As many colleges and universities compete for students in a time of declining enrollments, some schools are successfully attracting students with unique majors that help institutions stand out from the crowd.
Even with declining enrollments as a national trend, name brand institutions and large land grant universities will still have plenty of applicants. It is the smaller four-year public and private colleges throughout the country that are fighting for survival.
Many institutions increase their course offerings to be more attractive to a greater number of students. However, it often makes schools indistinct from their competitors. As a result, some schools choose to offer majors in areas that other schools do not, such as leadership at the University of Richmond, writing at the University of Iowa, music at Oberlin College, or commercial songwriting at Middle Tennessee State University.
“It’s not enough to be different,” said Beverly Keel, Dean of College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State. “You have to be very good at what you do. You have to be the best at it.”
Case Study: Classic Car Restoration
McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas, offers the country’s only bachelor’s degree in auto restoration. It’s a combination of engineering, history, business, communication, and other disciplines. Classic cars have quite a fan base and high-profile celebrity advocates like Jay Leno. There is also industry support for research and training. In the last three years, between 97 and 100 percent of McPherson graduates have found jobs in the industry.
Students, who must present a portfolio of their past restoration projects for admission, are particularly enthusiastic about their studies and the opportunities they present. McPherson’s website states that the school has focused on being the center of excellence for automotive restoration. Eighty-five percent of students in the program have participated in internships at museums, private collections, and auto repair shops across the country.
McPherson boasts its own classic car collection and a state-of-the-art restoration shop. For several years, students have been restoring a 1953 Mercedes Benz 300 S Cabriolet to compete to win at the 2023 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, one of the most prestigious classic car events in the world.
Because classic cars and car restoration technology have such a passionate audience, industry leaders and experts are part of McPherson’s universe connecting multiple advisors and mentors to students. Annual scholarships are provided by such organizations as the Antique American Automobile Club of America, Jay Leno and Popular Mechanics. This program is so unique in a specialized industry that every major classic car organization is aware of and supportive of this unique course of study—the only one in the country.
How to Think about a Unique Program Launch
Collegis Education advises institutions to carefully consider the following as they evaluate launching a new program:
- Is there a market need for relevant careers?
- Are students interested in this type of program?
- What competitive pressures exist and what opportunities stand out?
- What is the vision for this program?
- What will it take to successfully execute this vision?
- What informed the idea to launch this program in the first place?
Answering these questions will help institutions avoid building a new program that is a loss leader for the college—costing more to offer than interest can sustain. Hosting a unique major should help put the institution on the map, like McPherson College, and help colleges and universities distinguish themselves, attract students and instructors, and thrive in a declining market.