Reprinted from the blog for the Best Online Colleges with the express permission of Tim Handorf. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and not necessarily those of The New Agenda.

The U.S. higher education system has made tremendous strides toward achieving gender equality, but there are still several areas in which women exceed or fall short of their male counterpart. Historically, women have dominated majors like education, English and psychology, while men were more likely to study engineering, computer science or math. Although this may ring true at some schools, it isn’t the standard at every traditional or online college. More than ever, college women are opting to study traditionally male-dominated majors and are breaking enrollment records while they’re at it. As the line between male- and female-dominated academic fields continues to fade, there will be less segregation in the job market and more opportunities for both sexes. Here are 10 majors that are no longer male-dominated:

Computer science

Men aren’t the only ones who’ve declared their love for computing and designing computer systems; women have also jumped on board by majoring in computer science.

Many colleges nationwide have seen an increase in the number of female students majoring in this traditionally male-dominated field. In fact, Harvard reported a record high for female computer science majors in spring 2011, with women making up nearly half of the sophomore class.

The increase in female computer science enrollment can be attributed to the growing demand for technology positions and a breakthrough in the way computer science is portrayed.

Business

For many years, business programs seemed to attract more males than female students. However, there has been a significant increase in the number of women majoring in business and earning MBAs over the last few years.

The increase of females at business colleges has a lot to do with the recession and the job opportunities now available to women. A business degree offers flexibility and prepares graduates to enter a wide variety of careers.

Engineering

Engineering is one of the most male-dominated career fields in the country. A small percentage of women work in the field, but they continue to face a great deal of adversity. With that being said, there has been a notable increase in the number of female engineering majors throughout the U.S.

For example, South Dakota State University has experienced an astonishing 43.5% increase in female enrollment in their College of Engineering during the last 10 years. This impressive growth can be attributed to a number of factors, including the weak economy and increased demand for engineers, as well as the field’s favorable salary outlook and improved recruiting efforts by colleges.

Agriculture

Agriculture was once considered an all-male area of study, but that is no longer the trend at many American schools today. Female enrollment in agriculture colleges has continued to grow over the years as women learn the importance of agriculture and discover new job opportunities within the industry.

Iowa State University has noted a significant increase in the number of women enrolled in their College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with 1,535 females and 1,763 male students enrolled in 2010.

Biological sciences

Biological sciences might have been a male-dominated area of study many years ago, but females have taken their place as the new face of biological sciences. Today, more women than men major in biological sciences. The growth has been linked to women’s tendency to study subjects that will help the greater good and make a difference in society.

According to Forbes magazine, biological and biomedical sciences is the eighth most popular major for women.

Construction management

From the labor to the management, the construction industry has long been dominated by men. But times are changing for the field of construction management and it’s starting at the academic level. More than ever, women are starting to major in construction management and leave their front-office construction jobs behind.

The rise in female enrollment in construction management programs can be tied to the growing number of professional opportunities and career advancement options that are now available to women in the industry.

Fire science

Just as more women have broken into the firefighting field, more are studying fire science to prepare for a career in fire service.

An increase of females enrolled in fire science programs may be due to the fact that this degree gives prospective fire fighters a leg up in the job market and makes them more competitive applicants.

Criminal justice

Men may have dominated the criminal justice field for decades, but that’s no longer the trend today. Many colleges have seen a significant increase in the number of females enrolled in criminal justice programs.

Change isn’t just happening at the academic level either. Women have taken over a large percentage of criminal justice jobs, as well. This increase may be attributed to the growing demand for police and criminal justice services, as well as the positive employment and salary options now available to women.

Information technology

Although the number of women majoring in information technology varies from school to school, many colleges have noted a significant increase in females within their IT programs.

The increased number of female students studying information technology may be due to the growing demand for IT jobs and a growing emphasis on the importance of information technology.

Sports management

Ever since sports management programs started popping up in American colleges, male students have dominated the major. But that’s no longer the case for many schools, which have seen an increase in the number of female students declaring sports management or another related field as their major.

Over the last few years, women have started to recognize the exciting career opportunities that sports management offers them, and have decided to put their sports interests and business skills to good use by majoring in sports management.