Transcript Choosing Your Major © Emily B. Kolby, M.Ed. (2015) Your “Major” Defined MAJOR: a subject or field of study chosen by a.

Choosing Your Major
© Emily B. Kolby, M.Ed. (2015)
Your “Major” Defined
MAJOR: a subject or field of study chosen by a student to
represent his or her principal interest and upon which a
large share of his or her efforts are concentrated
(Dictionary.com)
General Education
Requirements
Electives/DoubleMajor/Minor
Your Major
Bachelor’s
Degree
(180
credits)
FAQs
 How do I declare my major?
 Here at Bellevue College you will declare a program of study, which could be
simply the AA degree you are following. You will officially declare at the
University.
 Does Bellevue College offer a major in Underwater Basket Weaving (or really
any other major…)?
 Not technically… we may offer classes in your chosen major to get your feet
wet.
 Do I have to decide on my major today?
 NO! Today is just the beginning!
Some Numbers…
 50-70% of students will change their major at least once. Many will change
their major up to three times before graduating.
 The University of Washington has approximately 149 different majors… wow!
 Really your major may only consist of 10-12 classes in a specific area of
study. This means you are not committing to one focus for the rest of your
life.
Which comes first,
my major or my career?
 No right answer…
 Some careers have a specific major related (e.g., Engineering)
 Some majors are very broad and can lead toward lots of things (e.g., English,
History, etc.)
 We encourage you to work with an Academic Advisor or Career Advisor to talk
through this question
Being “Major-Ready”
 You will want to start taking classes to explore and knock out prerequisites
so that you can be admitted to your major at the university (e.g.,
competitive majors like Business)
 Some universities allow you a certain amount of credits before you are
blocked out of lower-level classes.
 You want to save time and money!
Tips for Choosing Your Major
More Tips
 Be Open to exploring new classes, ideas, and areas of
interest!
 Ask yourself some questions: What do I enjoy? What am
I good at doing? What classes have I enjoyed in the
past?
 Explore online resources: CollegeBoard.com, etc.
 Meet one-on-one with an Academic Advisor, Career
Specialist, or Counselor to talk one-on-one.
Just for Fun…
Celebrity College Majors
 Martha Stewart– European and Architectural History
 Steve Carrell- History
 “Weird Al” Yankovic- Architecture
 Sasha Baron Cohen- History
 Will Ferrell- Sports Information
 Jerry Springer- Political Science
 Rowan Atkinson (aka “Mr. Bean”)- Electrical Engineering
 Natalie Portman- Psychology