What is a college major?
A Major is the main area of study that you choose in college. This is essentially your academic specialty that (typically) determines your academic or career path. When you decide on a major, you’ll take a combination of classes that will help you learn about your specialty. For example, a biology major will learn about living organisms and may go on to work in healthcare, research, or environmental science; where an English major will focus mainly on literature, writing and critical analysis, which prepares them for careers in teaching writing or communications.
What does it mean to choose a major?
To choose a major is essentially to decide on the path you’d like to follow. This is the area that most of your classes will be in and will help to guide your future career. Most people will choose a major that focuses on their interests, strengths, and goals. It’s important to know that choosing a major doesn’t lock you into a path forever. Many people go on to work in fields that don’t have anything to do with their major.
Why should I choose a major?
Choosing a major gives your studies a direction and focus. It will be the determining factor in the classes that you take and help you build in-depth knowledge in a specific field rather than just studying random subjects. It can also help prepare you for a career, explore your passions and strengths, and decide what path you want to take your life on.
When do you declare a major?
You don’t have to declare a major right when you start college. Most students will enter college undeclared. During this time you take general education courses to explore different subjects.
Most schools will require you to declare a major by your sophomore year. This gives you 1-2 years of study to explore interests and make a decision.
There are exceptions to this – for programs like nursing, engineering, or architecture, you may be required to declare a major before you start your first year because of the amount of coursework you’ll need to complete.
Can you change your major?
You can absolutely change your major – in fact this is fairly common. It’s easier to change before you begin taking your major specific courses, otherwise you may need to add extra semesters. Meeting with your academic advisor will help. They’ll walk through different options, help you submit a major change form, and plan your new course schedule.
