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It’s Time To Prepare To Declare!
Dr. Kriss Hope Boyd
Undergraduate Studies
Executive Director
General Academic Programs
It’s Time To Prepare To Declare!
 More than a quarter of entering students
change their major before they finish
attending their NSC.
 Half of each TAMU freshmen cohort
change colleges before they graduate.
It’s Time To Prepare To Declare!
High school exposes students to a dozen
academic disciplines.
Texas A&M offers
130+ degree options
for undergraduates.
A Major Decision
A high school senior’s decision is
affected by:
• Friends’ or siblings’ choices
• Perceived financial rewards
• Impressive names
• Relationship dynamics with parents
What they don’t know is whether or
not they will enjoy advanced study in
that area.
A Major Decision
Three MOST important reasons to
select a major
 Passionate love of the topics to be studied
 Skills that are competitive compared to
other TAMU students
 Willingness to work hard
A Major Decision
• Hollands Career Development Theory
A Major Decision
• The ACT World of Work Map
A Major Decision
FIRST BIG QUESTION - Does the
student enjoy working extra math
problems that aren’t required for
homework, and does the student
have an SATM score of at least 550?
A Major Decision
Is the student willing to work very
hard every day to understand things
like this? Does the student love
solving problems not required as
homework?
A Major Decision
• The answer to the math question helps
GAP advisors the most --- it indicates a
‘yes or no’ for engineering/physical
science majors.
A Major Decision
Is the student aware
of the wide range of
majors at TAMU?
A Major Decision
Does the student have the skill and
creative talent to be competitive at
the elite level at TAMU?
A Major Decision
• Majors:
Those that require 2.75+ GPA to
change majors
Majors such as music, dance and viz
that require auditions/portfolios
A Major Decision
• Does the student thrive and gain energy
from social interaction?
A Major Decision
• Majors: Ag Leadership and Development, Urban
Planning, Marketing/Management, Education,
Geography (GIS - market planning), Political
Science, Psychology, Sociology, Communications,
Languages, etc.
A Major Decision
• Can the student combine strong quantitative
strengths and elite creative talents?
Major:
sualization
Visualization
A Major Decision
• Is the student passionate
• about environmental
• issues? Majors:
• Ecological restoration, bioenvironmental sciences,
landscape, civil engineering, environmental science,
geography, history with environmental history
classes, political science - public administration,
biology, ocean and coastal resources, etc.
A Major Decision
• Students can complete minimum
requirements for med school within the
hours listed for a degree plan in all colleges
except Architecture and Mays. The
possibilities include:
• BICH, NUTR, ANSC, KINE, BIEN, ENST,
PSYC, BIOL, BIMS, MARS. . .
A Major Decision
• Students can move from any major to
law school successfully, but they need
to enjoy writing and logic.
A Major Decision
• Every major leads to careers, although some
career paths require graduate degrees.
• Most of our students will complete
graduate degrees
or the equivalent.
It’s Time to Prepare to Declare!
Read the Menu - Choosing a
major is like deciding what to
order at a new restaurant.
1.
2.
3.
3.
4.
5.
Think about what you like.
Ask for advice from friends.
Read the menu.
Observe what others are enjoying.
Ask for advice from the staff.
Place the order.
It’s Time to Prepare to Declare!
Remind students about
the academic roadmap
for TAMU . . .
the catalog . . .
http://catalog.tamu.edu/
It’s Time To Prepare To Declare!
It’s Hard to Schedule an Epiphany.
Encourage juniors and seniors to:
• Research majors and jobs on the web. Check out
the textbooks for key courses.
• NOT TAKE TOO MANY CONCURRENT
ENROLLMENT COURSES!!!
Many don’t count for specific TAMU degrees
and use up useful spots for electives
that students can pair up with tough courses.
• Find out about resources at TAMU.
It’s Time To Prepare To Declare!
TAMU Resources:
• General Academic Programs
• Student Counseling Service
• Career Center
• Office of Professional School Advising
• University Advisors & Counselors
• Student Learning Center
It’s Time to Prepare to Declare!
• Any TAMU student can run a ‘what if’
degree audit in Compass.
• Every TAMU student should run a degree
audit prior to pre-registration every
semester.
It’s Time to Prepare To Declare!
The Academic Colleges
Within Texas A&M University
Agriculture & Life Sciences
Agribusiness
Agricultural Leadership & Development
Agricultural Economics
Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural Communication & Journalism
Agricultural Science
Agricultural Systems Management
Agronomy (3 options including Turf Mgmt)
Animal Science – Production
Animal Science - Science
Biochemistry
Bioenvironmental Sciences
Biological Systems Engineering
Dairy Production
Ecological Restoration
Entomology
Environmental Studies
Food Science or Industry
Forest Resources; Urban Forestry
Genetics
Horticulture or Plant Breeding
Nutritional Sciences
Plant & Environmental Soil Science
Poultry Science
Rangeland Resources
Ranch Management
Recreation, Park & Tourism (4 options)
Renewable Natural Resources
Spatial Sciences
Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences (3 options)
Forensic Science
Architecture
• Environmental Design
- Architecture Studies
- Visual Studies
• Construction Science
• Landscape Design
• Urban & Regional Science
Mays Business School
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Accounting
Finance
Management
Marketing
Information & Operations
Management
-Management Information Systems
-Supply Chain Management
• Agribusiness
Education & Human Development
• Interdisciplinary Studies
-Elementary/Middle
-Technology Management
-Human Resource Development
• Health & Kinesiology
-Allied Health
-Community Health
-School Health
-Sport Management
-Exercise Technology
-Basic Exercise Physiology
-Applied Exercise Physiology
-Motor Behavior
• Secondary Certification
Dwight Look College of Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Engineering Technology
• Electronics
• Telecommunications
• Manufacturing & Mechanical
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• Aerospace Engineering
•
• Biological & Agricultural Engineering
•
• Biomedical Engineering
•
• Chemical Engineering
•
• Civil Engineering
•
• Computer Science
Industrial Distribution
Industrial Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Ocean Engineering
Petroleum Engineering
Radiological Health Engineering
Geosciences
• Environmental Geoscience
• Environmental Studies
• Geography
– Geographic Information Science
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Geology
Geophysics
Earth Sciences
Meteorology
Spatial Sciences
Liberal Arts
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American Studies
Anthropology
Communication
Speech Communication
Telecom. Media (BS/BA)
Economics (BS/BA)
English
European & Classical
Languages
French, German,
Russian, Spanish
Hispanic Studies
History
International Studies
Performance Studies
Music, Theatre
Philosophy
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Political Science (BS/BA)
Psychology (BS/BA)
Sociology (BS/BA)
Science
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Biology
Chemistry
Mathematics
Physics
B(x,y) =
t^(x-1) (1-t)^(y-1)DT
Veterinary Medicine
• Biomedical Sciences
– Applied Science Option
TAMU-Galveston
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Marine Biology, Sciences and Fisheries
Marine Engineering Technology; Maritime Systems Engineering
Marine Transportation
Maritime Administration
Maritime Studies
Ocean & Coastal Resources
University Studies degrees
 Each college has at least one University Studies degree
option.
 US majors have a concentration (super-minor) and two
other minors rather than a major.
 The degrees provides some students flexibility to combine
several fields of interest that will help lead them toward
unique career goals.
 Website for University Studies: unst.tamu.edu
. . . . I wish there was a degree in . . . . . .
General Academic Programs
The GAP Department provides academic advising
and special freshman programs for 5,100+
General Studies (GEST) majors.
• GEST freshmen take basic courses until they meet special
requirements for majors.
• GAP academic advisors are familiar with the entire range of
majors at TAMU, and can discuss requirements and options
with students.
• Website: http://gest.tamu.edu
It’s Time To Prepare To Declare!
• Requirements for declaring majors at TAMU:
• http://gest.tamu.edu/Main/gpr.pdf
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2.75 AGBU Must have 2: AGEC105, MATH141/142, ECON202/203, ACCT 229, ACCT 230
Application: http://agecon.tamu.edu/undergraduate/future_students/on_campus.html
Deadline: Mar 15/Jun 1/Aug 1 for Fall, Oct 15/Jan 3 for Spring, Mar 15/May 15 for Summer
2.50 AGEC Must have 2: AGEC105, MATH141/142, ECON202/203, ACCT209 or 229, ACCT210 or 230
Application: http://agecon.tamu.edu/undergraduate/future_students/on_campus.html
Deadline: Mar 15/Jun 1/Aug 1 for Fall, Oct 15/Jan 3 for Spring, Mar 15/May 15 for Summer
2.00 ALED At least one Math completed.
Application: http://www.aged.tamu.edu/ugadvise/changing.aspxu.edu/Main/gpr.pdf
Deadline: Oct 15 & March 15
etc. . . . . . . .