Frequently Asked Questions

MyMajors recommended the same majors I
expressed a preference for. Why did I bother?

Your expression of preference was not the only reason that these majors were recommended. Behind the scene, MyMajors made numerous evaluations of all of the other information you shared, to see which majors should be recommended. Very few students get the same major recommendations as they were thinking about. This is probably a good indication that you have been thoughtful in selecting your preferences for a major and that other recommendations would take you farther away from majors you will be happy with later.

MyMajors didn't pick the major(s) I am thinking about. Should I forget them?

Not necessarily. As is also true of human advisors, MyMajors is not a perfect predictor of your ability to succeed in any field. It offers its best estimate, to a large degree, of your likelihood of success and enjoyment of a major. If you are convinced you know what your major should be, do that. Don't rely solely on MyMajors. While you may not agree with the recommendations, this may be because:

There may not be a single reason why MyMajors did not recommend a particular major. It accumulates over a hundred pieces of information from you and tries to evaluate this input in a manner similar to that of a well-education counselor. All of these factors and the weightings you gave in expressing your values and enjoyment of these factors, affect the eventual recommendations, but to varying degrees.

Do all entering colleges students know
what they want to major in, but me?

Of course not. It has been said that as many as 80% of entering students don't really know, even when they say that they are going to major in some field. Further, it has been found that undergraduates may give as many as four or five majors a test run by taking a trial course in that field. Still further, some students actually declare a major and then switch to something else later, often as many as two or three times before they graduate.

Why does MyMajors ask the questions it does?

The questions emerged from interviews with actual academic advisors. They are intended to bring out the information that is most relevant to helping you decide what you are interested in, in determining your abilities to succeed in a given major, and the like. These questions also represent the questions that guide the selection of candidates by screening committees in highly selective majors.

Where can I get more information on the major recommended to me?

Check the advisement and catalog pages produced by universities that highlight their majors. For instance, check the information pages found at some university sites. All universities have websites that can be accessed to give you information about their departments and majors. Their catalogs will give you additional information. Many campuses run a "Major Fair" for their students. Attend these sessions, even if you are still in high school. The advisors participating will be happy to talk to you and to direct you to information that answers your questions.

How do I connect a career interest with a major?

A career interest is not necessarily the same as a major. In some cases there is a direct connection, but often there is not. You may have to talk to career planning counselors, faculty in disciplines you think are related and to other people who are actually in those positions to find out what major leads to likely employment in the career of your interest. Often, there are multiple majors that can lead to a major. For instance, information technology centers may hire trainers out of education, documentarians out of English, programmers out of management information systems or computer science and so on. In other cases, say power plant engineering, you have to have a degree in electrical or mechanical engineering. In addition to the information pages within MyMajors, check the information pages found at some university sites. Remember too, that a career may not exist 5 or 10 years from now, while your education will last your lifetime.

Majors often have many career outlets. As you progress through a major, you will take on the order of 10 to 15 courses in that field. As you are exposed to many aspects of the discipline you are in, you will find that some areas interest you more than others. The directions you find interest in, will move you toward careers or graduate work that you may never have considered. Some majors, many in the liberal arts, are only indirectly geared toward placement after graduation. Their graduates do get jobs in good companies, however, and often work alongside graduates from majors with very specific career orientations.

How do I know that I can get a job with a particular major?

There is no single source for answering this question. Even the current job market may not be indicative of what jobs will exist and be available when you graduate. To get some feeling for this, talk to the career planning and placement office at a university. The professional staff in this office can direct you to current job projections. Talk to faculty and, especially, students in that major. Students are often aware of whether recent graduates are looking for jobs and finding them or whether the job market is tough. Finally, talk to people, especially human resources people, in the kinds of companies that employ these majors to see how they see the future hiring prospects for entry level graduates.

What are undecided and undeclared majors?

These terms identify students who are still seeking to make a decision about their major and about the career directions they want to move in. These are not majors. They are categories students are placed in when nothing else applies.

What are General Studies degrees?

Many universities have General Studies degrees that allow students to graduate with a minimally unstructured sequence of courses. Typically, these are degrees that allow students who have taken a variety of courses from many institutions (because they were in the military or were transferred in their work many times) to obtain a university degree without losing substantial numbers of credits.

When do I select a major?

You can decide on a major anytime you reach a decision. Many students enter college, not knowing what they major in and many will change their mind once, twice, even more times before they find the right choice. Some universities actually discourage premature selection of major and ask that you wait until the sophomore year to make this choice. Many universities require that you complete a core set of courses before you take courses in a major, so waiting is not a always a problem. There is, also, nothing wrong with changing your mind, but you should be aware that some majors are highly prescriptive of the courses you need to take. For instance, engineering majors specify exactly what you need to take in each semester. Consequently, some courses you take while pursuing other majors may not count toward your final major, thereby extending the time and cost of completing your education. If you have thoughts about which major you would like, start taking courses in that field to try out your hunch. It may confirm your feelings or it may convince you that this field is a mistake for you. Almost all majors have sequences of courses in which some courses are prerequisites for others. Delaying too long, may make it impossible to graduate on time.

Some people - high school counselors, your parents, university-wide academic advisors, for example, are completely neutral in their recommendations. Others, faculty in a discipline or advisors for a particular college within a university may consciously or unconsciously, try to encourage you to consider a major because it benefits they department or college to have more majors, rather than that it is best for you. Contact these people when you have already decided to consider their programs.

Who do I talk to about selecting a major?

There are many people who are quite willing to talk to you about this decision. Among them are high school counselors, university academic advisors, faculty in high school and faculty in the college of your choice. University people are often very enthusiastic about meeting with students because they are seeking students who are potential majors. Ask students who have already made the choice and can tell you why they selected the major they did. Sometimes, students get excited about a major because of faculty who are teaching in that discipline. These teachers are themselves so excited about what they are teaching, are such good teachers and are so enthusiastic about the prospects for their students that students get motivated to study in that field.

The recommendations I've received are good, but they're not perfect. How do I find the perfect major?

It is doubtful that you will find the perfect major. For one thing, you may find you either hate it or love it later on. Until you are more closely in touch with the courses, the faculty, the textbooks and the like, you may not have a firm conclusion to draw. You may also try to shape your college experience to make it perfect. Do you want to combine your artistic and scientific talents? Try matching one with a minor or a second major in the other. Perhaps a sub-field, like irrigation control within a major like agriculture is something to consider. You can try to arrange an internship or a part-time job that gets you started in a direction you feel would be useful in establishing a basis for employment in your ideal position.

What are some other online sources of insight into
picking a major?

In addition to the descriptions of specific majors found at these sites, you might look at some university sites that discuss how to pursue this process.

What is a major fair?

Most universities sponsor major fairs on campus. At these events, departments from around the campus set up tables at which faculty are available to provide insight into the majors they sponsor. These are useful events to attend since they are low pressure opportunities to ask a few good questions without the formality of having to set up appointments. The departments distribute flyers that describe their major and who to contact for further information.

What is a university advisor likely to ask me?

An advisor of any kind will probably ask you many of the same questions that MyMajors asked you:

What do you like to do?
What are your career goals?
How hard do you want to work?

They may ask questions that are broader, questions such as:

"What do you like to read?"
"What is your ideal job 10 years from now?"
"What is it that you like or dislike in the classes you have taken so far?"
"What volunteer work do you do and enjoy?"
"Have you received any special awards and recognitions?"

MyMajors cannot properly evaluate this aspect of your background simply because there are too many options available, yet your responses can have a significant bearing on the selection of a major. The best thing advisors can do is to make suggestions for you to consider. After all, it is your life and your responsibility to find you own way.

What help does the university advisor provide?

An advisor, especially a departmental advisor can assist you by helping you to:

Although there are advisors who may not be as supportive and helpful as they should be, most advisors are anxious to talk to you. They appreciate the students who come to see them. They welcome the chance to get your reactions to what is going on in the program and to obtain student perspectives on a range of subjects. Don't feel that you are imposing on the advisor's time. For faculty, advisement is part of their responsibility and for many advisors, it is their only responsibility.

What should I ask an advisor?

When visiting with advisors, you need to be ready to ask the advisor questions of your own. What is the job placement outlook in the disciplines being suggested? Are internships available? What courses will you be taking? What are the initial courses you should be registered for? Is your semester class schedule appropriate? Many student services departments that offer them, may suggest that you take advantage of their aptitude and achievement testing and other computer-based programs to help you select a career and major.

If you are talking to an advisor in an academic department, find out why he or she went into the field you are discussing. Here are some other questions to ask:

Another advisor is the career planning and placement officer of the university. This person can give you the most accurate information on which majors are finding jobs most easily and which are having the most difficult time. This advisor can also point you to official projections as to the positions that are mostly like to be in demand when you graduate.

How and when do I declare a major?

The answer to this question varies with the major. The earlier you get started, the better. First, many majors, especially technical majors like engineering, have fairly rigid sequences of courses that are based on prerequisites that prevent you from moving on until you pass the required courses. If you are out of step, it may take longer to graduate than you have planned. Second, you may find that you really don't like the major and would like to switch to something else. The sooner you can determine this, the better.

Many majors do not allow you to declare a major until you have accumulated some fixed number of credits, typically 30, 45 or 60 credits. Similarly, some majors may require you to complete some preliminary, core set of classes. When you have completed these courses and if you have achieved some established minimum grade point average, you can then declare a major.

Read the catalog. It may not be exciting, but the catalog actually represents a contract the university has with you. As the curriculum changes, as it inevitably does, the courses you are required to take, are contained in the catalog. Typically, there is an advisement office, either at a college- or university-level, that requires you to file a form to declare or to change a major. Find out where that office is and speak with the appropriate person.

Is honors studies a major?

Generally, an honors program is not a major. You major in a discipline and, on top of the usual requirements, other requirements are added. These requirements generally expect you to supplement the normal requirements with research-oriented activities. Sample mechanisms to do this are a thesis requirement for graduation or an expectation that you identify courses for which you will conduct research above and beyond that expected of other students. This may involve you in a faculty member's research or a supplemental research paper.

Why would I take on the additional
work for an honors program?

There are many reasons outstanding students enroll in an honors program. One is that graduation with honors helps students stand out from other students. Completion of an honors program is a strong factor when the student is being evaluated by employers and by directors of graduate programs. Often, the students in an honors program have other incentives to consider. They may have specially designated dormitory and living quarters. There may be special activities for this group of students such as travel opportunities, special speakers, and the like.

I'm still not sure what to major in.
What else can help me figure this out?

Many high school guidance counselors and university advisement offices can arrange to take aptitude and assessment tests that give you knowledge about yourself and what kinds of directions you might take. Among these tests are:

In addition, these offices also offer workshops that help you to assess your own goals and to assist you in finding a direction to move in. Perhaps, a visit to the university career planning and placement office will help you to shape your thinking. Still another option is enrollment in a first year experience course. These courses provide information on careers in various colleges and exposure to sources of information about topics such as how to succeed in college, picking a major, dealing with stress, and study skills development.

Do you have any suggestions for scheduling
my first semester or first year classes?

Most university catalogs are quite detailed in this regard, if you know what you wish to major in. Here are some hints in case you do not know what your major is.

Can't I choose a major later?

Do not rush your decision. You can choose a major or change a major at any time. However, the later you make a final decision, the more likely it is that not all of the courses you have taken will count as fulfilling the requirements of the major. While you are undecided, do not just drift. Continue your search by continuing to talk to other students, by determining what it is you want out of life, by determining what you like and dislike about courses you are taking and by using this information to narrow down the list of majors until you can decide. Try to sample some interesting courses in fields that you have never been exposed to. Many majors, majors like anthropology, geography and human development, are populated by students who didn't know that these majors existed until their sophomore or junior year. They took a course in these fields and were motivated by the faculty or the course content to continue.

Any other hints?

Get it in writing! Any time that advisors tell you that you do or don't have to take certain courses or that there is a change you need to be aware of, get it in writing. It is unfortunate, but advisors change from time to time and even if advisors are still there your whole university career, they may forget what they said or they may change their mind. If you don't have documentation on what is said when, you may find yourself having to take courses that were recently been introduced, to take courses that are now required, to take a course an advisor told you was an acceptable substitute, etc. When you talk to advisors either get them to write down what they told you or write the core of the discussion up yourself and have your advisor sign it. Later on, when problems arise, the university will almost always honor what you were told, but you must have documentation on this. Your word that so and so said such and such, is unlikely to be persuasive. Always be ready to say who it was who gave you advice and when.

Keep the catalog of the year when you declare your major. As noted, the catalog is a contract the university makes with you. As the curriculum is updated, you may have to change to keep up with it. But there are many changes that are not retroactive. Also, many departmental advisors do not remember what the older requirements were and may feel you need to take courses that meet new requirements, thereby extending the time and effort you need to expend in order to graduate. By saving the catalog for your major, at the time you declared the major, you have a strong case to make that new requirements being instituted do not apply to you or that courses you took earlier cannot now be rejected as being "obsolete" and, therefore, new course requirements have to be taken to replace the older requirements.