Academic specialty, also known as academic discipline, refers to the field of study or area of expertise that an individual focuses on when pursuing academic excellence. Synonyms for academic specialty can include field of specialization, area of concentration, subject matter, domain, and branch of learning. These terms are interchangeable and used to describe the academic arena that a student or scholar is devoted to, not only in terms of knowledge, but also in research and practice. Academic specialty can vary widely, spanning from scientific or medical fields to humanities or social sciences. Whatever the academic specialty, it is an area centered on intellectual pursuits and rigorous examination.