How to Declare a Major
*To declare a major, call the UARC at (920) 424-1268 or stop by the Student Success Center – Suite 202, and a PAL will assist you!
How to Choose a Major
One of the toughest decisions college students face is choosing a major. Nobody ever said choosing a major would be easy. It takes a great deal of time and hard work to make a decision this important. Using the resources listed below will make it easier. You are not in this alone! Let the UARC help you, but remember, the ultimate decision is yours.
Resources to Help You Decide on a Major
The resources below can assist you in your decision-making process. If you are not sure where to start, we have teamed up with the Counseling Center and the Career & Professional Development to help students decide what major or career options to pursue. For more information and resources, visit Major & Career Exploration.
List of Undergraduate Majors
Print out the list of undergraduate majors and cross off the ones you know you are not interested in pursuing. If you do not know what a major is, do not cross it off! Take pride in knowing you have accomplished something by narrowing down the list of options, even if it is only by a little bit.
Explore E-Bulletins
Use E-Bulletins to explore majors. Look up the courses that you would be required to take for your desired major. Read the course descriptions to see if the content of each course in the major interests you. If you like the courses, keep exploring the major. If not, move on to a different area.
What Can I Do With A Major In...?
Visit this UWO Career and Professional Development web page for help in connecting majors with careers. For each major that interests you, choose either the PDF or HTML version to find an outline of common career areas, typical employers, and strategies designed to maximize career opportunities. Choose Links to find a list of websites that provide information about listed majors and related careers.
Talk with Students Already Declared in the Major
There is a reason these students chose this particular major. Find out what it is! What do they enjoy about the major? What are they hoping to do in the future after graduation? Get the insider’s view of a potential major from your peers.
Talk with an Advisor
Located in the Student Success Center, Suite 202, the UARC has a staff of full-time, professional academic advisors who can assist you with major exploration, goal setting, course selection, graduation requirements, policies and procedures. Academic advisors can also offer guidance and support when students experience a variety of academic concerns and can refer as needed. The office is open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Call (920) 424-1268 to schedule an appointment.
Take Advantage of Career Counseling
The Counseling Center, located in the Student Success Center, Suite 240, offers an array of services for deciding students including one-on-one counseling, a variety of in-depth career and self exploration and a career library which contains numerous books, computer programs and other resources students can use to collect information about thousands of careers. To make an appointment with a Career Counselor call (920) 424-2061.
Take Introductory Courses
Use E-bulletins to explore the introductory courses suggested for your desired major. Look over the list of General Education Courses for some other introductory courses that look interesting and may lead you to a potential major.
Conduct an Informational Interview
Learn more about potential careers. Make a professional contact in your field. Practice your interviewing skills. Informational interviews can be rich and dynamic sources of career information.
Go to Career & Professional Development
Career & Professional Development is not just for Seniors! They can help you learn what career options are associated with the majors that interest you. In addition to helping with job searches, resume and cover letter development, and interviewing techniques, Career & Professional Development can connect you with people in those fields for informational interviews and job shadowing experiences. To make an appointment with a Career Advisor call (920)424-2181 or stop in the Student Success Center, Suite 125.
Other Exploration Resources
All Allied Health Schools:
- Link: http://www.allalliedhealthschools.com/health-careers/health-science/
- Contains information on careers in the health and medical sciences.
Career Exploration Tools and Resources; Live Career:
- Link: https://www.livecareer.com/resources/jobs/search/career-exploration
- Guide to both free and fee based online assessments, offers an exploration checklist for students.
Colleges & Careers; The Princeton Review:
- Link: http://www.princetonreview.com/college/default.asp
- Includes a career quiz to find out what careers match your work style and interest colors.
Explore Health Careers:
Live Career:
- Link: http://www.livecareer.com/?cobrand=CLEAR
- Free assessment; long, but has very thorough results including Holland Code, matching fields, etc.
Majors & Careers Central; CollegeBoard.com:
- Link: http://www.collegeboard.com/csearch/majors_careers/
- Easy to read major and career profiles and other helpful articles
My Majors:
- Link: http://www.mymajors.com/
- Major Information Pages link has good information about a variety of majors including; description of the field, specializations within the field, kinds of students who major in the field, courses these majors take, etc.
Occupational Information Network:
- Link: http://online.onetcenter.org/
- Contains a Skills Search activity that allows students to identify their skills and match to potential occupations.
Occupational Outlook Handbook:
- The Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) provides valuable assistance to help you make a decision on a future career. The OOH provides information on:
- the training and education needed
- earnings
- expected job prospects
- what workers do on the job
- working conditions
O*NET:
- O*NET OnLine provides occupational information, such as interests, skills and values related to an occupation and characteristics of workers and their occupations.
Project Career:
- Link: http://www.projectcareer.com
- Free interest inventory; provides 4 top career field matches
Study Abroad:
- Explore more about yourself while taking part in an amazing experience by studying abroad with the Office of International Education. Many opportunities are available without having to know a foreign language. Go for a semester, interim, or summer!
UARC
Student Success Center, Suite 202
750 Elmwood Ave.
Oshkosh, WI 54901