As rapidly as the world changes, so does the need for higher education to train and develop the future workforce. Colleges and universities looking to stay in rhythm may learn something new from Gray Decision Intelligence’s latest prediction of the five academic programs set to shape the future of the sector.
The higher education intelligence service’s annual presentation correctly predicted the rise of programs in data analytics and creative AI in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Enrollment in the former has grown by 90% in 2021 to 2023, according to their internal data. The firm also touched on an emerging “creator economy” of social media influencers in 2023. Since then, the University of Texas at San Antonio has launched a bachelor’s degree in digital media influence.
While implementing cutting-edge academic programs may excite institutions interested in gaining a leg-up over the competition, leaders must also be mindful about optics, says Elaine Rowles, associate vice president of research at GrayDI. “[I]t’s crucial to ensure alignment with the institution’s mission, vision and capabilities. Emerging programs should not only be trendy but also contribute to the overall goals and values of the university and provide students with future-ready knowledge and skills.”
Computational social science
Social media has profoundly affected the way humans interact with each other and has even altered our self-perception and identity when we’re offline, says Lorlei Boyd, decision intelligence developer at GrayDI. “Social media is ubiquitous and increasingly important part of our everyday lives. Widespread use generates massive amount of data and influences behavior in ways we’re only beginning to understand.”
As a result, researchers can now combine elements of the computer and social sciences to glean insight into our social and cultural behaviors—and predict future behaviors or potential societal issues. GrayDI has found over 500 jobs with computational social science in the title or description from government agencies, nonprofits and social media companies.
The University of Pittsburgh offers a B.S. in Computational Social Science, and the University of San Diego offers an M.S. in Computational Social Science.
Putting humans on Mars
Researching potential life on Mars and exploring long-term solutions to establish human life beyond Earth may seem pretty “far out there,” GrayDI’s Senior Project Manager Monica Bilson concedes, but interest from industry and academia is hard to ignore. Job postings in the aerospace and defense industry grew by 9% from 2023-24, and new enrollment in space engineering increased by 5% from the 2018-19 academic year to 2023-24.
More from UB: How sports betting fleeced students of their money—and mental health
NASA and SpaceX currently offer a plethora of opportunities for applicants in a wide-range of sectors, including supply-chain, strategic communications and engineering. The School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University offers two bachelor’s and two master’s degrees on the subject, while the University of North Dakota offers an M.S. in Space Studies.
AI in healthcare
The ramification of artificial intelligence is impossible to overstate on universities’ academic programs; three out of five of GrayDI’s emerging programs list 2024 centered on it. Its implementation in healthcare, however, may be the most significant. Healthcare expenditures in the U.S. reached $4.9 trillion, according to Youssef Aljabi, manager of data science and product.
With the healthcare industry producing over 30% of the world’s data, there are many ways AI can be implemented to streamline and strengthen the sector. Areas that can be improved are drug discovery and development, medical imaging and diagnostics, robotics and patient care.
‘Blue economy’
GrayDI predicts a robust reflection on a long-forgotten piece of our planet: the seas. Colleges and universities interested in discovering news ways to sustain the health of our planet, and tapping the ocean’s vast resources can increase our understanding of exploration, trade and fishing.
“The ocean is an important economic engine, fostering trade and resources of food,” says Mary Pahissa Upchurch, executive vice pesident of customer success at GrayDI.
Dubbed the ‘blue economy,’ advancement in studying the ocean is beginning to take shape by developing renewable marine energy and spurring collaboration between academia, industry and government. This phenomenon is being implemented across bachelor’s programs at Oregon State University and graduate programs at Kentucky State University, University of South Florida and more.
Biomimicry
Biomimicry—the art of studying the natural world for innovation— is coming back to inspire researchers on new solutions in materials science, the built environment, robotics and design. The University of Akron and Minneapolis College of Art and Design have already begun offering certificates on the subject.