs typically lay a solid foundation, but further education—such as a master’s or PhD—is often necessary to specialize. For example, an undergraduate environmental science major might pursue a PhD to focus on designing engines for renewable energy vehicles.
What Kind of Students Are Suitable for Interdisciplinary Majors?
Students pursuing interdisciplinary majors should excel academically across the subjects related to their chosen field. Since these programs cover a broader range of topics than traditional majors, strong foundational knowledge in relevant areas is essential.
Genuine interest in the field is equally important. Interdisciplinary majors often require additional years of study—up to six or ten years, including master’s and doctoral degrees—before entering the workforce.
It’s also crucial to review high school course requirements early, particularly when applying to universities in the UK and Canada. These programs often have specific subject and grade requirements. For example, while regular majors may require A-level grades of ABB with no subject-specific conditions, an environmental science program might require:
• An A* in biology.
• A second subject from chemistry, mathematics, or physics.
• Flexibility in the choice of a third subject.
Failing to meet these prerequisites can disqualify students from applying. To avoid this, students should carefully research program requirements well in advance of their applications.
Figuring out the right major can feel like a big decision, but understanding the three main types—liberal arts, vocational, and interdisciplinary—makes it a lot easier. Liberal arts majors are great for curious thinkers who want to explore diverse ideas and keep their career options open. Vocational majors are perfect for students with a clear career path in mind and a passion for hands-on, practical learning. Interdisciplinary majors? They’re all about tackling real-world challenges by blending knowledge from different fields—ideal for those who love diving into complex problems.
No matter which path you choose, the key is finding what excites and motivates you. College is your chance to grow, explore, and build a future you’re passionate about, so take your time, weigh your options, and go for what feels right!
Samidha Education Co., Ltd. 
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