I. CHOOSING A MAJOR
Help! I don’t know where to start
Which Comes First – Major or Career?
Identifying the Goal
Steps to a MAJOR decision
I’m trying, but I’m still not getting closer to a decision—What’s wrong now?
What can I do with this major?
Academic requirements for CSU majors
How do I declare a major?
How do I change to a different major?
II. CHOOSING A MINOR
What’s a minor for?
Do I need a minor?
Minors available at CSU
Academic requirements for minors at CSU
A part of the material for this web page comes from the Career Library of Southern Oregon University
CHOOSING A MAJOR
If you are wondering what to major in and are asking, “What can I do with a major in this?” –you’re not alone! This a question frequently asked by many students, whether you are currently undecided about a major or simply unsettled about the choice you’ve already made.
HELP! I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START
It’s no surprise that you might be feeling a little confused as to how to get started in the process of choosing a major. Let’s be honest about one thing--most of you are attending college because you believe it will lead you to better employment, right? Your journey to better employment via a college degree is a journey of many choices including choice of college, choice of major, and choice of courses.
Notice that none of these choices mentions the word “career” But wait…. if careers are related to employment, shouldn’t there also be a relationship between majors and careers?
WHICH COMES FIRST – MAJOR OR CAREER?
Majors are part of the process that leads to earning a degree. They are designed for academic purposes, rather than for career purposes. Careers are opportunities for gainful employment that allow us to make constructive use of God-given skills and talents.
While it’s true that some majors, such as education or nursing do relate to specific careers, most majors do not. In fact, the majority of majors will actually help prepare you for many career possibilities!
So, should you first pick a career that interests you, then identify possible majors that can help get you there, or should you choose a major that interests you, take a few classes in that major, and consider career possibilities later?
Truthfully, either method can yield the same results, but different students prefer different starting points.
IDENTIFYING THE GOAL
Begin by identifying your goal— Ask yourself: Do I need to feel comfortable about where I may end up before I get started? Or, is it more your style to “explore your way” through a decision?
Either style is fine, but if you want to get meaningful results, you must be willing to invest some time, thought, and effort. It’s like a treasure hunt. You collect clues, in this case information, then piece together the clues to form a map to guide you on your journey toward an appropriate major and meaningful career. The Career Planning staff can help. Career counselors can help you identify both major and career options that suit your specific desires, needs, and goals. One way they do this is by showing you how to go through a four-step decision-making process.
STEPS TO A MAJOR DECISION
Step 1: Assess Yourself
Your first step is to do some self-assessment. The more you understand yourself, the clearer your life goals and the way to reach them will become. Some questions to ask yourself:
What do I truly enjoy? Consider the classes and activities that you have liked the best. What did they involve? Why did you enjoy them? There are careers related to every interest you have!
What are you good at? Identify your skills and abilities. What types of things do you seem to do well? Are they technical…adventurous…intellectual?
What is really important to you? Is enjoying your work more important than prestige? Is creativity more important than security? You’ll want your choice to be compatible with your values.
What is the coolest job you can imagine? Describe it as specifically as you can. Try to locate and contact one or two people in this area end ask them how they got there.
Ask the Career Planning staff for directions on how to use SIGI Plus and the Myers-Griggs. These assessments can help you discover more about yourself.
Step 2: Gather Information and Explore Options
Examine the majors available to you in the CSU Undergraduate catalog. Make a list of the majors that interest you, then look up the course descriptions for each of the required courses for those majors, paying special attention to those courses that most interest you, match your abilities, and share your values. This exercise should help to shorten your list of major options.
Consider the requirements for the degree. Use the CSU Undergraduate Catalog or the Major Course Guides to get a full idea of the requirements for each field of interest. Tip: Do not let a required course you would like to avoid keep you from a major you would otherwise enjoy. Meet with your faculty advisor to discuss the possibilities.
Review additional information about the majors on your short list. Visit each department’s web page or review printed materials they offer. Talk with the department chair, an advisor for that major, a student currently in that major, or faculty who teach courses in that major.
Visit the Career Planning Office located on the first floor of the Strom Thurmond Student Center and talk with a career counselor. They have assessment tools and other resources to help you to choose a major. The more information you find, the more informed your final decision would be.
Step 3: Evaluate and Make your Major Decision
It’s time to put together the information you have collected. Consider what you have learned. Weigh the pros and cons of each option. If you haven’t already, narrow your list down to two or three majors.
Consider the feasibility of a second major or making one of your options your minor. Perhaps an Interdisciplinary Degree is right for you. This degree is composed of a major and minor you create yourself within prescribed parameters. It allows you to take classes selected from different departments that share a common theme [ i.e., Social Science, Humanities & Fine Arts, and Natural Sciences].
If you are still having difficulty deciding, talk with an advisor or career counselor who can help you to evaluate the information you have collected, suggest additional resources, and guide you through the decision-making process.
Step 4: Take Action
Sample courses in the majors you are considering.
Choose student activities, internships, volunteer work, and/or part-time employment that can help you further develop your skills in areas that interest you.
Talk to people who work in the career fields you are considering. Ask them about their major and how it helped them.
I’M TRYING, BUT I’M STILL NOT GETTING CLOSER TO A DECISION—WHAT’S WRONG?
EXTERNAL FACTORS
Many factors can get in the way of your being able to make a major or career choice. Some of the most common are listed below.
External factors are not personal and are easier to manage than internal factors.
Unrelatedness of majors and careers: Understanding that majors and careers have developed independently of each other will help you avoid becoming stuck wondering what you can do with a particular major.
Lack of information: Often you just don’t have enough information to be comfortable making a decision. Up to this point you have had very little opportunity to learn about different majors and careers. The Career Planning Office is an excellent place to begin. If you’re more independent-minded, you can begin researching on your own.
Too much information: This is particularly true since the advent of the World Wide Web. A huge amount of information is available, and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Don’t give up: Counselors in The Career Planning Office can help!
INTERNAL FACTORS
Internal factors are more personal. Sometimes, these concerns must be addressed before the decision-making process can be completed.
Lack of self-confidence: If your choice of a major or career seems especially critical, you may not feel confident in your ability to make a good decision. Often, obtaining additional information can solve this problem. Other times, more counseling may be needed.
Fear/anxiety: While a little anxiety is positive and can help you stay on your toes, too much can wear you down. Fearing that you will make “bad” decisions can paralyze you. A career counselor can help you separate your rational from irrational fears.
Conflicting values: You may be considering paths that are not compatible with each other. Perhaps you want to earn a good salary but also want to work in the not-for-profit-sector. Or perhaps you would love to work as a performer but also need job security. Doing some values clarification work may help you here.
Conflict with others: Parents, spouses, and significant others often have definite ideas about your career choice. Desiring to please others and the need for continued financial support are two ways significant others can put undue pressure on you. A career counselor may be able to help you identify ways to deal with this.
Multipotentiality: If you have many interests and many abilities, your problem may be one of narrowing down options, rather than creating them! Once again, a career counselor can help you find appropriate criteria for narrowing down your options.
WHAT CAN I DO WITH THIS MAJOR?
To find out more about career choices go to the Career Planning web page: click here
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR CSU MAJORS
The CSU Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs are published annually and include the most current degree requirements for each of the majors offered at the University. As you narrow down your search for a major, keep in mind that the academic requirements that will apply to you will depend on the catalog that is in effect at the time you officially declare your decision with the Academic Advising Office. The Major Course Guides are another resource for academic requirements and may be accessed from the Academic Advising web page.
HOW DO I DECLARE A MAJOR?
If you are on campus you can obtain a Declaration of Major/Minor form from the Academic Advising Office in the Student Success Center or the Registrar's Office. Complete and sign the form and return it to the Office of Academic Advising. You can also CLICK HERE to obtain the form online which will be sent directly to Academic Advising.
The Office of Academic Advising will assign you to a faculty advisor who teaches in your major.
HOW DO I CHANGE MY MAJOR?
Obtain a Declaration of Major/Minor form from the Academic Advising Office in the Student Success Center or the Registrar's Office. Complete and sign the form and return it to the Office of Academic Advising. You can also CLICK HERE to obtain the form online which will be sent directly to Academic Advising.
You have the right to change your major at any time. Changing your major or adding a second major will require you to update to the most recent academic catalog. Once you have declared a change to your major, the Office of Academic Advising will change your advisor to faculty member who teaches in your new major. If you are adding on a second major you will keep your previous advisor and add a second advisor.
CHOOSING A MINOR
At CSU, minor fields of concentration range from a minimum of 18 credit hours to a maximum of 21 credit hours. Creative combinations of major/minor disciplines offer opportunities to broaden and strengthen your program of study.
DO I NEED A MINOR?
Most students will be required to satisfy the requirements for a minor. The only exception to this is when a student chooses one of a small group of majors whose credit hour requirements are significantly ample so that a minor is not required.
The CSU majors that do not require a minor are:
Elementary Education
Early Childhood Education
Music Therapy
Nursing
Computer Science/Math
MINORS AVAILABLE AT CSU
Psychology Music
Sociology Religion
Criminal justice Christian Leadership
English Biology
History Information systems
Political Science Computer science
Art Physical education
French Math
Spanish Chemistry
Communication and Theatre Business
Economics
ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR MINORS AT CSU
The academic requirements for each of the minors listed above are outlined in the CSU Undergraduate Catalog.
You have the right to change your minor at any time. Adding or changing your minor will not affect your academic catalog year or your faculty advisor assignment.
