S&E Field Classification
Contents
The NSF Survey of Scientific and Engineering Expenditures at Universities and
Colleges currently collects data for the following fields of science
and engineering:
Engineering
- Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering:
- Includes Aereospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering,
Aerodynamics, and Space Technology.
- Chemical Engineering:
- Includes Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Petroleum Refining
Process, Polymer/Plastics Engineering, and Wood Science.
- Civil Engineering:
- Includes Civil Engineering, Architecture, Architectural Engineering,
Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health Engineering, as well as
Geotechnical, Hydraulic, Sanitary, Environmental, Structural, and Transportation
Engineering.
- Electrical Engineering:
- Includes Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering as well as
Computer Engineering and Power Engineering.
- Mechanical Engineering
- Includes Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics.
- Metallurgical & Materials Engineering
- Includes Metallurgical Engineering, Metallurgy, Materials Engineering, and
Materials Science. Also includes Ceramic Sciences and Engineering, Geological
Engineering, Geophysical Engineering, Mining and Mineral Engineering, Textile
Sciences and Engineering, and Welding.
- Other Engineering
- Includes General Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Bioengineering and
Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Engineering Science and
Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering. Also includes Naval Architecture and
Marine Engineering, Marine and Ocean Engineering Systems, Nuclear Engineering,
Ocean Engineering, Systems Engineering, Systems Science and Theory, Engineering
Design, Engineering/Industrial Management, and all other Engineering fields.
Physical Sciences
- Astronomy
- Includes Astronomy, Astrophysics, Gamma-ray, Neutrino, Optical and Radio, and
X-ray.
- Chemistry
- Includes Chemistry, also Analytical, Inorganic, Organic, Organo-metallic,
Pharmaceutical, and Physical Chemistry, as well as Polymer Sciences. (Does not
include Biochemistry.)
- Physics
- Includes Physics as well as Acoustics, Atomic/Molecular, Chemical, Condensed
Matter, Elementary Particles, Nuclear Structure, Optics, Plasma, and
Theoretical/Mathematical Physics.
- Other
- Includes General Physical Sciences, Miscellaneous Physical Sciences, and
Other Physical Sciences. (Used for multidisciplinary projects within physical
sciences and for disciplines not requested separately.)
Environmental Sciences
- Atmospheric
- Includes Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Aeronomy, Extraterrestrial
Atmospheres, Solar, and Water Modification.
- Earth Sciences
- Includes Earth and Planetary Sciences, Geological and Related Sciences,
Surveying, and Cartography. Also includes Engineering Geophysics, General
Geology, Geodesy and Gravity, Geomagnetism, Hydrology, Inorganic, Isotopic, Lab
Geophysics, Organic Geochemistry, Paleomagnetism, Paleontology, Physical
Geography, and Seismology.
- Oceanography Sciences
- Includes Oceanography, Marine/Aquatic Biology, Biological, Chemical,
Geological and Physical.
- Other
- Used for multidisciplinary projects within Earth, Atmospheric, and Ocean
Sciences.
Mathematical Sciences
- Includes General Mathematics, Mathematical Statistics, Applied Mathematics,
Operations Research, Mathematics/Computer Science, Algebra, Analysis, Foundations
and Logic, Geometry, Numerical Analysis, and Topology.
Computer Sciences
- Includes General Computer and Information Sciences, Management Information
Systems, Design, Development, and Application of Computer Capabilities to Data
Storage and Manipulation, and Information Science.
Life Sciences
- Agricultural
- Includes Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Production, Renewable Natural
Resources, Aquaculture, Plant Sciences, Landscape Architecture, International
Agriculture, and Soil Science. Also includes Agricultural Chemistry, Agronomy,
Animal Science, Conservation, Fish and Wildlife, Forestry, and Horticulture.
- Biological
- Includes General Biology, Biological/Life Sciences, Biophysics, Zoology,
Microbiology/Bacteriology,
Botany, Anatomy, Parasitology, Biometrics, Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular
Biology, Ecology, Epidemiology, Toxicology, Biostatistics, Entomology, Plant and
Animal Genetics, Human and Animal Pathology, Human and Animal
Physiology, Human and Animal Pharmacology, Medical Anatomy, Medical
Biochemistry, Medical Microbiology, Medical Toxicology, Medical Pathology,
Medical Immunology, Medical Physiology. Also Foods and Nutrition Sciences,
Nutritional Sciences, Allergies and Immunology, Biogeography, Biotechnology,
Pathology, Physical Anthropology, Virology, and Miscellaneous Biological
Specializations.
- Medical
- Includes Neurosciences, General Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy, Veterinary
Medicine, Radiation Biology/Radiobiology, Osteopathic Medicine, Podiatry,
Dentistry, Nursing Psychiatry/Mental Health, Public Health, and Other Medical
Basic Sciences.
- Specialty disciplines include Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Colon
and Rectal Surgery, Dental/Oral Surgery, Dermatology, Family Medicine,
Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Geriatric Medicine, Hematology, Internal
Medicine, Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Neurological Surgery, Neurology, Nuclear
Medicine, Nuclear Radiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oncology, Ophthalmology,
Orthopedics/Orthopedic Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, Pediatrics, Pharmacology,
Physical and Rehabiliative Medicine, Plastic Surgery, Preventive Medicine,
Psychiatry, Thoracic Surgery, Urology, and Other Medical Programs. Residency
programs are excluded from the survey.
- Other
- Includes Gerontology, Health and Medical Laboratory Technologies, Physical
Therapy, Communications Disorders Sciences and Services, Nursing Technologies,
Rehabilitation/Therapeutic Services, Health and Medical Administrative Services,
Occupational Therapy, and Other Health Professions and Related Services. Also
used for multidisciplinary projects within life sciences.
Psychology
- Includes General Psychology, Clinical Psychology, School Psychology, Art
Therapy, Animal Behavior, Education Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Human Development
and Personality, and Social Psychology.
Social Sciences
- Economics
- Includes Economics, Agricultural Economics, Business/Managerial Economics,
Applied, Development, Econometrics, Industrial, International, Labor, Public
Finance and Fiscal Policy, Quantitative, and Resource Economics.
- Political Science
- Includes Political Science and Government, Public Administration, Public
Policy Analysis, International Relations and Affairs, Comparative Government,
Legal Systems, Political Theory, and Regional Studies.
- Sociology
- Includes Sociology, Demography, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Comparative
and Historic Sociology, Complex Organizations, Cultural and Social Structure,
Group Interactions, and Social Problems and Welfare Theory.
- Other
- Includes General Social Sciences, Archaeology, Geography, Linguistics,
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning, Area and Ethnic Studies, Criminal
Justice and Corrections, Community Services, History of Science, and
Socioeconomic Geography.
Other Sciences, not elsewhere classified
- Used when the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary aspects make the
classification under one primary field impossible.