Key takeaways
- Specialized schools offer certificate and degree programs in a single major or area of study.
- Common types of specialized institutions include Art, Business, and Career Studies schools.
- Students can benefit from strong networks, experienced professors, and advanced resources, but changing your major may be difficult.
Specialized schools tend to stick to one focused area of study such as Art, Business, Law, or Medical. Students attending these institutions can often benefit from a strong network, unique resources, and professors passionate about their field. There are a variety of specialized schools, colleges, and universities – we outline just six below.
6 Types of specialized schools
We’ve included six commonly-seen specialized schools, plus highlighted a few types of colleges that cater to specific students.
1. Applied and Career Studies
Applied and Career Studies colleges and universities focus on preparing students for specific careers. They cover practical skills, tools, and techniques you’ll need for your chosen job. Many programs also include hands-on learning with laboratory work, field experience, training, or work research.
You’ll find most Applied and Career Studies programs at 2-year colleges and vocational schools. Some examples of Applied Studies are Medical Laboratory Science, Information Technology, Engineering, and Communication. Career Studies programs can include Electrician, Cosmetology, and Culinary Arts.
2. Art
Arts, Music, and Design institutions focus solely on various art forms, ranging from Painting to Dance and Art History to Web Design. As hands-on programs, they teach you the skills you need to succeed in your field with access to specialized equipment.
With a few exceptions, Arts schools are highly project-driven – you’ll spend your time creating and practicing. Students should expect critiques, both from their professors and other students, but classes can also be team-oriented.
You often need a portfolio or demo in order to apply for Arts, Music, and Design schools. Some example programs include Graphic Design, Illustration, Composition, Animation, Fashion Design, and Acting.
3. Business
Many colleges and universities have Business schools, a school within the school. For example, Harvard University has Harvard Business School. However, some institutions are solely dedicated to Business and nothing else, such as Babson College, Webber International University, and Menlo College.
These schools have courses on business fundamentals, such as management, entrepreneurship, accounting, data, ethics, marketing, and economics. Students can often choose a concentration based on their goals after college.
4. Law
A select few institutions focus solely on Law programs for graduate students, such as Western State College of Law and New England Law Boston. Students can choose from different concentrations while pursuing their juris doctorate (JD) degrees. Some independent Law schools also award master’s.
5. Medical
Depending on the available programs, Medical schools can offer everything from certificates to doctorates.
Some focus on Nursing, such as Ambria College of Nursing which has LPN, RN, and LPN-to-RN programs. Others have Medicine programs for graduate and professional students, with no undergraduate studies, including the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. A select few focus on other areas of healthcare, such as Acupuncture or Massage Therapy. There are some institutions that offer various health-oriented programs, rather than focusing on one specific area.
6. Theological Studies
Theological Studies is the study of religion. This type of specialized school is often affiliated with a religion with a small selection of programs. For example, the Appalachian Bible College is a Baptist school that only offers Bible/Biblical Studies to undergraduates and Theological and Ministerial Studies to graduates. Other programs that fall under Theology include Pastoral Counseling, Religious Education, Jewish/Judaic Studies, and Religious/Sacred Music.
Other types of specialized schools
Some types of specialized schools cater to specific students rather than focusing on a specific area of study. Gallaudet University, for example, is dedicated to deaf and hard-of-hearing students (though they do accept hearing students). Beacon College is designed for students with learning disabilities.
Should you attend a specialized college?
Whether you attend a specialized college depends on your goals after graduation and whether there is a specialized school for your desired program. If you have your heart set on one of these majors, you’ll know you’re learning from professors that are experienced in your field and you have access to unique and often advanced resources and tools. You also can start building your network right away since you’re surrounded by students with similar goals and interests.
The downside to attending a specialized school is if you decide to change your major, you may have to switch to a different college. For example, of you’re studying Painting at an Art school and decide to major in Biology instead, you’ll need to transfer to a school that has that major. Some specialized institutions don’t require you to take general education requirements so you could have to start your degree from scratch, too, with little to no credits transferring with you.
Do one of these specialized schools call to you? College Raptor can help you identify the best college for your goals and interests. Start with College Match today.
