Major vs. Discipline — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Urooj Arif — Updated on April 3, 2024
A major is a student's chosen field of study, typically requiring a specific set of courses, while a discipline is a broader academic field or branch of knowledge.
Difference Between Major and Discipline
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A major is the specific area of study that a college or university student has chosen to focus on. It requires completing a designated set of courses within that subject area to fulfill degree requirements. For example, a student might choose psychology as their major, which means they will take numerous courses in psychology to gain a deep understanding of the subject. On the other hand, a discipline refers to a broader category of knowledge that encompasses various fields of study. It is more encompassing than a major and refers to the entire body of knowledge and academic study in a particular area. For instance, natural sciences is a discipline that includes majors such as biology, chemistry, and physics.
Choosing a major is an important decision for college students, as it often influences their career path and interests. Disciplines are foundational in organizing higher education and research, guiding how knowledge is classified and transmitted.
While a major is focused on providing in-depth knowledge and skills in a specific area, a discipline encompasses a wider range of subjects and fields of study within a larger academic framework. A major is more about specialization, whereas a discipline offers a comprehensive overview of a field of knowledge. In the context of higher education, majors and disciplines serve different purposes. A major is a student's concentrated area of study and is directly linked to their degree and future career prospects. In contrast, a discipline represents the broader academic community and intellectual tradition within which majors are categorized.
From a student’s perspective, choosing a major is a personal decision that aligns with their interests, career goals, and academic strengths. A discipline, however, is a structural aspect of academia, reflecting the organization and classification of knowledge rather than personal choice.
Comparison Chart
Definition
A focused area of study within a broader discipline
A broad category of academic study
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Scope
Specific and concentrated
Broad and encompassing
Purpose
To provide specialized knowledge and skills
To organize and classify fields of academic study
Educational Role
Determines the courses a student must take for a degree
Provides a framework for categorizing majors
Choice
Selected by students based on interests and career goals
Structurally determined by academic institutions
Compare with Definitions
Major
A primary field of study in college or university.
She chose English literature as her major because of her love for reading and analyzing texts.
Discipline
A branch of knowledge, typically studied in higher education.
Sociology is a discipline that examines human social behavior and structures.
Major
Of greater importance or significance.
The project's major challenge was securing enough funding.
Discipline
The practice of training people to obey rules or a code of behavior.
The discipline required for martial arts training extends beyond physical capabilities.
Major
The specific subject area a student focuses on during their undergraduate studies.
John's major in environmental science has made him passionate about conservation efforts.
Discipline
A particular area of study within a broader field.
Organic chemistry is a discipline within the broader field of chemistry focusing on carbon compounds.
Major
In the context of music, a scale or key characterized by intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth degrees, and seventh and eighth degrees.
The composition was written in C major, giving it a happy and bright sound.
Discipline
The controlled behavior resulting from such training or practice.
His discipline in study habits led to academic success.
Major
A military rank above captain and below lieutenant colonel.
The major commanded the battalion with great leadership during the operation.
Discipline
A system of rules of conduct or method of practice.
The new discipline policy at school resulted in a more orderly environment.
Major
Major is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world.
Discipline
Discipline is action or inaction that is regulated to be in accordance (or to achieve accord) with a particular system of governance. Discipline is commonly applied to regulating human and animal behavior to its society or environment it belongs.
Major
Important, serious, or significant
The use of drugs is a major problem
Discipline
Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior, especially training that produces moral or mental improvement
Was raised in the strictest discipline.
Major
(of a scale) having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees.
Discipline
Control obtained by enforcing compliance or order
Military discipline.
Major
(appended to a surname in public schools) indicating the elder of two brothers.
Discipline
Controlled behavior resulting from disciplinary training; self-control
Dieting takes a lot of discipline.
Major
(of a term) occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism.
Discipline
A state of order based on submission to rules and authority
A teacher who demanded discipline in the classroom.
Major
A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, above captain and below lieutenant colonel.
Discipline
Punishment intended to correct or train
Subjected to harsh discipline.
Major
A major key, interval, or scale.
Discipline
A set of rules or methods, as those regulating the practice of a church or monastic order.
Major
A major organization or competition
The majors have swept up the smaller independent companies in licensing deals
It's not unreasonable to believe someone can win all four majors
The oil majors had a profit bonanza
Discipline
A branch of knowledge or teaching
The discipline of mathematics.
Major
A student's principal subject or course
Many students would ignore courses outside their major
Discipline
To train by instruction and practice, as in following rules or developing self-control
The sergeant disciplined the recruits to become soldiers.
Major
A major term or premise.
Discipline
To punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience.
Major
Short for major suit
South was anxious to mention his four-card major and bid one spade
Discipline
To impose order on
Needed to discipline their study habits.
Major
A goal.
Discipline
A controlled behaviour; self-control.
Major
Specialize in (a particular subject) at college or university
I was trying to decide if I should major in drama or English
Discipline
An enforced compliance or control.
Major
Greater than others in importance or rank
A major artist.
Discipline
A systematic method of obtaining obedience.
Major
Great in scope or effect
A major improvement.
Discipline
A state of order based on submission to authority.
Major
Great in number, size, or extent
The major portion of the population.
Discipline
A set of rules regulating behaviour.
Major
Requiring great attention or concern; very serious
A major illness.
Discipline
A punishment to train or maintain control.
Major
Of or relating to the field of academic study in which a student specializes.
Discipline
A specific branch of knowledge or learning.
Major
Designating a scale or mode having half steps between the third and fourth and the seventh and eighth degrees.
Discipline
A category in which a certain art, sport or other activity belongs.
Major
Equivalent to the distance between the tonic note and the second or third or sixth or seventh degrees of a major scale or mode
A major interval.
Discipline
(transitive) To train someone by instruction and practice.
Major
Based on a major scale
A major key.
Discipline
(transitive) To teach someone to obey authority.
Major
A commissioned rank in the US Army, Air Force, or Marine Corps that is above captain and below lieutenant colonel.
Discipline
(transitive) To punish someone in order to (re)gain control.
Major
One who holds this rank or a similar rank in another military organization.
Discipline
(transitive) To impose order on someone.
Major
One that is superior in rank, importance, or ability
An oil-producing country considered as one of the majors.
Discipline
The treatment suited to a disciple or learner; education; development of the faculties by instruction and exercise; training, whether physical, mental, or moral.
Wife and children are a kind of discipline of humanity.
Discipline aims at the removal of bad habits and the substitution of good ones, especially those of order, regularity, and obedience.
Major
A field of study chosen as an academic specialty.
Discipline
Training to act in accordance with established rules; accustoming to systematic and regular action; drill.
Their wildness lose, and, quitting nature's part,Obey the rules and discipline of art.
Major
A student specializing in such studies
A linguistics major.
Discipline
Subjection to rule; submissiveness to order and control; habit of obedience.
The most perfect, who have their passions in the best discipline, are yet obliged to be constantly on their guard.
Major
A major premise.
Discipline
Severe training, corrective of faults; instruction by means of misfortune, suffering, punishment, etc.
A sharp discipline of half a century had sufficed to educate us.
Major
A major term.
Discipline
Correction; chastisement; punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.
Giving her the discipline of the strap.
Major
A major scale, key, interval, or mode.
Discipline
The subject matter of instruction; a branch of knowledge.
Major
A chord containing a major third between the first and second notes and a minor third between the second and third notes.
Discipline
The enforcement of methods of correction against one guilty of ecclesiastical offenses; reformatory or penal action toward a church member.
Major
Majors Sports The major leagues.
Discipline
Self-inflicted and voluntary corporal punishment, as penance, or otherwise; specifically, a penitential scourge.
Major
To pursue academic studies in a major
Majoring in mathematics.
Discipline
A system of essential rules and duties; as, the Romish or Anglican discipline.
Major
(attributive):
Discipline
To educate; to develop by instruction and exercise; to train.
Major
Greater in dignity, rank, importance, significance, or interest.
Discipline
To accustom to regular and systematic action; to bring under control so as to act systematically; to train to act together under orders; to teach subordination to; to form a habit of obedience in; to drill.
Ill armed, and worse disciplined.
His mind . . . imperfectly disciplined by nature.
Major
Greater in number, quantity, or extent.
The major part of the assembly
Discipline
To improve by corrective and penal methods; to chastise; to correct.
Has he disciplined Aufidius soundly?
Major
Notable or conspicuous in effect or scope.
Discipline
To inflict ecclesiastical censures and penalties upon.
Major
Prominent or significant in size, amount, or degree.
To earn some major cash
Discipline
A branch of knowledge;
In what discipline is his doctorate?
Teachers should be well trained in their subject
Anthropology is the study of human beings
Major
(medicine) Involving great risk, serious, life-threatening.
To suffer from a major illness
Discipline
A system of rules of conduct or method of practice;
He quickly learned the discipline of prison routine
For such a plan to work requires discipline
Major
Of full legal age, having attained majority.
Major children
Discipline
The trait of being well behaved;
He insisted on discipline among the troops
Major
(education) Of or relating to a subject of academic study chosen as a field of specialization.
Discipline
Training to improve strength or self-control
Major
(music):
Discipline
The act of punishing;
The offenders deserved the harsh discipline they received
Major
Having intervals of a semitone between the third and fourth, and seventh and eighth degrees.
Major scale
Discipline
Train by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control;
Parents must discipline their children
Is this dog trained?
Major
Equivalent to that between the tonic and another note of a major scale, and greater by a semitone than the corresponding minor interval.
Major third
Discipline
Punish in order to gain control or enforce obedience;
The teacher disciplined the pupils rather frequently
Major
(postpositive) of a key Based on a major scale, tending to produce a bright or joyful effect.
Major
(campanology) Bell changes rung on eight bells.
Major
Indicating the elder of two brothers, appended to a surname in public schools.
Major
(logic)
Major
Occurring as the predicate in the conclusion of a categorical syllogism.
Major
Containing the major term in a categorical syllogism.
Major
(military ranks) A rank of officer in the army and the US air force, between captain and lieutenant colonel.
He used to be a major in the army.
Major
An officer in charge of a section of band instruments, used with a modifier.
Major
A person of legal age.
Major
(music):
Major
Ellipsis of major key.
Major
Ellipsis of major interval.
Major
Ellipsis of major scale.
Major
(campanology) A system of change-ringing using eight bells.
Major
A large, commercially successful company, especially a record label that is bigger than an indie.
Major
The principal subject or course of a student working toward a degree at a college or university.
Midway through his second year of college, he still hadn't chosen a major.
Major
A student at a college or university specializing on a given area of study.
She is a math major.
Major
(logic):
Major
Ellipsis of major term.
Major
Ellipsis of major premise.
Major
(bridge) major suit.
Major
(Canadian football) A touchdown, or major score.
Major
(Australian rules football) A goal.
Major
An elder brother (especially at a public school).
Major
(entomology) A large leaf-cutter ant that acts as a soldier, defending the nest.
Major
(obsolete) mayor and {{en}}.
Major
(intransitive) major in
Major
Greater in number, quantity, or extent; as, the major part of the assembly; the major part of the revenue; the major part of the territory.
Major
Of greater dignity; more important.
Major
Greater by a semitone, either in interval or in difference of pitch from another tone.
Major
An officer next in rank above a captain and next below a lieutenant colonel; the lowest field officer.
Major
A person of full age.
Major
That premise which contains the major term. It its the first proposition of a regular syllogism; as: No unholy person is qualified for happiness in heaven [the major]. Every man in his natural state is unholy [minor]. Therefore, no man in his natural state is qualified for happiness in heaven [conclusion or inference].
Major
A mayor.
Major
A commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines; below lieutenant colonel and above captain
Major
British statesman who was prime minister from 1990 until 1997 (born in 1943)
Major
A university student who is studying a particular field as the principal subject;
She is a linguistics major
Major
The principal field of study of a student at a university;
Her major is linguistics
Major
Have as one's principal field of study;
She is majoring in linguistics
Major
Of greater importance or stature or rank;
A major artist
A major role
Major highways
Major
Greater in scope or effect;
A major contribution
A major improvement
A major break with tradition
A major misunderstanding
Major
Greater in number or size or amount;
A major portion (a majority) of the population
Ursa Major
A major portion of the winnings
Major
Of the field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes;
His major field was mathematics
Major
Of a scale or mode;
Major scales
The key of D major
Major
Of greater seriousness or danger;
A major earthquake
A major hurricane
A major illness
Major
Of full legal age;
Major children
Major
Of the elder of two boys with the same family name;
Jones major
Common Curiosities
Why is choosing a major important?
Choosing a major is important because it directs a student's academic focus and can influence their career path.
Can a discipline contain multiple majors?
Yes, a discipline can contain multiple majors. For example, the discipline of science includes majors such as biology, chemistry, and physics.
How does a major differ from a minor?
A major is the primary area of study and requires more course work, while a minor is a secondary area of study with fewer requirements.
What role do disciplines play in academia?
Disciplines organize knowledge into categories, guiding the structure of academic programs and research.
Are disciplines static in higher education?
No, disciplines can evolve and change over time as new fields of study emerge and existing ones expand.
Can one major belong to multiple disciplines?
Yes, interdisciplinary majors can draw from multiple disciplines, such as biochemistry, which combines biology and chemistry.
Is it possible to have a dual major?
Yes, some students pursue a dual major, allowing them to complete the requirements for two majors simultaneously.
What is a major in college?
A major is a student's chosen field of study, requiring a specific set of courses to complete a degree.
How is a discipline different from a profession?
A discipline refers to a field of academic study, while a profession is an occupation or career that requires specialized education and training.
Can students change their major?
Yes, students can change their major, although it may affect the time it takes to complete their degree.
What happens if a student doesn't declare a major?
Students who don't declare a major are often enrolled as undeclared or general studies, giving them time to explore different fields before deciding.
Are there careers that do not require a specific major?
Yes, many careers value skills and experience over a specific major, especially in fields that are interdisciplinary or evolving.
How do academic disciplines influence research?
Academic disciplines influence research by providing a framework for inquiry, methodology, and the dissemination of knowledge within specific areas of study.
What factors should students consider when choosing a major?
Interests, career goals, job market trends, and academic strengths are key factors in choosing a major.
How does the choice of a major impact career opportunities?
The choice of a major can significantly impact career opportunities by developing specialized knowledge and skills in a particular field.
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Written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
