Many students who enter the University are not yet able (or ready, or willing) to identify an academic major.  Some students are simply not sure what direction best suits them.  Others may have difficulty selecting one from among several areas of interest.  These students receive a variety of assistance from the Academic Services Center and from the one-on-one relationship with a faculty member who has volunteered to assist students through this period of exploration and adjustment.

All exploratory students are not alike. They may be:

• Completely undecided (25%)
• Tentatively undecided (50%) - have couple of ideas about a major but need time and information before deciding
• Uncommitted undecided (25%) - have made a tentative choice but be unwilling to commit

Others choose a major when they apply to SRU but are only tentatively decided and need to confirm that decision. Others make decisions prematurely by making choices that are unrealistic or uninteresting to them. Since estimates are that 70% of all students change their major at least once before graduating, almost all students need the same academic and career exploration services that exploratory students need.

A number of studies have shown that exploratory students are no different from students who have declared majors (midstate, p. 433 and p. 5.276, from Gordon, 1981; Ohio St, p. 65).

DECLARING A MAJOR

There are many reasons or methods people have for choosing a major.  Consider which of the following conditions are important to you:

• Doesn't require courses I might make low grades in.
• Will be really fun and interesting.
• Is going to have a "good" job outlook.
• Builds on my skills and teaches me new skills.
• Is acceptable to ___________ (my parents, friends, spouse, etc.)
• Is consistent with my values and lifestyle.
• Uses college credits I already have.
• Making the most of your electives

Doesn't require courses I might make low grades in:

• Evaluate your academic strengths and weaknesses, based on previous courses.
• Read descriptions of course requirements in catalog.
• Take an elective in the major on a pass/fail basis.
• Request a syllabus for courses that are required; review texts in the bookstore.
• Audit a class and complete assignments.

Will be really fun and interesting:

• Decide what you consider fun and interesting, then read course descriptions.
• Try a volunteer job, work-study job, summer job or field experience in an area related to that major.
• Talk to upperclass students who are in the major.
• Inquire within the department about field experience offerings.
• Ask professors in the major about their methods of teaching, sit in on some classes.

Is going to have a "good" job outlook:

• Review resources in career library (Career Services), such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
• Talk to professionals in work related to that major.  
• Talk to counselors at Career Services:  review follow-up surveys on graduates.
• Ask academic advisors what other students have done with their majors; what areas of concentration have they designed with employability in mind?
• Career Services:  http://www.sru.edu/career

Builds on my skills and teaches me new skills:

• Discover your skills and those you want to develop by talking with a career counselor.
• Use the computerized guidance system--DISCOVER (Career Services) or the Academic Advisement Center.
• Ask people, in careers of interest to you, what skills they need and use and what courses they would recommend taking.
• Review resources in career library (majors---skills---careers).
• Investigate practical experience opportunities within the major.

Is acceptable to _________________ (my parents, friends, spouse, etc.):

• Discuss your choices with these "significant others."  How well do their expectations match with the goals you have set for yourself?
• Remember that your choices must be realistic and interesting to you. You will be the one that has to live with your choice(s).  
• Provides a good foundation for professional/graduate school.
• Talk to graduate advisors and admission deans to determine required QPA and suggested (or required) courses and majors.
• Read descriptions of programs and requirement in professional/graduate school catalogs.
• Discuss merits or particular majors as graduate school preparation with professionals in the field.

Is consistent with my values and lifestyle:

• Visit the Counseling Center to clarify values and take values/lifestyles/interest inventories.
• Talk to students in the major--do you share similar values and lifestyle preferences?
• Ask professors who teach major courses why they enjoy the major.
• Attend a meeting of a club or professional organization associated with the major.
• Talk to professionals in careers related to the major--what lifestyles do they lead?
• Counseling Center:  http://www.sru.edu/pages/267.asp

Uses college credits I already have:

• Talk to academic advisors about requirements and unique combinations.

Making the most of your electives:

• Take a second major - preferably quite different from your declared major.
• Develop an occupation-related skill. (A liberal arts curriculum is not intended to prepare you for a specific occupation. Emphasis is on general intellectual development). Ex: computer programming, statistics, accounting, technical writing.
• Pursue a special interest or hobby. Ex: writing, choral music, a foreign language, outdoor recreation.
• Pursue a particular issue, topic or problem through different disciplines. Ex. environment via marine biology, urban studies, political science, psychology.
• Spend a semester taking courses in another country.

MAJORS AND CAREERS

The best way to select a major is to identify a course of study that matches your interests and aptitudes. Additionally, though, you will no doubt want to know how various academic majors relate to actual employment.  Actually, about 50% of all graduates enter professions different from what they have studied immediately upon graduation.

Academic majors can be classified as being either vocational or avocational.  Examples of vocational majors at SRU include Education, Accounting, Computer Science, and Nursing.  The content of vocational majors is usually directly linked to specific occupations.  

Examples of avocational majors may include English, History, Communication, Sociology, Geography, and Environmental Studies.  The content of avocational majors is not usually directly linked to specific careers. However, problem-solving and communication skills (oral, written and interpersonal) can be developed in any major.  

The advantages and disadvantages of each course of study are dependent upon your interests and skills as well as how clear you are about your career goals.  The primary advantage of studying a vocational major is that the relationship between your course work and a chosen occupation is more readily understood by employers.  However, learning late in your academic career that your chosen occupation is not what you really want becomes a primary disadvantage.  The resulting problem is narrow specialization with limited opportunity to redirect your course work to other more satisfying careers.

On the other hand, choosing an avocational major can open up a wide range of career options through careful planning.  A primary disadvantage is that employers are typically unclear about how an avocational major's credentials fit the available job opening.  So clarifying career goals tends to be more critical for avocational major than for vocational majors.

The key issue will be how interested you are in the job.  Unless the position is highly technical, aptitude and ability to perform the job will not be the main concern of most employers who use academic majors as part of their sorting process.  Employers are most concerned about hiring employees who are genuinely interested in their organization and position.  They are usually cautious about selecting candidates who do not show interest and enthusiasm in the field in which they are seeking employment.

In summary, it is probably best not to think of your major as the sole measure of your aptitude and career options.  Prior experience, extracurricular activities, enthusiasm and positive attitude will play a larger role than your major in convincing an employer that you are the "right" candidate for a particular job opening.  Developing self-confidence, persistence, and good interpersonal skills (social and communication) will be invaluable in helping you to find the job that gives you the greatest amount of satisfaction.  Above all, follow your instincts.  What do you really want to do?  In what type of occupation do you feel you would be most satisfied and happiest?  Be honest.  Only you can make the choices that are right for you.     

Choosing A Major

The best major is the one that will challenge and stimulate you....the one that will keep you interested throughout your college career.  The best steps you can take to improve your career options include selecting a major that matches your skills and interests so you will remain enthusiastic and excel in your course work.  

Career and life planning becomes the integration of concepts, ideas, dreams, opportunities, education, and experiences.  This integration makes plans come alive.  Five aspects of life--occupational, educational, social, personal, and leisure time activities---must be interwoven in making career and life plans.

To do so you must gain a better understanding of self, the world of work, the options available and the advantages and disadvantages, the hurdles between where you are and where you want or expect to be, and the means for overcoming the hurdles.  Learning the process will enable you to grow more independent, gain more control over your own future, and look forward to tomorrow with a positive attitude.  Career Services has the resources and the personnel to assist you as you choose your major.  

A major consists of at least 25% of the degree program and shall be a minimum of 30 hours.  Bachelor of Arts Degrees shall consist of a maximum of 40 hours and Bachelor of Science Degrees shall consist of a maximum of 60 hours.  There are no specifics for professional programs except that they are limited to 67 credits by default.

The Most Important Factor in Choosing a Career

Do you know what the most important factor is in choosing a career?  Parents?  Important, yes, but not in the first place.  Career counseling?  That's also valuable, but not the top reason.

First prize goes to experience---part time and summer jobs, volunteer activities, hobbies, and interests. Whenever young people are asked why they selected a certain career, some previous experience is cited as the major reason.  Experience is valued by employers as well.  In fact, the second question an employer will ask---after your name---is "What have you done?"  When you have a choice or when you go looking for experiences which will have a payoff later, consider the follwing:

Is the Experience Transferable?

Are there elements of the activity that will likely be useful in future opportunities?  Serving on a debate team, for example, teaches you to think on your feet, discover how to be concise and to the point, how to research information, how to communicate effectively as a public speaker, and how to work as part of a team.  Those traits will "transfer" to other opportunities later.

MAKING YOUR OWN UNIQUE COMBINATION

Fine Arts	+	Public Administration	=	Arts Management
Language	+	History & Mathematics	=	Insurance Administration
Psychology	+	Legal Issues	=	Victim Advocacy
Business	+	Foreign Languages	=	International Business
English	+	Computers, Science	=	Technical Writing
Language	+	Graphics & Physics	=	Design Modeling
Psychology	+	Biology	=	Genetics Counseling
Philosophy	+	Computer Science	=	Systems Analyst
History	+	Compuer Science	=	Information Specialist
History	+	Urban Studies	=	Preservation Studies
Anthropology	+	Statistics	=	Demography
Psychology	+	Business	=	Personnel Management
Sociology	+	Human Dev. & Lang.	=	Human Services
English	+	Journalism & Psychology	=	Public Relations
Biology	+	Communications	=	Pharmaceutical
Biology	+	Chemistry & Language	=	Industrial Hygienist
Language	+	Communications & Pub. Relations	=	Public Opinion
English	+	Sports/Recreation	=	Sports Journalism
Mathematics	+	History & Lanaguage	=	Insurance Administrator
French	+	Government	=	Conference Administrator
Math Decoder	+	Languages	=	Government Security
	+		=

 PRINCIPLES FOR CAREER DECISIONS 

  You will want to keep the following principles in mind before beginning to make career decisions:

• Choosing a career is a life-long process.  You are only at one decision point in a long series of choices.
• The career decision-making process includes self knowledge and occupational knowledge.  Integrating these two types of information helps you identify realistic alternatives.
• Choosing a career can be a complicated process which requires a lot of thought and effort.  You exercise more control over this decision by pursuing it in an orderly manner.
• There is no right or wrong decision--only satisfying or unsatisfying ones.
• Gender, race, or age should not be used as barriers to exploring career options (Ohio State, p. 53)

AN ACTION PLAN FOR EXPLORATORY STUDENTS

WHAT'S THE BEST MAJOR FOR ME?

1. First, get to know the majors and programs that are open to you.  You may be familiar with English, history, chemistry, or math, but do you have any real idea what anthropology, geography, or cytotechnology are all about? Before you choose a major, read catalog descriptions and then talk to faculty in those departments.
2. Get first-hand experience.  Experiment with different courses before making decisions.  A note of caution:  do not limit yourself to beginning level courses that exist primarily to fulfill Liberal Studies requirements.  They're sometimes too broad in scope to give you an accurate picture of the major.
3. Evaluate what you've learned to date.  What courses have you liked best?  Least?  Why?  How do the majors you're considering relate to your interests, abilities, and values?
4. Evaluate the majors you're considering.  You're close to making your choice.  This will help you confirm or reassess your decision.
5. Do you know:
   1. What preparatory courses are required?
   2. What's the minimum grade point average for acceptance into the major?
   3. How many courses are required in the major?
   4. What course offerings are sequential or non-sequential?
   5. If the exams are finite reasoning or essay?
   6. How much freedom there is for elective courses?
   7. How many credits are needed in order to graduate in that major?
   8. Who the departmental exploratory advisor is?

TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE NECESSARY TO MAKE GOOD CAREER DECISIONS

There are four types of knowledge which students need before making career decisions:  self-knowledge, occupational knowledge, educational knowledge, and decision-making knowledge.

Self-knowledge means the student knows about:

• Interests (What do I like and enjoy?)
• Aptitudes (What are my strengths?  Skills?  Abilities?)
• Values (What is important to me in a career?)
• Goal setting (Where do I want to go?  What do I want?  How can I get there?  By when?)

Occupational knowledge means the student knows about:

• Nature of work (What tasks are involved?  What are the major duties of a job?  What does someone with this job do all day?)
• Places of employment (Where is the work?)
• Qualifications and advancement (What is entry level expertise?  What type of experience is needed?  Are promotion opportunities available?)
• Employment outlook (What will the job market be like at graduation?  In 5 years?  In 10 years?)
• Earnings and working conditions (What is the pay range?  Are there physical demands to the job?)
• Job seeking skills (Can I write a resume?  Do I know how to conduct myself in an interview?  Can I investigate an organization?  Obtain references?)

Educational knowledge means the student asks:

• Are there specific educational programs that will provide me with any necessary knowledge or skills?
• What major interests me?
• Are there particular courses that will help?
• Is a particular degree necessary or can I select any major or program?

Decision-making knowledge means the student asks:

• Can I link self-knowledge to occupational information?
• What kind of decision maker am I?
• When do I need to make career decisions?
• Can I integrate my values into my decisions?
• Do I know how to choose between several majors?

GATHERING INFORMATION:

Self-Knowledge

    YOU can:

• list activities you enjoy doing in school, work, and personally.
• review your academic transcript; this helps you identify your academic strengths and weaknesses.
• list five work values you want to have in your career (income, variety, independence, prestige, contribution to society, etc.).
• list five skills you can do well.
• create a 40 year plan:  After graduation?  What do you want to be doing five years from now?

Occupational Knowledge

    YOU can:

• conduct an occupational interview.
• visit the Career Services Office.
• use government publications such as "The Occupational Outlook Handbook," or "Dictionary of Occupational Titles."
• use a computerized career search system (e.g., Discover)
• use occupational brochures/publications written by professional groups.
• volunteer or use a co-op or internship to gain direct experience in a specific career field.

Educational Knowledge

       YOU can:

• identify types of courses that match your interests and abilities; review the course offerings bulletin.
• identify majors related to these courses.
• meet with appropriate academic advisors to review curricula.
• list how skills and knowledge inherent to each major would be related to careers being considered.
• list minors or elective course work which could supplement their skills or knowledge base.
• develop a schedule projection for the various majors.

Decision-Making Knowledge

        YOU can:

• list five ways your interests and abilities are related to the occupational and educational alternatives you have identified.
• list three ways your decision-making style has helped you in your search.
• list three ways your decision-making style has not served you well in making decisions.

EXPLORE:  MAJORS AND CAREERS INFORMATION GATHERING

The more you know about yourself in relation to the situation, the better prepared you will be to make an effective decision.  Understanding your values, interests, and skills and gathering information about majors and careers will help you to weigh and judge these factors against each other, to consider alternatives, and to make satisfying decisions.  

Talking to people who are knowledgeable about fields in which you are interested in is an excellent way to learn about majors and careers.  Professors, departmental advisors, graduate assistants, and other undergraduate students can answer questions regarding majors.  Professionals working in the field are excellent sources for information regarding careers.

Written resources, such as university catalogs, textbooks, professional journals, and trade publications, can also facilitate your decision-making.  The Office of Career Services, located in Maltby Center, has a number of publications regarding majors and careers.

Gather information on majors:

• Look through the SRU catalog (online) and determine which course descriptions interest you.
• In the bookstore, look at textbooks that are required for courses that interest you.
• Look at textbooks for related courses also.
• Obtain a syllabus of a course before the course starts.
• Sit in on the first class of the semester to get an overview of a course and a syllabus.  Audit or sit in on a class any time during the semester.
• Obtain a list of requirements for a major from the departmental advisor.
• Talk to departmental advisors about the major or the field.
• Talk to professors.
• Talk to graduate students and other undergraduate students majoring in a subject.
• Read professional journals in the field.

Gather information on careers:

• Talk to departmental advisors and professors.
• Talk to professionals in the field.
• Contact professionals in the field on your own.
• Use the Career Laboratory in the Office of Career Services.
• Attend professional organization meetings in the community and on campus.
• Read professional journal and trade publications.

Questions to ask yourself when you sit in on a class:

• What do you like about the class?
• What do you dislike about the class?
• What do you like about the professor?
• Is there anything you dislike about the professor?
• What appeals to you about the content of the course?
• How well would you expect to perform in this class?
• Would you enjoy this class?
• Would this course complement your natural inclination?
• Would you feel comfortable working or thinking in a way required by this course?
• Do you feel compatible with other students in this class?

Questions to ask professors:

• What do you like about your field?
• What do you see as future trends in this field?
• What key research is being done in the field?
• What are your frustrations regarding the field?
• What are some pitfalls of this field in terms of careers?
• What do you see as the best opportunities in the field?
• What common misunderstandings do students have about the field?
• Are opportunities available for undergraduate students to be involved in research or other aspects of the field?
• What professional journals and organizations would you recommend?
• Do you know professionals working in the field to whom you can refer me?