Choosing a Major

Choosing a major and choosing a career are not necessarily the same thing. The choice of major should be based primarily on your sense of what you would enjoy learning about and what type of academic activities will bring out your best work. If you select a field based on those personal factors, a career path related to that choice is most likely to lead to success and personal satisfaction. Furthermore, many people end up working in positions that have little if any relation to their undergraduate major because most practical career training is acquired either on the job or in graduate school.

It is helpful to research and consider various external factors such as job market conditions, future trends and earning potential in different types of work— information the University Career Center can provide. But if your selection of major is based solely on external factors (including the recommendations of family or friends) you may be one of the many students who sooner or later change their major either because they are not doing well academically or because they absolutely do not enjoy what they are doing.

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• Resource Room   A handout on researching majors, as well as 250 books in Station 2, have information on various career options .
  
  
• Career Counseling   Our professional staff can help you evaluate options and overcome any barriers to decision making.
  
  
• Workshops   In the fall and spring semesters, we present numerous programs and panels with a focus on specific majors and career fields.
  
  
• Developing Personal and Career Identity    One credit class to help you decide which majors and careers fit your interests, values, and skills.
  
  
• Internships   An excellent way to test your major and career goal.
  
  
• FOCUS (Computer-Assisted Career Exploration)   It will identify and inform you about several careers that typically match a person with your interests and values.  We encourage you to meet with a counselor after completing Focus.
  
  
• Career-Related Web Links   Our extensive link collection is good way to begin using the Web to research majors and careers. The sections on Exploring Majors and Careers & the pages on career fields, such science, arts, social services, and others are good places to start.
  
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