Investigative Majors and Training Programs

This is a partial list of majors that match Holland's Investigative personality type. For a complete list, take The Career Key test or see our eBook, "Match Up! Your Personality to College Majors."

Acoustics
A program that focuses on the scientific study of sound, and the properties and behavior of acoustic wave phenomena under different conditions. Includes instruction in wave theory, the acoustic wave equation, energy transformation, vibration phenomena, sound reflection and transmission, scattering and surface wave phenomena, singularity expansion theory, ducting, and applications to specific research problems such as underwater acoustics, crystallography, and health diagnostics.

Chemistry, General
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena.

Environmental Science
A program that focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to the study of the physical environment and the solution of environmental problems, including subjects such as abating or controlling environmental pollution and degradation; the interaction between human society and the natural environment; and natural resources management. Includes instruction in biology, chemistry, physics, geosciences, climatology, statistics, and mathematical modeling.

Health/Medical Physics
A program that focuses on the application of physics, nuclear science, and engineering physics to diagnostic, treatment, and therapeutic processes and public health protection. Includes instruction in radiation biophysics, biophysics, health effects of natural and artificially induced radiation, hazard evaluation, environmental radioactivity, nuclear physics, engineering physics, radiobiology, medical radiology, calibration and dosage theory, computer applications and medical informatics, and specific research problems.

 

Agronomy and Crop Science
A program that focuses on the chemical, physical, and biological relationships of crops and the soils nurturing them. Includes instruction in the growth and behavior of agricultural crops, the development of new plant varieties, and the scientific management of soils and nutrients for maximum plant nutrition, health, and productivity.

Food Technology and Processing
A program that focuses on the application of chemical, physical, and engineering principles to the development and implementation of manufacturing, packaging, storage, and distribution technologies and processes for food products. Includes instruction in food engineering, food preservation and handling, food preparation, food packaging and display, food storage and shipment, and related equipment and facilities design, operation, and maintenance.

Natural Resources Management and Policy
A program that prepares individuals to plan, develop, manage, and evaluate programs to protect and regulate natural habitats and renewable natural resources. Includes instruction in the principles of wildlife and conservation biology, environmental science, animal population surveying, natural resource economics, management techniques for various habitats, applicable law and policy, administrative and communications skills, and public relations.

Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management
A program that prepares individuals to conserve and manage wilderness areas and the flora and fauna therein, and manage wildlife reservations and zoological facilities for recreational, commercial, and ecological purposes. Includes instruction in wildlife biology; environmental science; natural resources management and policy; outdoor recreation and parks management; the design and operation of natural and artificial wildlife habitats; applicable law and regulations; and related administrative and communications skills.

 

Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the structure, function, and regulation of cells as individual units and as components of larger systems. Includes instruction in cell chemistry, cellular dynamics, cellular replication and reproduction, cell anatomy, membrane function, organelles, cell adhesion and extracellular matrices, cell dynamics and motility, meiosis and mytosis, signal transduction, regulation, recognition and defense mechanisms, the cell cycle, cell metabolism and respiration, gene expression, and studies of cell types and characteristics.

Dentistry (DDS, DMD)
A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of dentistry/dental medicine, encompassing the evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area, and adjacent structures and their impact on the human body and health. Includes instruction in the basic biomedical sciences; occlusion; dental health and prevention; oral pathology; cariology; operative dentistry; oral radiology; principles of the various dental specialties; pain management; oral medicine; clinic and health care management; patient counseling; and professional standards and ethics.

Veterinary Medicine (DVM)
A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of veterinary medicine, involving the diagnosis, treatment, and health care management of animals and animal populations and the prevention and management of zoonosis. Includes instruction in the veterinary basic sciences, infectious and noninfectious disease, diagnostic procedures, veterinary clinical medicine, obstetrics, radiology, anesthesiology, surgery, toxicology, animal health and preventive medicine, clinical nutrition, practice management, and professional standards and ethics.

 

Chemical Technology/Technician
A program that prepares individuals to apply scientific principles and technical skills in support of chemical and biochemical research and industrial operations. Includes instruction in principles of chemistry and biochemistry, technical mathematics, computer applications, radiochemistry, industrial biochemistry, chemical instrumentation, physical chemistry, laboratory research methods, industrial processing methods and equipment, and test equipment operation and maintenance.

Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)
A program that prepares individuals, under the remote supervision of physicians, to recognize, assess, and manage medical emergencies in prehospital settings and to supervise Ambulance personnel. Includes instruction in basic, intermediate, and advanced EMT procedures; emergency surgical procedures; medical triage; rescue operations; crisis scene management and personnel supervision; equipment operation and maintenance; patient stabilization, monitoring, and care; drug administration; identification and preliminary diagnosis of diseases and injuries; communication and computer operations; basic anatomy, physiology, pathology, and toxicology; and professional standards and regulations.

Forensic Science and Technology
A program that focuses on the application of the physical, biomedical, and social sciences to the analysis and evaluation of physical evidence, human testimony and criminal suspects. Includes instruction in forensic medicine, forensic dentistry, anthropology, psychology, pathology, forensic laboratory technology, crime scene analysis, fingerprint technology, document analysis, pattern analysis, examination procedures, applicable law and regulations, and professional standards and ethics.

 

Bioinformatics
A program that focuses on the application of computer-based technologies and services to biological, biomedical, and biotechnology research. Includes instruction in algorithms, network architecture, principles of software design, human interface design, usability studies, search strategies, database management and data mining, digital image processing, computer graphics and animation, CAD, computer programming, and applications to experimental design and analysis and to specific quantitative, modeling, and analytical studies in the various biological specializations.

Computer and Information Sciences, General
A general program that focuses on computing, computer science, and information science and systems as part of a broad and/or interdisciplinary program. Such programs are undifferentiated as to title and content and are not to be confused with specific programs in computer science, information science, or related support services.

Computer Programming, Vendor/Product Certification
A program that prepares individuals to fulfill the requirements set by vendors for professional qualification as certified installation, customization, and maintenance engineers for specific software products and/or processes. Includes training in specific vendor supported software products and their installation and maintenance.

Computer Software Engineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply scientific and mathematical principles to the design, analysis, verification, validation, implementation, and maintenance of computer software systems using a variety of computer languages. Includes instruction in discrete mathematics, probability and statistics, computer science, managerial science, and applications to complex computer systems.

E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce
A program that prepares individuals to plan, manage, supervise, and market electronic business operations, products, and services provided online via the Internet. Includes instruction in business administration, information technology, information resources management, web design, computer and Internet law and policy, computer privacy and security, e-trading, insurance, electronic marketing, investment capital planning, enterprise operations, personnel supervision, contracting, and product and service networking.

 

Actuarial Science
A program that focuses on the mathematical and statistical analysis of risk, and their applications to insurance and other business management problems. Includes instruction in forecasting theory, quantitative and non-quantitative risk measurement methodologies, development of risk tables, secondary data analysis, and computer-assisted research methods.

Applied Mathematics
A program that focuses on the application of mathematics and statistics to the solution of functional problems in fields such as engineering and the applied sciences. Includes instruction in natural phenomena modeling continuum mechanics, reaction-diffusion, wave propagation, dynamic systems, numerical analysis, controlled theory, asymptotic methods, variation, optimization theory, inverse problems, and applications to specific scientific and industrial topics.

Statistics, General
A general program that focuses on the relationships between groups of measurements, and similarities and differences, using probability theory and techniques derived from it. Includes instruction in the principles in probability theory, binomial distribution, regression analysis, standard deviation, stochastic processes, Monte Carlo method, Bayesian statistics, non-parametric statistics, sampling theory, and statistical techniques.

Topology and Foundations
A program that focuses on the properties of unaltered geometric configurations under conditions of continuous, multi-directional transformations. Includes instruction in mathematical logic, proof theory, model theory, set theory, combinatorics, continua, homotopy, homology, links, and transformation actions.

 

Archeology
A program that focuses on the systematic study of extinct societies, and the past of living societies, via the excavation, analysis and interpretation of their artifactual, human, and associated remains. Includes instruction in archeological theory, field methods, dating methods, conservation and museum studies, cultural and physical evolution, and the study of specific selected past cultures.

Canadian History
A program that focuses on the study of the society, culture, and institutions of Canada from its origins to the present. Includes instruction in Canadian historiography, sources and materials, historical research methods, and applications to the study of specific themes, issues, periods, and institutions.

Counseling Psychology
A program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of psychological counseling, involving the rendering of therapeutic services to individuals and groups experiencing psychological problems and exhibiting distress symptoms. Includes instruction in counseling theory, therapeutic intervention strategies, patient/counselor relationships, testing and assessment methods and procedures, group therapy, marital and family therapy, child and adolescent therapy, supervised counseling practice, ethical standards, and applicable regulations.

Economics, General
A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues.

 

Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems, equipment and facilities used to produce, process and store agricultural products; to improve the productivity of agricultural methods; and to develop improved agricultural biological systems.

Computer Hardware Engineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development, and evaluation of computer hardware and related peripheral equipment. Includes instruction in computer circuit and chip design, circuitry, computer systems design, computer equipment design, computer layout planning, testing procedures, and related computer theory and software topics.

Systems Engineering
A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of total systems solutions to a wide variety of engineering problems, including the integration of human, physical, energy, communications, management, and information requirements as needed, and the application of requisite analytical methods to specific situations.

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