Interdisciplinary college curriculum and its labor market implications - Incite at Columbia University
-
Work
Interdisciplinary college curriculum and its labor market implications
- Published October 16, 2023
- Authors Peter Bearman Chad Borkenhagen Siqi Han Jack LaViolette
- Category Paper
- Forum Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- Link doi.org
This article sheds light on how to capture knowledge integration dynamics in college course content, improves and enriches the definition and measurement of interdisciplinarity, and expands the scope of research on the benefits of interdisciplinarity to postcollege outcomes.
We distinguish between what higher education institutions claim regarding interdisciplinarity and what they appear to actually do. We focus on the core academic element of student experience—the courses they take, develop a text-based semantic measure of interdisciplinarity in college curriculum, and test its relationship to average earnings of graduates from different types of schools of higher education. We observe that greater exposure to interdisciplinarity—especially for science majors—is associated with increased earnings after college graduation.
Related Works
-
go to the Exploring Mediation of Assistive Wayfinding Technologies through Professional Organizations for Blind and Low-Vision PeopleJan 2026Exploring Mediation of Assistive Wayfinding Technologies through Professional Organizations for Blind and Low-Vision People Jenny Fondren, Cristian Capotescu, Gil Eyal, Gaurav Jain, Jennifer Laird, Nicole Lum, and Brian Smith.Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness 120, no. 1 (2026). Special issue on Advancements and Innovations in Technology for Individuals with Visual Impairments.
-
go to the When the Socialist ‘Good Life’ Met Its Demise: Austerity and Private Humanitarianism in 1980s RomaniaNov 2025When the Socialist ‘Good Life’ Met Its Demise: Austerity and Private Humanitarianism in 1980s Romania Cristian CapotescuHumanitarian Mobilization in Central and Eastern Europe: Local, National, and International Perspectives, edited by Anca Crețu and Michal Frankl. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2025.
-
go to the Repertoires of Repair: Managing Ontological Insecurity During the COVID-19 PandemicOct 2025Repertoires of Repair: Managing Ontological Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic Ryan Hagen and Denise MilsteinSocial Forces by Oxford Academic
-
go to the Columbia University students return amid fear Trump antisemitism deal gives away too muchSep 2025Columbia University students return amid fear Trump antisemitism deal gives away too much Cayla BambergerNew York Daily News
-
go to the Relational Organizing CurriculumSep 2025Relational Organizing Curriculum Adam Reich, Hana Shepherd
-
go to the United for Retail: Care & Support for Retail WorkersSep 2025United for Retail: Care & Support for Retail Workers Adam Reich, Hana Shepherd
-
go to the Contested Illness and Alternative Expertise Networks in Global Health: Post-Covid Syndrome in BrazilSep 2025Contested Illness and Alternative Expertise Networks in Global Health: Post-Covid Syndrome in Brazil Renan Gonçalves Leonel da Silva, Amanda Curi, Larry Au, Cristian Capotescu, and Gil EyalSociology of Health & Illness (2025)
-
go to the Workplace Networks and the Dynamics of Worker OrganizingAug 2025Workplace Networks and the Dynamics of Worker Organizing Hana Shepherd, Rebecca Roskill, Suresh Naidu, Adam ReichSociological Science
-
go to the Let Them Speak: In Search of the Drowned; Testimonies and Testimonial Fragments of the HolocaustAug 2025Let Them Speak: In Search of the Drowned; Testimonies and Testimonial Fragments of the Holocaust Chris PandzaOral History Review
-
go to the Capturing global investigative journalism's oral historyJul 2025Capturing global investigative journalism's oral history Silas TsangInvestigative Reporters & Editors