While most American universities offer a broad range of studies, others feature more focused curricula. Specializing in distinct areas, such as the fine and performing arts, business and technological skills, or military training, these schools of special focus afford students the prospect of concentrating their studies in a particular area. This approach is not ideal for every student, but for some the right specialty school nurtures exceptional talents, hones particular skills, and affords the chance to interact with similarly inclined peers. The institutions profiled here represent only a few of the available opportunities.
Located in New York City, the highly selective Juilliard School offers its students pre-professional training in music, dance, and drama. It draws students from 43 U.S. states and 43 other nations, and it includes among its many notable alumni the classical artists Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, and Pinchas Zukerman; seminal jazz figures like Thelonious Monk and Wynton Marsalis; and vocalists from the classical soprano Leontyne Price to the deep-voiced jazz vocalist Nina Simone. Since 1971, the school has been located in Manhattan’s Lincoln Center, considered by many the nation’s premier arts complex and home, in addition to Juilliard, of the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and eight other resident artistic organizations.
A relatively new school, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, prepares students for careers in the visual and performing arts, design, the building arts, and the history of art and architecture. This focus allows Savannah to offer majors not commonly found at research or liberal arts institutions. Students earn degrees in advertising design, animation, commercial photography, and dozens of other specialties. Many undergraduates aiming at a career in one of these fields highly value the opportunity to concentrate their studies. In the words of college President Paula S. Wallace, “SCAD students are weaving creative vision with technical mastery to transform artistic vision into professional expertise and rewarding futures.”
Students seeking careers in design and the arts are attracted to schools like SCAD and Juilliard. Many others seek skills to help them advance in the business world or in the growing technological sector. Often these students are older and already employed. A number of for-profit “proprietary institutions” serve their needs. Schools like DeVry University, which holds classes online and at more than 70 campuses, offer practical instruction, often through part-time or adjunct faculty who also hold full-time professional employment outside the university. Proprietary schools typically accommodate the busy schedules of parents and working students by holding many classes on nights and weekends and by encouraging part-time study. Computer science and programming, business, and other technology-related fields of study are popular. Some American employers offer full or partial tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing continuing studies, with the master’s degree in business administration a popular option.
Most U.S. universities are either private institutions or are sponsored by state or, sometimes, local governments. The federal government, however, runs the nation’s military academies, including the U.S. Military Academy, affiliated with the Army; the Air Force and Naval Academies; and the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academies.
Admission to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, to offer one example, is highly selective, with students (known as midshipmen) appointed to the school by each member of Congress, the president and vice president of the United States, and the secretary of the Navy. Midshipmen must meet age, physical conditioning, and academic requirements and must be unmarried. U.S. citizenship is also required, although up to 60 students from foreign countries designated by the secretary of defense may be admitted in the interest of international and navy-to-navy relations. Women have been eligible for admission since 1976, and about one-fifth of the entering class of 2009 is female.
Each midshipman receives free tuition and board, plus a monthly stipend. The academic program stresses mathematics, engineering, and naval skills, and many midshipmen choose nautical-related majors like oceanography, aerospace engineering, or naval architecture. Others focus their studies on history, economics, or other available disciplines. Graduates receive commissions either as U.S. Navy ensigns or Marine second lieutenants and are obliged to serve a minimum of six years active duty.
This brief account only suggests the variety of postsecondary education available in the United States. Specialty institutions complement research and liberal arts schools by catering to nontraditional students like part-timers, parents, and the already-employed. Also, their often more-focused curricula can help gifted and purpose-driven students develop their talents and pursue their professional objectives.
Written by Michael Jay Friedman