Academic Program Differentiation

Greg Pillar, PhD is one of the kindest and wisest friends in higher education that I have. He has started sharing his wisdom and I love reading what he writes! "The challenge facing higher education is not merely about deciding which programs to add or cut—it is about reimagining how academic offerings should evolve to better serve students, institutions, and the workforce. Traditional majors, particularly those in the humanities and some social sciences, are experiencing significant declines in enrollment, leading institutions to consider program closures. The declines are due, in part, to there being no clear connection to gainful employment after graduation. The value of certain majors and liberal arts degrees simply to be “well rounded” and “educated citizens” is in itself, not sufficient. However, eliminating struggling programs without rethinking how disciplines can be integrated into new, dynamic, and skill-based curricula is shortsighted. Rather than outright elimination, universities have the opportunity to transform their academic structures, making them more interdisciplinary, flexible, and aligned with labor market demands. This shift is not only relevant for the humanities but also crucial for STEM, business, health, and other fields that increasingly intersect with technology, policy, and ethics (The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2022). The most resilient academic programs will be those that foster adaptability, problem-solving, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, preparing students for evolving career landscapes rather than static job markets. As institutions explore academic transformation, it is essential to differentiate between interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approaches, as well as between interdisciplinary majors and interdisciplinary studies as a degree completion route. Interdisciplinary programs intentionally integrate multiple fields of study, synthesizing knowledge and methodologies to create a cohesive, problem-solving framework. In contrast, multidisciplinary programs draw on multiple disciplines but do so without fully integrating or synthesizing them. While multidisciplinary studies place various academic fields under a thematic umbrella, they often function independently, lacking the deep connections that define true interdisciplinary education."

Number of study programs in Germany rising - almost 23.000 now (11.600 bachelor) - at the same time number of students declining: Does this make sense? At first glance this seems to be a paradox. But if we look closer at the patterns behind the number, we find the establishment of new programs as a rational strategy to attract more students. For instance, to be attractive for diverse student groups the same program is simultaneously offered as full- and part-time program. Or interdisciplinary programs are established, which focus on topics instead of disciplines (almos 18% of the new programs in 2023/24). Also, we find many new programs in fields where student numbers are rising (psychology) and the labour market needs more graduates (teacher education), so there is an adaptation to demand. And there is a strong increase of programs at private universities of applied sciences (+44% from 2019 to 2024), showing the fact that there is a market for private higher education especially for lifelong learners looking for study options to be combined with the job. However, I have some concerns regarding three aspects of these developments: 1. At a certain point, universities have to consider also to close down or rearrange the traditional programs instead of just adding new ones, or to collaborate across institutions. 2. we find a lot of new programs that differentiate a subject into sub-subjects. On the bachelor level, this could lead to overspecialization that comes too early. This makes more sense for master programs. 3. The complex market for study programs has to remain transparent for students, guidance and information tools are needed (CHE tries to contribute with our ranking on HeyStudium). Here is our full study https://lnkd.in/esMAHXtY #studienangebot #studyprogram CHE Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung Cort-Denis Hachmeister

Three factors you can’t afford to ignore when launching an online program: 📉 Program & Market Size - Niche = small audience. Offering both in-person and online formats might split an already limited pool. 🆚 - General = fierce competition. Broad programs like the MBA, MEd, and MSN are saturated—success depends on real differentiation. 🔁 Lack of Differentiation Marketing both modalities the same way confuses students and erodes value. - Tailor messaging. - Highlight distinct features. - Speak directly to each audience's priorities. 💸 Price Differential Pitfalls - Boston University’s $25K online MBA attracted 2,000 students. - Their $115K campus MBA? Down to 119 students. 💡 Takeaway: Don't just move your campus program online. Rethink the experience. Redesign the message. Recalibrate the value. #HigherEd #OnlineLearning #GraduateEducation #InstructionalDesign #EnrollmentStrategy #OnlineMasters #EdTech #MarketStrategy #DigitalTransformation https://lnkd.in/gG9ShD6i