What is the benefit of choosing a Concentration?

[sumjeff]

I'm enrolled at Excelsior for the BS in Liberal Arts and I'm wondering what, if any, is the benefit of choosing an area of Concentration (Minor)? I was on the phone with my advisor yesterday and I asked him if I should choose an area of Concentration and he told me that if I took two more history exams, one being UL, I could have History as my area of Concentration. I need to take one additional UL exam to complete my requirement anyway, so he suggested Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union; and I'm thinking why not? I realize that the area of Concentration goes on your transcript and not your actual degree, but I'd like to know how this can help you?

[soliloquy]

Not to hijack your thread but concentrations confuse me. At most colleges, credits for a major can range from 36 to 56 and credits for a minor can range from 20 to 24. COSC's paralegal studies concentration is 42 credits although I ended up with 55 credits which fell under my concentration. I don't really understand why they categorize this as a concentration instead of a major.

[Dr John]

I do not think there is much difference in the terms. There is a technical difference in that a concentration is probably a bit less restrictive in terms of courses that have to be done a certain way, it allows for a little bit of flexibility. I may be wrong on this, but I understand that Harvard University refers to their degree majors as concentrations.

Do what I do and just think of the concentration as a major, it is essentially the same thing unless you were in a degree program that needed specific program accreditation, like APA for a Psych degree then the terms might mean something....then again maybe not.

[soliloquy]

I do not think there is much difference in the terms. There is a technical difference in that a concentration is probably a bit less restrictive in terms of courses that have to be done a certain way, it allows for a little bit of flexibility. I may be wrong on this, but I understand that Harvard University refers to their degree majors as concentrations.

Do what I do and just think of the concentration as a major, it is essentially the same thing unless you were in a degree program that needed specific program accreditation, like APA for a Psych degree then the terms might mean something....then again maybe not.

https://college.harvard.edu/academics/pl...quirements

You're right. Well, I know people have said on this board many times that a major is not a concentration - I still don't get it. My options for completing the paralegal studies concentration didn't seem all that flexible. So what is meant by flexibility? Are majors usually more rigid than the requirements here. Paralegal Studies - Charter Oak State College

[rebel100]

Concentrations, like majors, demonstrate that you chose a focus and completed a fair amount of work within that focus. I don't make much distinction between the two, others feel differently.

Will it help you? In certain fields having the major is the price of admission. For example engineering or aeronautics, or even business administration mean something to employers. I don't see a lot of benefit of history over liberal studies, pretty much the same thing though if you wanted to teach history say in a high school it might be beneficial to be able to demonstrate an actual major or concentration.

Harvard college does use the term concentration, they also make reference to "field of study". So I wouldn't say it's a hard and fast rule there either. At the extension school you can choose a field of study as well as a minor. My daughter is doing this with an English FOS and a business minor. They put it on the transcript though, the actual diploma is in Latin and essentially says BA (ALB) in extension studies....it's a fact most HES students seem to hate

[sanantone]

The concentrations at COSC are almost the equivalent of majors at other colleges. At Excelsior, I don't think this is the case. Usually when a college offers majors, concentrations are almost the equivalents of minors.

At many schools, not even the major goes on the diploma. The major is listed on the transcript. I have yet to have an employer ask for a diploma. When they want some kind of proof, I have always been asked for a transcript.

[NAP]

I'm enrolled at Excelsior for the BS in Liberal Arts and I'm wondering what, if any, is the benefit of choosing an area of Concentration (Minor)? I was on the phone with my advisor yesterday and I asked him if I should choose an area of Concentration and he told me that if I took two more history exams, one being UL, I could have History as my area of Concentration. I need to take one additional UL exam to complete my requirement anyway, so he suggested Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union; and I'm thinking why not? I realize that the area of Concentration goes on your transcript and not your actual degree, but I'd like to know how this can help you?

Some of Excelsior's new majors offer an optional concentration, but I don't think that is the question here.

For an Area of Focus (like a minor - 15 LL and 6 UL) and since my plans for a major did not work out, it has been nice to get to mention it on applications for graduate school and scholarships.

Would another option be taking the history capstone course instead of the DSST and Liberal Arts capstone?

[sumjeff]

Since I have to take an additional UL course to graduate anyway, I guess it only makes sense for me to complete the area of concentration in History. And Rebel100, who knows, maybe H.S. history teacher is in my future? Also, I read somewhere on this forum that 68% of Excelsior graduates, graduate with a BA/BS in Liberal Studies without an area concentration because it's the easiest and quickest degree to obtain.

@ NAP, your response was very interesting to me, can you please expound on the differences and or possibilities in taking the different cap stones?

I would also like to have opinions as to which UL History exam is tougher out of Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union (DSST) or World Conflicts since 1900 (ECE)?

[NAP]

Since I have to take an additional UL course to graduate anyway, I guess it only makes sense for me to complete the area of concentration in History. And Rebel100, who knows, maybe H.S. history teacher is in my future? Also, I read somewhere on this forum that 68% of Excelsior graduates, graduate with a BA/BS in Liberal Studies without an area concentration because it's the easiest and quickest degree to obtain.

@ NAP, your response was very interesting to me, can you please expound on the differences and or possibilities in taking the different cap stones?

I would also like to have opinions as to which UL History exam is tougher out of Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union (DSST) or World Conflicts since 1900 (ECE)?

Just to be clear, all of the other replies were about a "concentration" which is a term that COSC uses for a "major". You and I are talking about EC, which uses "Area of Focus" for a "minor". Correct?

I just wondered if you could use the History capstone course to meet both requirements (UL for history Area of Focus and BSLS capstone course). I don't know which subject matter you would prefer for the exam and capstone options. I, also, don't remember the requirements for the history capstone, such as whether or not you had to be a history major to be eligible to take it.

Let us know what you find out and decide to take.

[sumjeff]

Yes, NAP I was referring specifically to Excelsior.