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Your Major Does Not Determine Your Life: Do What you LoveTzong ChangOffice of Undergraduate AdmissionDePaul University
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What About You?• Raise your hand if you…• Have decided on a major.• Are thinking about switching your major.• Have already changed your major.• Found choosing a major easy.• Have changed your major at least once.
• What factors influenced your decision in choosing or changing your major?
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What is a major?• A subject or discipline of a student’s choosing in
which to specialize• May or may not be related to your career of interest!
• Typically comprises 1/3 of your college curriculum
• Allows for high-level learning and skill building in chosen field
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Art or Science?Bachelor of Art
• Language requirement• Math requirement:
liberal studies math, quantitative reasoning
• Substantial coursework in humanities, social sciences
• Examples: English, Philosophy, Sociology, Spanish, Art History
Bachelor of Science• No language
requirement• Math requirement:
calculus• Substantial coursework
in natural or physical sciences, with lab work
• Examples: Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Health Sciences, Physics, Computer Science
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How is a University Structured?
University
CollegeCollege
Department
Department
Department
Department
Major Major
Concentration
Concentration
Major
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For example…DePaul
University
College of
Science and
Health
Psychology
BA BS
Standard
Human Developme
nt
Human Services
Industrial/Organization
al
GeneralCognitive
Neuroscience
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Switching MajorsSwitching within the same college:• Common core requirements • Language and math requirements remain
the same• Classes are generally more transferable
For Example:• College of Communication:• Common Communication core• College of Communication electives• Language and math requirements remain the
same• Many courses are applicable to multiple majors
within the College
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How Much Do You Know About Yourself?• What are your… • Interests•Skills•Values•Talents•Goals
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How Much Do You Know About Yourself?
• What courses/subjects have you enjoyed? Why?• What haven’t you enjoyed?• Are there subject areas you like more than others?• Are there subjects you want to learn more about?• If you have chosen a major, why did you choose
it?
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But what if I want to go to grad school?• Specific majors may be required for specific
graduate programs – always check the admissions requirements!
• Law School:• Any major is acceptable• Find a major that you enjoy and will do well in• Get experience with writing, arguing points of view, and
communicating
• Medical School:• Most majors are acceptable as long as they have 1 year
each of Biology, Physics, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Calculus• These are all part of science degrees, but can be part of
open electives
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How do you know it’s the right major?
• Research!•Review classes required and course descriptions•See if there are specific requirements•Talk to students in the major•Meet with professors who teach the subject•Find out what you can do with the major
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Narrow Down Your Options• After taking a class
or two…• Is the class enjoyable or does it feel like a chore?•Are you doing well in these courses? •Does the major field reflect who you are?
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Narrow Down Your Options
• Which schools offer the major(s) you are considering?
• Are there options for double majors and/or minors?
• Are there opportunities for volunteering, interning, studying abroad, etc.?
• Will this major work for my intended grad school or career plan?
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Use Informational Interviewing• Informational Interviewing is an
interview used to collect information about a topic (major, job, career field, etc.).• For majors, can be conducted with
other students, faculty members, or people from other schools.
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Example Questions• What is an introductory course for this
major?• Are there GPA or pre-requisite course
requirements for this major?• What upper-level courses sound
interesting?• Why would someone choose this major?• What are the graduate school or career
options with this major?
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Informational Interview Practice• Start by introducing yourself, and why you are
meeting• What’s your background? Why are you interested in
exploring majors?
• Ask questions of your partner:• Why did you choose this major?• What do you think are some interesting classes or facts
about the major?• What do you hope to do with the major when you
graduate?
• Ask for referrals to other people you can talk to:• Do you know any good professors in the major?• Are there other students who I could talk to?• Does the major have any students groups or events I
could attend?
• Make sure to THANK the person you are interviewing!
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What Can You Do Now?• Career Centers• Interest based major and career options•“What can I do with a major in?”
• Occupational Outlook Handbook•Training and education •Salary information•Work environment•Related occupations
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What Can You Do Now?• Informational Interviews•Get information from those familiar with what you want to do
• Volunteer and internship experiences•Learning and explore in a hands on environment
• Take introductory courses at your institution• Keep in contact with your academic advisor
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What’s Your Major?
Sonia SotomayorSupreme Court
Justice
History
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What’s Your Major?
Sergey BrinCo-Founder of Google
Math & Computer Science
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What’s Your Major?
Oprah WinfreyTalk Show Host, Actress, Producer
Speech Communications
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What’s Your Major?
Jon StewartPolitical Satirist &
Television Host
Psychology
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What’s Your Major?
Ruth SimmonsPresident, Brown University
French
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What’s Your Major?
Julia ChildChef, Author
History
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What’s Your Major?
Barack ObamaPresident of the United
States of America
Political Science
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Questions?