Introduction
Interdisciplinarity, or as they are popularly called, interdisciplinary subjects, involves the combination of two or more academic disciplines into a single activity, like in the case of a research project. It draws knowledge from several seemingly related or even unrelated fields such as anthropology, economics, psychology, sociology, etc. It is about creating something by thinking beyond boundaries. It is related to an interdiscipline or an interdisciplinary field, which is an organizational unit crossing traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought because of the emergence of new needs and professions. Large engineering teams are generally interdisciplinary since a power station or mobile phone or other project requires the involvement of several specialties. However, with so much importance being given to interdisciplinary subjects, it becomes important to see which ones can actually help you in deciding your future.
As the popular paradigm goes, a fish and a monkey can never compete for the same achievement. In other words, all learners are efficient in their own manner, and in their own subjects of expertise. But does this mean someone can only be good in math, science, English, or commerce? After all, these are the traditional subjects taught in schools and other primary educational institutions. Yet, the majority of people thrive in interdisciplinary subjects such as bioinformatics, food engineering, sports science, home economics and many more.
What are interdisciplinary subjects?
To understand the major 5 interdisciplinary subjects and their characteristics, let us first define what an academic discipline is. Unlike what subjects are taught at the primary level, academic disciplines adhere to what is taught to students between the ages of 19 to 24, or in other words, those who opt for higher education.
Interdisciplinary subjects in science and other branches of learning are exactly what the name suggests. Typical science subjects such as physics, chemistry and physics are combined with philosophy, psychology, economics, anthropology and more, to create new niche subjects that answer important questions. For example, bioinformatics answers the query- how can we make human gene data easier to compute and handle? Or, take the example of interdisciplinary subjects in science such as sports science, which train people to identify vitamins and minerals which can increase athletic ability.
Who benefits from studying interdisciplinary subjects in science?
The top 5 interdisciplinary subjects and their characteristics are great aids to those involved in research or are academicians themselves. This is because such individuals are constantly involved in shaping our society’s future, either directly or indirectly. To have niche thinkers at the frontier is nothing short of a need.
5 interdisciplinary subjects and their characteristics that are most valuable in the current global forum are:
- International business- combines international studies with business.
- Psychology marketing- combines human behaviour and psychology with buyer patterns and consumption habits.
- Gender studies- combines literature, history and psychology.
- Food engineering- combines gastronomy with nutrition science.
- Environmental studies- combines resource sustainability with international studies.
These 5 interdisciplinary subjects and their characteristics give a basic idea of how interdisciplinary subjects in science and arts often go hand in hand to create even more specialised areas of research and development.
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics is an interdisciplinary subject that develops software and tools for understanding biological data, especially when the data sets are relatively large and complex. As an interdisciplinary field of science, bioinformatics brings together the fields of biology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, information engineering, computer science, and statistics to analyze and interpret biological data. Bioinformatics has been used for analyses of biological queries by making use of mathematical and statistical techniques. Bioinformatics includes biological studies that make use of computer programming as part of their methodology, as well as specific analysis pipelines that are used repeatedly, especially in the field of genomics. The most common uses of bioinformatics include the identification of candidate genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, such identification is made with the aim of better understanding the genetic basis of disease, desirable properties, differences between populations, and unique adaptations. In a less formal way, bioinformatics also tries to understand the organizational principles that exist within nucleic acid and protein sequences, known as proteomics.
Food Engineering
Food engineering is an interdisciplinary field that transcends disciplines and interprets and applies principles of engineering, science, and mathematics to food manufacturing and operations. This includes the processing, production, handling, effective storage, conservation, control, packaging, and eventual distribution of food products. Because of its reliance on food science and broader disciplines of engineering such as mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, industrial, and agricultural engineering, food engineering is considered one of the most profound interdisciplinary subjects and narrower fields. Because of the complex nature of food materials, food engineering also brings together the study of several specific chemical and physical concepts, like microbiology, food chemistry, biochemistry, thermodynamics, transport phenomena, heat transfer, and rheology. Food engineers make use of all this knowledge and apply them to the cost-effective design, commercialization, and production of sustainable, safe, healthy, nutritious, appealing, affordable, and high-quality ingredients and foods. This also includes the development of food systems, machinery, and instrumentation related to food.
Home Economics
Home economics isn’t new a subject, it’s just that it is being revisited by many today. Home economics, also known as home sciences or family and consumer sciences, is a subject that concerns itself with human development, family finance, personal finance, housing, and interior design, food science and preparation, wellness, nutrition, textiles and apparel, and consumer issues. Home economics courses are offered all over the world and across several educational levels. Historically, the purpose of these courses was to institutionalize housework and give it a more profound outlook, provide intellectual fulfillment for women, emphasize the value of work done by women in society, and enable them for the traditional roles of sexes.
Pharmaceutical Engineering
Pharmaceutical engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses specifically on the discovery, formulation, and manufacture of medication, quality control processes, analysis, and designing, building, and improving manufacturing sites that produce drugs. It utilizes the fields of chemical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, industrial engineering, and biomedical engineering,
Sport Science
Sports science is a discipline that is involved in the study of how the healthy human body functions during the act of exercise, and how sport and physical activity promotes health and performance all the way from the cellular up to whole-body proportions. The study of sports science typically incorporates areas of physiology, psychology, biomechanics, biochemistry, biokinetics, and basic human anatomy. Sports scientists and performance consultants are increasing in demand and employment opportunities since there is an ever-increasing focus within the sporting world on the achievement of the best results possible. Through the scientific study of sport, researchers have been able to develop a better understanding of how the human body reacts to exercise, different environments, training, and several other stimuli.
Conclusion
There is an entire sea of interdisciplinary subjects that are not mentioned here. Some of them are extremely subject-specific, while others are not. Whatever it may be, interdisciplinary subjects are the future of education, since they is an increasing demand for education that is holistic and knowledge-specific, which is not possible without assertive implications given to interdisciplinary subjects. There is already an active push to promote it across the world, it is just that it takes time to catch on. To know about these 5 interdisciplinary subjects and their characteristics in more depth, make sure to read our upcoming blogs.
Teachmint offers the best-in-class education ERP solutions to educational institutes. Do check it out to provide a hassle-free experience to your stakeholders and increase your student enrolment percentage. With our advanced learning management system, you can improve the teaching-learning experience.
Learn more about Teachmint plans here.
