Choosing the best university course in South Africa depends on two things: what you want to become and how you want to work day-to-day. South Africa’s university landscape is broad—spanning faculties like Business, Engineering, Health Sciences, IT, Law, Humanities, and Science—and each faculty includes multiple pathways that can lead to different career outcomes.

This guide is a deep-dive into university courses in South Africa by faculty and field of study, with clear links between course choices and real career goals. You’ll also learn how to compare options properly, understand entry requirements at a high level, and avoid common mismatches that derail students early.

How to use this guide (and avoid choosing the “wrong right course”)

A strong match between course and career goal usually depends on three practical factors. First, confirm the career you’re targeting—then check whether the course’s skills, content, and qualification level align with that target. Finally, consider how the degree will function in the real market: recognition, professional pathways, and further study options.

Before diving in, read this related comparison guide: How to Compare Study Fields Before Choosing a University Course in South Africa. It will help you evaluate any faculty’s offering more objectively, not just by reputation.

Faculty-by-faculty roadmap to high-demand career goals

South African universities generally structure programmes into faculties. The “best course” therefore isn’t universal—it’s faculty + major/field + qualification type. Below, you’ll find faculty-specific course recommendations for common career goals such as:

Professional licensing and regulated careers
Research and postgraduate progression
Industry-ready careers and job placement
Leadership, consulting, and entrepreneurship
Public sector impact and policy roles
International mobility and transferable skills

1) Faculty of Business & Commerce (Goal: Business leadership, finance, marketing, operations)

If your career goal is to work in companies, start-ups, consulting, banking, insurance, procurement, or operations, Business and Commerce faculties are usually your starting point. These programmes typically emphasize quantitative reasoning, communication, strategy, and business systems.

A key question: do you want a route that’s mainly business skills, or one that becomes a bridge to professional specialisms like accounting, auditing, or supply chain management?

Best course types by Business career goal

Goal A: Accounting, auditing, and financial credibility

Look for programmes that build a structured path toward professional qualifications and reporting careers. Common degree directions include:

BCom Accounting
BCom Financial Accounting / Accounting Sciences
Postgraduate accounting pathways (often used to strengthen eligibility for professional tracks)

Career outcomes often include:

Junior accountant → senior accountant → finance manager
Auditor/assurance roles (progression depends on professional requirements)
Tax and reporting specialisations

If you’re comparing degrees and diplomas in this area, this deep-dive helps: Business Courses at South African Universities: Degrees and Diplomas to Consider.

Goal B: Finance, investments, and corporate financial management

Finance roles reward analytical capability and financial modelling. Strong options often include:

BCom Finance
BCom Economics/Finance hybrids (where available)
Actuarial-track options (often through aligned quantitative degrees)

Career outcomes can include:

Financial analyst
Investment/asset roles (often after additional qualification or internships)
Treasury and corporate finance functions

Goal C: Marketing, branding, and growth strategy

Marketing is less about memorising terms and more about understanding customers and communicating value. Course directions typically include:

BCom Marketing
Business Management with marketing specialisation
Consumer behaviour / brand management modules (varies by university)

Career outcomes include:

Marketing assistant → brand coordinator → marketing manager
Digital marketing and content strategy (increasing demand)
Sales operations and growth analytics

Goal D: Entrepreneurship and general business leadership

If you want flexibility across sectors, consider programmes that build business fundamentals plus strategy. These commonly appear as:

BCom General / Management
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
Operations and supply chain directions (where offered)

A strong “leadership” portfolio usually comes from:

internships
group projects
leadership/club involvement
honours or postgraduate specialisation if you aim for senior roles faster

2) Faculty of Education (Goal: Teaching, educational leadership, training, and youth development)

The Faculty of Education is ideal if your career goal is to become a teacher or work in education-related environments such as training, curriculum development, educational administration, and learning support. In South Africa, education pathways are shaped by qualification requirements for teaching and professional expectations.

If you’re specifically exploring teaching credentials, use this resource: Education Courses in South Africa: Teaching Qualifications Explained.

Best course types by Education career goal

Goal A: Classroom teaching (foundation, intermediate, senior phase)

Most teaching routes revolve around accredited teaching qualifications. Programmes typically require:

subject methods (for subject specialists)
teaching practice components
education theory and classroom management

Practical insight: your “best course” depends heavily on the subjects you can teach and where placements occur. Choose a combination you can teach confidently—not only what you find interesting.

Goal B: Curriculum development and educational support

If you want to shape learning materials and learning quality, look at:

Postgraduate education qualifications (curriculum, assessment, learning support)
Specialisation modules in assessment or learning design

Career outcomes include:

education programme coordinator
learning support specialist
curriculum or assessment roles in institutions

Goal C: Educational leadership and policy influence

For leadership roles, education degrees often become the base for postgraduate study. Typical directions include:

educational management and leadership
education policy analysis (often linked with public policy or social sciences)

Best-fit strategy: pair education training with research methods and data literacy if you aim for policy-facing work.

3) Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment (Goal: Tech innovation, infrastructure, systems, and professional design)

Engineering is one of the most goal-specific faculties: the discipline you choose (mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, industrial, etc.) can determine where you’ll work—power systems, construction, manufacturing, mining, renewable energy, and industrial design.

If you’re weighing engineering degrees and career paths, this is a strong overview: Engineering Courses in South Africa: Popular Degrees and Career Paths.

Best course types by Engineering career goal

Goal A: Design and infrastructure delivery (build, measure, improve)

Civil and related built environment disciplines are common for:

municipal infrastructure
transportation and logistics systems
water and sanitation planning
project engineering

Career outcomes often include:

project engineering
site and construction management (depending on qualification)
infrastructure consulting

What to check: design-related accreditation pathways and practical training opportunities, especially if you want to be eligible for professional registration in your field.

Goal B: Power, energy systems, and electrical innovation

Electrical/electronic routes align with:

power distribution and generation systems
telecommunications
embedded systems and automation (in some curricula)

Career outcomes:

electrical engineer (industry dependent)
systems integration roles
energy and grid-related engineering

Goal C: Manufacturing, optimisation, and process improvement

Industrial and mechanical engineering typically support:

process optimisation
operations improvement
production engineering
quality and maintenance strategy

Career outcomes:

manufacturing engineer
operations engineer
continuous improvement specialist

Goal D: Chemical processes and industrial production

Chemical engineering (and chemical technology pathways) align with:

refineries and production plants
environmental process engineering
materials processing

Career outcomes:

process engineer
plant optimisation
research/industry R&D (depending on level)

Expert insight: Engineering programmes reward consistent quantitative performance. If you’re strong in maths and enjoy problem-solving, engineering can be a great fit. If you like building solutions but prefer less lab intensity, consider engineering-adjacent fields (like industrial management or applied data/IT specialisations).

4) Faculty of Health Sciences (Goal: Clinical care, public health, research, and healthcare administration)

Health Sciences covers both regulated careers (clinical professions) and broader roles (research, health promotion, and public health). Because healthcare work often requires additional professional steps, your “best course” is strongly tied to the profession you want.

This overview helps clarify study options by profession: Health Sciences Courses in South Africa: Study Options by Profession.

Best course types by Health career goal

Goal A: Become a clinician (care, diagnosis, treatment)

Common health-aligned routes include programmes that lead into clinical disciplines. Your best choice depends on:

whether you want hospital-based practice
outpatient and community health
laboratory and diagnostic support work

Career outcomes are profession-specific and may include regulated licensing.

Practical caution: health pathways can include long study durations and placements. Confirm:

clinical practice requirements
internship/placement expectations
long-term training requirements after graduation

Goal B: Public health and population well-being

If your goal is community impact and preventative healthcare, look for public health-aligned programmes (often within health-related faculties or related departments). Typical features include:

epidemiology fundamentals
health policy topics
health systems and health promotion

Career outcomes:

public health practitioner
programme coordinator in NGOs or government
health researcher (often with postgraduate study)

Goal C: Research and diagnostics

For research-oriented goals, you can align health study with biology, chemistry, or biostatistics depending on your university’s structure. You’ll benefit from:

research methods courses
lab skills development
exposure to research projects

Career outcomes:

lab-based R&D
clinical research assistant roles (often a stepping stone)
postgraduate research study

Goal D: Healthcare administration and systems improvement

Not everyone wants direct clinical work. If you’re drawn to logistics, resource allocation, quality management, and systems thinking, look for programmes combining health and management.

Expert insight: healthcare admin roles often value competence in:

data and reporting
process improvement
communication across clinical teams

5) Faculty of IT & Computer Science (Goal: Software engineering, data, cybersecurity, and automation)

IT and Computer Science are among the fastest-evolving university fields. In South Africa, employers across finance, retail, government, telecoms, and mining rely on developers, analysts, cybersecurity specialists, and data practitioners.

If you’re mapping study routes, read: IT and Computer Science Courses in South Africa: Best Study Routes.

Best course types by IT career goal

Goal A: Software development and engineering

Look for degree structures that cover:

programming fundamentals (more than one language)
software design principles
databases and systems
teamwork and version control

Career outcomes:

junior developer → software engineer → architect track
backend, frontend, mobile development
full-stack roles (often with strong portfolios)

Goal B: Data science, analytics, and decision intelligence

Data roles often reward:

statistics + programming
data visualisation
machine learning fundamentals
data engineering awareness

Career outcomes:

data analyst
data scientist / machine learning roles (often requiring postgraduate study)
analytics translator roles (business + tech)

Goal C: Cybersecurity and digital protection

Cybersecurity is ideal if you like protecting systems and investigating vulnerabilities. Coursework typically includes:

operating systems fundamentals
networks
security principles and ethical hacking topics

Career outcomes:

SOC analyst
penetration testing roles (often with certifications)
security engineer pathways

Practical insight: the “best” degree for cybersecurity may depend on your technical preferences. If you love systems and networking, choose a programme with strong foundations in networks and operating systems.

Goal D: Automation, cloud, and DevOps-style operations

These roles often value:

infrastructure understanding
scripting and automation
cloud platforms
deployment pipelines

Career outcomes:

DevOps engineer
cloud engineer (often after additional learning/certs)
automation engineer

6) Faculty of Law (Goal: Attorney path, advocacy, compliance, and legal support)

Law is a disciplined faculty where the best course depends on whether you want to practise as a lawyer, work in legal support roles, or move into compliance, policy, or governance. In South Africa, the structure leading to legal practice can be specific and regulated.

For legal pathways, use this overview: Law Courses in South Africa: LLB, Paralegal, and Related Options.

Best course types by Law career goal

Goal A: Attorney / advocate path

If you want to become a practising legal professional, your best choice typically follows formal legal study routes ending in the required legal qualification pathway. This can include:

undergraduate law pathways
structured professional development steps after graduation

Expert insight: consider your long-term willingness to handle intense reading, writing, and oral argument or casework.

Goal B: Paralegal and legal support roles

If you want legal work with a different pace and scope, paralegal-oriented options can lead into:

contract support
legal documentation
case assistance and administrative legal work

Career outcomes:

legal assistant → paralegal → senior legal support roles
compliance and contract roles

Goal C: Corporate compliance, governance, and risk

Law skills translate strongly into:

corporate governance
risk and compliance
ethics and regulatory affairs

Best-fit strategy: pair legal study with Business or Public Policy modules if your goal is corporate compliance.

Goal D: Policy and legal research

If you prefer research and writing rather than courtroom work, consider:

legal research programmes
postgraduate paths in law-related fields

7) Faculty of Humanities (Goal: communication, policy, education support, research, and creative careers)

Humanities programmes are diverse—ranging from language and communication to sociology, psychology, philosophy, history, and more. Their power is transferable skills: critical thinking, argumentation, cultural understanding, writing, and analysis.

Explore a broader list here: Humanities Courses in South Africa: Subjects, Degrees, and Careers.

Best course types by Humanities career goal

Goal A: Become a communicator, writer, editor, or media professional

Look for programmes that build:

academic writing
rhetoric and argument
media or communication practice

Career outcomes:

content writer
editor
communications officer
PR roles (depending on experience)

Expert insight: media and comms roles often reward portfolio evidence (writing samples, campaigns, internships) more than degree name alone.

Goal B: Policy, governance, and social impact

Humanities fits well if you want to understand societies and then apply that understanding to policy. Strong curriculum themes include:

social theory
research methods
law/policy intersections (where available)

Career outcomes:

policy analyst support roles
NGO project roles
community development pathways

Goal C: Psychology and human behaviour pathways

If your interest is human behaviour and mental processes, humanities-related routes may lead toward psychology or counselling pathways (depending on the university’s structure and eligibility for professional registration).

Practical caution: psychology/counselling often requires additional qualifications beyond an undergraduate degree. Always check the pathway to professional status.

Goal D: Teaching support and educational roles

Some humanities degrees support teaching qualifications or education-related careers, especially when paired with education modules or postgraduate study.

8) Faculty of Science (Goal: research, lab work, environmental work, and analytical careers)

The Science faculty is ideal if you want to work in laboratories, research environments, environmental and sustainability work, quality assurance, or technical specialist careers. Science degrees often provide strong pathways to postgraduate study and research.

For biological and chemistry-focused pathways, see: Science Courses in South Africa: Biology, Chemistry, and Research Pathways.

Best course types by Science career goal

Goal A: Biology, life sciences, and research-driven health and environment careers

If you enjoy lab work and life sciences, strong directions include:

biology and related life science programmes
environmental biology or ecology modules (where offered)

Career outcomes:

laboratory assistant → lab scientist track (depending on additional qualification)
research assistant roles
environmental monitoring support

Goal B: Chemistry and applied lab specialisations

Chemistry is valuable for:

analytical testing
quality control
chemical manufacturing pathways
environmental testing

Career outcomes:

lab technician → analyst → specialist roles
QA/QC careers in industry
research support

Goal C: Data + science blend (if your interest is analytics)

Some universities integrate scientific thinking with data analysis. Consider:

research methods
statistics modules
computational or modelling content (varies by programme)

Career outcomes:

research analytics support
lab data roles
postgraduate research pathways

Goal D: Research-intensive progression (postgraduate master’s and PhD)

Science degrees often shine as stepping stones for postgraduate research. If you aim for a research career, look for:

lab-based credits
supervised research projects
opportunities for publication or conference presentations

Picking the “best” course for your career goals: practical matching framework

Below is a framework you can apply to any faculty. It’s designed to help you choose based on real outcomes, not just course titles.

Step 1: Define your end-state role (not just your industry)

“Business” and “health” are industries. But your application should focus on a job-level goal like:

financial analyst
teacher
software engineer
civil project engineer
public health coordinator
paralegal/compliance support
lab researcher

This clarity makes it easier to decide between similar degrees.

Step 2: Identify the core skills your role requires

Many careers require a combination of:

technical competence (coding, lab work, design, accounting)
communication (reports, presentations, client communication)
professional judgement (ethics, compliance, safety, quality)
practical exposure (projects, internships, placements)

When course structures don’t include these elements, your student-to-professional transition becomes harder.

Step 3: Check whether the degree is a direct route or a stepping stone

Some degrees are direct routes into a specific career field. Others are stepping stones into postgraduate study or professional certification.

A common strategy in South Africa:

use an undergraduate degree to build foundations
use internships and postgraduate study to specialise
choose professional pathways that confirm eligibility for your target roles

Step 4: Look for “evidence of learning,” not just “coverage”

Ask:

Are there capstone projects?
Can you join research groups?
Do students complete internships or work-integrated learning?
Is there mentoring from postgraduate students or industry practitioners?

These factors often determine your readiness more than the syllabus headline.

Step 5: Compare across universities using the same criteria

Use the comparison guide here for a consistent method: How to Compare Study Fields Before Choosing a University Course in South Africa.

Faculty-to-career matching by goal (deep examples)

To make this more concrete, let’s map typical career goals to the faculty directions most students consider in South Africa.

Career goal: Start or grow a business (entrepreneurship + commercial impact)

Best faculty choices

Business & Commerce (strategy, management, marketing, operations)
Law (contracts, compliance thinking, governance)
IT (product and systems building for start-ups)
Humanities (brand storytelling, communications, policy/impact positioning)

What to prioritise in your course

project-based learning and real client exposure
modules in marketing, strategy, and business analytics
opportunities to build a portfolio (apps, business plans, campaigns, research)

Example pathway

BCom/Management major → internship or entrepreneurial project → postgraduate specialisation or industry transition.

Career goal: Become a teacher or work in education leadership

Best faculty choices

Education (teaching qualifications, learning design, assessment)
Humanities (subject depth with education alignment)
Science/Engineering (specialised teaching or STEM education routes)

What to prioritise

practical teaching experience
subject methods strength (especially for senior phase teaching)
leadership training if you want management roles later

Example pathway

Education qualification (with teaching practice) → early career mentorship → postgraduate education leadership.

Career goal: Work in engineering design or infrastructure projects

Best faculty choices

Engineering & Built Environment (civil, mechanical, electrical, industrial, chemical)
IT (automation, embedded systems, digital engineering tools)
Science (materials testing, environmental measurement)

What to prioritise

accredited practical training or lab components
strong mathematics and physics foundations
project exposure (team-based design and reporting)

Example pathway

Engineering degree → industry internship → early professional registration steps (where applicable) → specialisation.

Career goal: Enter healthcare (clinical, public health, or healthcare innovation)

Best faculty choices

Health Sciences (clinical and public health core)
Science (lab/diagnostics and research)
Business (health management and operations)
IT (health informatics, analytics—often through additional training)

What to prioritise

placement requirements and clinical training schedules
research opportunities if you aim for postgraduate study
communication and patient/community empathy for public-facing roles

Example pathway

Health Sciences undergraduate → clinical placement/internship → professional progression within healthcare systems.

Career goal: Become a software engineer, data analyst, or cybersecurity professional

Best faculty choices

IT & Computer Science (core)
Engineering (embedded systems, automation)
Science (computational or data-heavy research tracks)
Business (analytics and product management for tech-led businesses)

What to prioritise

strong programming and systems coverage
internships, internships, internships (and portfolio projects)
research or practical security labs if aiming for cybersecurity

Example pathway

CS degree → internship + personal projects → specialised postgraduate modules or certifications.

Career goal: Practice law, work in legal support, or move into compliance

Best faculty choices

Law (formal legal pathways, paralegal options)
Business (corporate compliance, governance, risk)
Humanities (policy, legal research writing)

What to prioritise

legal research and writing skills
exposure to real documents and casework (where offered)
understanding of how professional pathways work after graduation

Example pathway

Law qualification → paralegal support track or professional pathway → compliance/governance roles.

Career goal: Work in research, labs, environmental monitoring, or technical science roles

Best faculty choices

Science (biology, chemistry, applied research)
Health Sciences (research-adjacent lab careers)
Engineering (materials, processes, environmental systems)

What to prioritise

lab hours and supervised research projects
research methods and data analysis competency
ability to write research reports and follow safety protocols

Example pathway

Science degree → honours/research projects → postgraduate research or industry lab specialist role.

Which course is “best” for different entry circumstances?

Not all students start the same way. Here are a few scenario-based recommendations to consider.

Scenario 1: You want maximum career flexibility

Choose a broad foundation degree with optional specialisations. Business management, general sciences, or computer science tracks often give you room to specialise later with electives and postgraduate choices.

Scenario 2: You want a direct regulated-career route

Target faculties where career progression is clearly linked to professional qualifications (not just job training). Health and education and law are examples where professional expectations matter.

Scenario 3: You want to work in industry quickly

Consider programmes with:

internship opportunities
practical modules
capstone projects
strong industry alignment (systems, business analytics, lab practice)

Scenario 4: You want research and higher degrees

Science and some health-related pathways are commonly research-oriented. Choose programmes that offer supervised research and statistics/research methods.

Field-of-study deep dives inside each faculty (what to choose, and why)

University course “titles” can be misleading, so it helps to look at the field of study level. Below are high-impact examples.

Business fields (specialisations that open doors)

Accounting & Financial Reporting
- Best for: finance career credibility, auditing, reporting roles
- Skills: reporting standards thinking, attention to detail, analytical reasoning
Marketing & Consumer Insights
- Best for: brand strategy, sales growth, communications
- Skills: customer understanding, messaging, data-informed campaigns
Operations & Supply Chain
- Best for: manufacturing, procurement, logistics
- Skills: process optimisation, analytics, scheduling and risk awareness
Finance & Economics
- Best for: corporate finance, investment analysis, financial strategy
- Skills: modelling, interpretation, risk and value thinking

Engineering fields (discipline fit is everything)

Civil/Infrastructure
- Best for: infrastructure delivery, urban systems, water/sanitation
Electrical/Electronic
- Best for: energy systems, telecommunication, automation
Mechanical/Industrial
- Best for: manufacturing, design, systems optimisation
Chemical/Process
- Best for: industrial production, chemical processing, environmental processes

IT & Computer Science fields (choose based on your “problem type”)

Software Development
- Best for: building apps and systems; product and platform work
Data Science/Analytics
- Best for: decision support, machine learning pathways, analytics engineering
Cybersecurity
- Best for: protecting systems; investigations; incident response thinking
Networks/Systems/Cloud (where offered)
- Best for: infrastructure and scalable operations

Health Sciences fields (match to the life you want)

Clinical pathways
- Best for: direct patient work, hospital/community care
Public health
- Best for: community impact, policy and prevention
Research/lab-linked roles
- Best for: lab/diagnostics, scientific contribution to health improvements

Law fields (match to your preferred work style)

Litigation-oriented legal pathways
- Best for: advocacy mindset, structured case work, court-based progression
Corporate/compliance legal support
- Best for: policy/risk work, contract support, governance
Paralegal/legal support
- Best for: legal documentation and support roles with structured responsibilities

Humanities fields (choose based on the kind of thinking you enjoy)

Communication/Journalism/Media (where offered)
- Best for: writing, editing, communications strategy
Sociology/Development/Policy
- Best for: social analysis and impact work
Psychology-adjacent pathways
- Best for: understanding behaviour and potential counselling routes (with further qualifications)

Science fields (match to the lab/analysis environment you enjoy)

Biology/life sciences
- Best for: life and environmental studies, lab research
Chemistry
- Best for: analytical testing, materials and chemical processes
Research-based science programmes
- Best for: long-term research career building, postgraduate progression

The “hidden” factors that decide whether your degree succeeds

Course content matters, but these factors frequently make or break your outcomes.

1) Practical learning opportunities

internships
work-integrated learning
research assistantships
placements (especially in education and health)

2) University ecosystem (labs, writing centres, incubators, industry partners)

A university with strong industry partnerships can reduce the gap between graduation and employability.

3) Your willingness to build a portfolio

For IT, marketing, communications, and research, showing proof of skill matters:

projects and GitHub
case studies and writing samples
lab reports and posters
community work or volunteering

4) Postgraduate planning

Many career paths are faster with a planned postgraduate route—especially in:

research careers
specialised professional roles
data science and advanced analytics

Mini decision guide: choose in 10 minutes

If you’re unsure which course to start with, answer these quickly:

Do you want patient/community impact? → consider Health Sciences or Education/Public health directions.
Do you want to build systems and code? → IT & Computer Science.
Do you want to design infrastructure or machines? → Engineering & Built Environment.
Do you want to analyse markets and manage business strategy? → Business & Commerce.
Do you want to argue, research, draft legal work, or work in compliance? → Law.
Do you want society-focused insight, writing, and critical analysis? → Humanities.
Do you want lab research, scientific analysis, and technical problem solving? → Science.

Then verify your choice using: How to Compare Study Fields Before Choosing a University Course in South Africa.

Frequently asked questions (South Africa-specific concerns)

Which faculty has the best job prospects?

It depends on your skills, your portfolio, and your specialisation—not just the faculty. In general:

IT & Computer Science tends to offer strong entry opportunities for practical builders.
Health Sciences, Education, and Law are strong but often have regulated pathways and longer timelines.
Engineering has durable demand but requires consistent technical performance.
Business outcomes depend heavily on internships and specialisation.

Can I switch faculties if my initial choice doesn’t fit?

Often yes, but switching can require:

additional bridging modules
delayed graduation timelines
re-planning for professional eligibility (especially in health, education, and law)

What should I look for in course modules?

Prioritise:

modules that teach the real skills of the job (not just theory)
practical assessments (projects, labs, placements)
research methods and communication modules for career resilience

Conclusion: the best university course is the one engineered for your future

The best university courses in South Africa by faculty for different career goals are not simply the most famous programmes. They are the ones that align your career intent with your field of study, your practical learning opportunities, and the professional pathway required for your chosen role.

Use this guide to shortlist by faculty, then validate using the comparison framework. From there, confirm details with university handbooks, programme coordinators, and any professional body requirements relevant to your field.

For further cluster reading to strengthen your decision-making, explore:

If you tell me your career goal, your subjects/strengths (e.g., maths/life sciences/language), and whether you prefer hands-on or theory-heavy work, I can recommend a tailored shortlist of faculties and fields of study.