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When making a list, how many majors do you want to keep in mind?

I have many aspirations, each completely different from another. It's hard for me to make a decision because they all have or don't have something that another major does. I would think that narrowing it down would be best when picking a college but....I don't know. I guess you should be open-minded? #college #college-major #major #college-advice #undecided

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Paul’s Answer

Hi Lauren:

In the past, when I have reviewed majors with my students, I have normally had them focus on two potential majors, which are similarly related to each other. One primary major area, and a potential major related to their field of interest as a backup plan in case something should go sideways in pursuing their primary major. We called this a "Concurrent Emphasis Plan."


Let me give you an example. Many of my past college students wished to pursue careers in nursing, which required them to obtain an Associates or Bachelors in Nursing degree. This meant they would need to complete requirements in math, social sciences, humanities, biological sciences (such as Anatomy and Physiology, Chemistry and Biology etc...) and the other requirements for nursing. One trend, that I began to observe, is that many of the requirements for the nursing major, basically paralleled and were the same, for many of the requirements in other health sciences majors. So if something went wrong with the nursing major, the student could then switch over to another major and not lose a year of college. Several of the nursing majors did switch over to Health Care Leadership or even Radiology or Respiratory Therapy and ended up completing degrees and doing very well.


The same can be said for other majors. Public Administration and Business Administration majors take many of the same classes.


I would also look at some of the concentration the majors have within them as well. Business majors for example has concentrations in Finance, Marketing, International Trade, Accounting and other areas. So definitely review what these concentrations within the major have to offer you, and see if they interest you and your passions for a future career.


So I would look at two potential majors when making a list. You should definitely choose something that you love to do. Because if you are doing something you love, you will be more fully engaged with your classes and with your college major, and this means better grades and a better overall experience within your eventual field of study.

Paul recommends the following next steps:

Find two major areas of study. One primary major and another with similar courses requirements.
Talk to your professors, academic advisors and instructors, to see if you can structure your class schedule to complete the admissions requirements for the majors.
Explore your interests and determine which major is the best fit for you. Determine which pathway reflects your goals, objectives and future career plan.
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Gloria’s Answer

I actually knew my major when I went to college at 18. I did not graduate with that major. I wanted to write so I chose Journalism as a major. I even chose my university based on that major. However, I did not consider how competitive a majorlike that would be. So when you look at majors, learn as much as you can about what having that major entails. Consider majors that appeal to you. Unless the job that you want would benefit from a specific college, I would say choose a college based on its overall benefits, not just based on a major. Some other benefits besides a major may include: cost, location, size of the campus, prestige of the school in general rather than a specific major. I started my college career at a great university that was a PAC12 school, but it was a lot of money wasted while not graduating from there. I am lucky to live in an area with a lot of good universities. Any one of them would be good for most jobs that I was interested in.
Thank you comment icon Hi Gloria, thanks for sharing your insights! The student was wondering how many majors they should keep in mind when considering different options. Any info on that would be helpful. Gurpreet Lally, Admin
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Richard’s Answer

You should start by looking at possible career options for you. Pick out a few jobs you want to do and then research what majors help you get towards those jobs. Especially if any major is in common for any careers you are thinking about doing that would be great to put on your list. To help with this, try doing job shadowing or an internship to see which careers you love.

However, you want to make sure you don't have too many on your list! That might make it a little too hard to choose between. When making your schedule for the first few semesters at college, you can take a variety of classes for all the majors your considering and then from there you can make a final choice based on what you enjoyed the most.
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Brian’s Answer

I would agree with many of the previous replies. I think its great that you have varied interests and are undecided about a potential path. Don't let that stifle your growth, but rather embrace it. Whatever major you initially choose to pursue does not need to define your career path. I know many individuals who are very successful in their careers who had majored in a field that seemingly has no direct correlation to their industry. And I think many employers value the diverse perspective that comes with that. Focus on getting the most out of your university experience, building connections and gaining exposure to new opportunities. The journey is the destination. Good luck.
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Pro’s Answer

Try an Interdisciplinary, Liberal Studies, or General Studies major, that will let you combine multiple interests. Or an Individually Designed major that you can even name yourself.
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Simeon’s Answer

It's great to be so open and flexible. I would suggest you try to see what majors you could find that could cover as many of your possible interests as possible. That will give you a wider variety of opportunities to consider, but will also enable you to be prepared for an internship to accept you as you will be able to apply to more of them than before. Make sure that you build a wide professional network as well to help give you more options to pursue as well.
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