An academic discipline or field of study is a branch of knowledge, taught and researched as part of higher education. A scholar's discipline is commonly defined by the university faculties and learned societies to which they belong and the academic journals in which they publish research.
Disciplines vary between well-established ones that exist in almost all universities and have well-defined rosters of journals and conferences, and nascent ones supported by only a few universities and publications. A discipline may have branches, and these are often called sub-disciplines.
The following outline provides an overview of and topical guide to academic disciplines. In each case an entry at the highest level of the hierarchy (e.g., Humanities) is a group of broadly similar disciplines; an entry at the next highest level (e.g., Music) is a discipline having some degree of autonomy and being the basic identity felt by its scholars; and lower levels of the hierarchy are sub-disciplines not normally having any role in the structure of the university's governance.
See main article: Humanities and Outline of the humanities.
See main article: Outline of performing arts.
See main article: Outline of the visual arts.
See main article: Outline of history. Also regarded as a Social science
See main article: Outline of literature. Linguistics listed in Social science
See main article: Outline of law. Also regarded as a Social science
Also listed in Applied science
See main article: Outline of philosophy. Also regarded as the separate, an entry at the highest level of the hierarchy
Also regarded as a social science
See main article: Divinity (academic discipline).
See main article: Outline of theology.
See main article: Social science and Outline of social science.
See main article: Outline of anthropology.
See main article: Outline of archaeology.
Main articles: Outline of futures studies and Futures studies
See main article: Outline of economics.
See main article: Outline of geography.
See main article: Outline of linguistics. Also regarded as a formal science
See main article: Politics and Outline of political science.
See main article: Outline of psychology and List of psychology disciplines.
See main article: Outline of sociology.
See main article: Science and Outline of science.
See main article: Outline of biology.
See also: List of life sciences.
See main article: Outline of chemistry.
See main article: Outline of earth science.
See main article: Outline of astronomy.
See main article: Outline of physics.
See main article: Formal science.
See main article: Computer science and Outline of computer science.
See also: ACM Computing Classification System. Also a branch of electrical engineering
See main article: Mathematics, Outline of mathematics and Mathematics Subject Classification.
See main article: Applied science and Outline of applied science.
See main article: Agriculture, Outline of agriculture and Agricultural science.
See main article: Architecture, Outline of architecture, Design, Outline of design and Applied arts.
See main article: Business, Outline of business and Business education.
See main article: Outline of education.
See main article: Engineering and Outline of engineering.
See also: List of engineering branches.
See also: Technology and Outline of technology.
See main article: Environmental studies, Outline of environmental studies and Forestry.
See main article: Family and consumer science.
See main article: Human reliability and human behavior.
See main article: Journalism, Media studies, Communication studies and Outline of communication.
See main article: Law and Outline of law. Also regarded as a social science
Also listed in Humanities
See main article: Library science, Outline of library science and Museology.
See also: Outline of management.
See main article: Healthcare science, Outline of health sciences and Biomedical sciences.
See also: Outline of medicine.
See main article: Military science and Outline of military science and technology.
See main article: Public administration.
See main article: Public policy.
See main article: Social work.
See main article: Transport and Modes of transport.
See main article: Branches of science.