If you find the idea of committing to a major overwhelming, you’re not alone. Some students know exactly what they want to do after graduation, but for many of us, the decision is unclear. The good news is if you’re struggling to pick a major, you have options! Hopefully, this guide can help you navigate your path as an undecided student.
To answer some common questions about navigating college as an undecided student, I talked with Staci Kiker, an advisor for Design, Creativity & Performance students.
What am I supposed to do if I don’t declare a major?
Kiker says that the most popular majors offered at PSU are psychology, computer science, biology, communications, marketing and accounting. But students who don’t declare a major should instead focus on one of PSU’s seven advising Pathways. Kiker said while a major is best described as a subject students choose to specialize in, Pathways are broader and provide flexibility to explore different majors.
“For example, in the Design, Creativity & Performance Pathway, it’s not uncommon for students to change their major from Art Practice to Graphic Design,” Kiker said. “Advisors in that Pathway are trained in both of these majors as well as other majors in the arts, so that a student’s advisor can continue to help them. Most Pathway advisors advise for all majors within their Pathway.”
Students aren’t limited to just one Pathway, however. Kiker said if a student is interested in majors from more than one Pathway, they can choose one and let their advisor know they’re interested in other Pathways too.
“All Academic Advisors work with students exploring majors in and outside of their Pathway and will help students determine which one aligns with their skills, interests and values,” she said.
What classes should I take as an undecided/exploratory student?
Generally, it’s good to first tackle the classes that will fulfill your degree requirements — even if you have not selected a specific major yet. Most degrees at PSU share some general requirements that you will need to complete no matter what you’re studying. Kiker said the main types of courses you should take are a university studies course, a course toward your B.A. or B.S. requirements and a course in a subject you’re interested in.
A university studies course is a required class that you’ll take throughout the school year, or partially through it depending on your class level. This does not apply if you were enrolled into the Honors College, and you will instead have to fulfill the Honors requirements. You can find more information about the differences between the two types of General Education at the General Education webpage on the PSU website.
There are many different subjects available through the university studies courses, like a class on Portland and how cities are structured. They can even be used to fulfill other degree requirements.
B.A. and B.S. stand for Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science, respectively. Most degree programs at PSU fall under either label, with a few exceptions. This means regardless of the degree you end up with, you’ll need to fulfill these requirements.
It’s also important to take courses that you’re interested in. Upper division courses may have prerequisites, but if you look for classes that begin with “Introduction to…” registering shouldn’t be a problem. Exploring different subjects is a great way to test the waters of different topics without diving into something you may not be interested in long-term.
Will the major I choose determine the jobs I can get after graduation?
Short answer, not necessarily!
Long answer, most job offerings will not require a specific degree unless it is something highly specialized. According to Kiker, there are usually three different types of majors students will pursue that require a specialized-degree.
- Career specific majors: Required for someone to work in a specific field, an example being architecture.
- Career-related majors: Provides skills and insight into a specific field, an example being business.
- Non-career specific majors: Provides a wide range of skills that are applicable to a lot of different jobs and professions, an example being social science.
That said, don’t be afraid that you’ll be locked into a specific career path based on your major! Oftentimes that is not the case, so be sure to pick whatever subject is the most interesting to you. College is all about developing your skills, after all.
How long can I go before having to declare a major? And how do I declare it once I’m ready?
There is no set deadline for declaring a major. It all depends on the amount of college credits you have. And if you earned any college credits outside of PSU, those may also be counted.
Students have to declare a major by the time they reach 90 credits, or within their first term if they transferred to PSU with 90 or more credits. After earning 90 credits, exploratory Pathways aren’t an option — but you can still change your major.
All of this is to say, don’t fret! Although you will have to commit to a major at some point, you are not locked into it forever. Two out of three college students change their major at some point. If you change your mind, be sure to let your advisor know so the two of you can set up a plan for a comfortable transition.
Choosing a major can be tough. There are so many options that it can become overwhelming. But now you have the resources and knowledge to make sense of the confusion. I certainly haven’t covered everything here, so I encourage you to do your own research. You can view additional resources at the Exploring/Changing Majors webpage on the official PSU website. Good luck!
Audria Oakes is a second-year at PSU. She loves to draw, write, cook and spend time with her newly adopted kitten.