Advising Center
Explore Your Major
Declaring a major is an important step for college students but not always the first step. While some students enter college knowing precisely what they want to do, many others need time to select a major that is best for them.
The truth is that many new freshmen are not prepared to select a major at the beginning of their college career. In choosing to be undeclared, you are making a decision that requires action. You are deciding to take the time to explore your interests, abilities, and needs. While we encourage students to think carefully before declaring a major, it is important to note that most careers are not necessarily tied to a specific major; in many cases employers are more interested in the skills and experiences a potential employee has. A student’s grade point average can also be a consideration when employers are assessing potential candidates; so, for this reason, it is often in the student’s best interest to declare a major that he or she feels excited about studying. An enthusiastic and engaged student is more likely to be academically successful, leading to a good start in the business and professional world. This site will guide you through various ways of discovering your major and to introduce you to various campus and internet resources that are here to help you in this journey.
I - Exploring Majors & Coursework
One way to discover your major is through your coursework. A Bachelor’s Degree from Fulbright College allows for:
- core requirements
- major requirements
- electives
Core requirements include courses in such areas as English, history, fine arts, humanities, mathematics, social science and natural science. Not only do these courses develop general knowledge, they also give you experience in different fields of study. Taking core courses allows you to explore a variety of possible majors while satisfying degree requirements.
Also, use the Fulbright College Degree Checksheets in conjunction with the Catalog of Studies to investigate the courses required in each major. Make a list of the majors that appeal to you. Once you have narrowed down your list, you can take introductory courses in a few of these majors to help you select the major that is best for you.
Electives allow you to take classes which are not part of the core requirements and still earn graduation credit. Electives contribute to your overall learning experience at the University. Be thoughtful about choosing your electives and use them as a way to explore some of your interests. Some students also use their electives to complete requirements for minors, double majors, area studies, and pre-professional areas such as medicine, dentistry, or allied health programs.
One course which exploring students
may find helpful is VAED 1011; Career Decision Making. Students
in this course will explore career opportunities, learn about career
decision making resources, and learn how to be a competitive candidate
in the job market.
HELPFUL LINKS
Fulbright College
Major Checksheets
Minors
Checksheets
What Can I Do With This Major
Bumpers College of Agriculture,
Food, & Life
Sciences
School of Architecture
College
of Education & Health
Professions
College of Engineering
Law
School
Walton College of Business
II - Assessing Your Personality
Self evaluation and determining career interests are
important parts of choosing a major. The Career Development
Center offers several tests to help with your assessment process
and to help you discover more about your personality, career interests,
and skills to name a few. While some of the tests are free of charge,
others are available to you for a nominal fee.
Keirsey Temperament Sorter. This
site will help you better understand your identity and how that relates
to your career.
Strong Interest Inventory (SII). This
test analyzes your interests and matches them with careers. The
SII is administered at the Career
Development Center (ARKU 607).
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The
MBTI test, based on the theory of Carl Jung, evaluates personality types
and preferences. MBTI is administered at the Career
Development Center (ARKU 607).
TypeFocus. This
test helps you to understand your personality and how this relates to
your future career through Self-Awareness, Career Strategy, and Job Search
reports.
Discover. This
test offers interest, values, and abilities assessments.
III - Investigating Careers
An important way to determine a major is through work experience. Experience can be gained through the following:
- Part-time jobs
- Internships
- Volunteer work
- Cooperative Education
Work experience not only helps you select or eliminate a career/major, but also is a way to network and create relationships that can be valuable later in your career. Listings for jobs, internships, and cooperative education can be found at the Career Development Center in ARKU 607. This campus resource assists students in their career decision-making process. Besides job listings, they offer career counseling, a resource library, résumé assistance, and interview preparation.
You may also investigate careers through the following Internet Resources:
Mullins Library
Occupational Outlook Handbook
What Can I Do With This Major?
IV - Declaring a Major
Congratulations on selecting a major! If you have selected a major within Fulbright College:
- Go to the Advising Center (MAIN 518), the department of your new major, or the Dean's Office (MAIN 525)
- Complete a "Program Update" form
- Take the completed form to the Dean’s Office (MAIN 525)
Location |
Phone |
|
Allied Health: Fulbright College Advising Center |
MAIN 518 |
575-3307
|
MAIN 506 |
575-7708 |
|
MAIN 330 |
575-2508 |
|
FNAR 116 |
575-5202 |
|
SCEN 601 |
575-3251 |
|
CHEM 115 |
575-4601 |
|
KIMP 417 |
575-3046 |
|
ENGR 331 |
575-6427 |
|
KIMP 619 |
575-2953 |
|
MAIN 518 |
575-3266 |
|
KIMP 333 |
575-4301 |
|
KIMP 425 |
575-2951 |
|
OZAR 113 |
575-3159 |
|
MAIN 416 |
575-3301 |
|
KIMP 116 |
575-3601 |
|
KIMP 116 |
575-3601 |
|
SCEN 301 |
575-3351 |
|
MUSC 201 |
575-4701 |
|
MAIN 318 |
575-3351 |
|
PHYS 226 |
575-2506 |
|
MAIN 428 |
575-3356 |
|
SCEN 625 |
575-5348 |
|
MEMH 216 |
575-4256 |
|
ASUP 106 |
575-4734 |
|
MAIN 211 |
575-3206 |
|
Undecided: Fulbright College Adiving Center |
MAIN 518 |
575-3307 |
Other Colleges |
Location |
Phone |
AFLS E-108 |
575-2252 |
|
WALK 217 |
575-2399 |
|
WCOB 328 |
575-6308 |
|
GRAD 336 |
575-4203 |
|
BELL 3160 |
575-6012 |