University of North Dakota | Student Success Center

For many students, choosing a college major is a source of concern that can affect their personal, academic, and social lives. "Deciding" students often feel a sense of urgency about selecting and declaring a major, and are sometimes reluctant to admit to other students that they have not yet decided on a major.

Up to 80 percent of entering college students indicate that they are not certain of their choice of major, even if they have initially "decided" on one. In addition, over 50 percent of entering freshmen change their majors at least once before graduation, and some change many times. As you can see, your uncertainty about a major puts you, in fact, in the majority. Making a decision as meaningful as choosing a major is one that should not be hurried, and should be made with the benefit of accurate information and advice. There are no shortcuts in selecting a major thoughtfully.

Moreover, the answer to your quest is not going to come searching for you; instead, you must actively participate in your search by becoming involved in a decision-making process. To be effective in choosing a major, you, like most other deciding students, will need time, information, and commitment. You will need time to consider all of the options, to think about the implications of your decision, and to do the work necessary to make an appropriate decision. You will need information so that your decision is based on up-to-date statistics, data, knowledge, and advice. And after you have taken the time to gather the information and consider the options, you will need commitment, that is, you will need to make the decision.

Having only time and information will not make the decision for you. The commitment must come from within. It is a personal choice based on sufficient time and accurate information. No one else can make the commitment for you (although at times you might wish that someone else would).

Ultimately, whatever the decision, the decision is yours. The points described in the following pages are intended to help you obtain information that will assist you in making an intelligent decision about which college major to choose.

(Adapted from Major Decisions with permission from the author)

Choosing a Major

Choosing a major is one of the most important things you do at college. This section is designed to help you identify a major that will suit your abilities, interests, and goals as you complete your education and develop career plans.

The University of North Dakota has academic colleges that grant undergraduate degrees. The colleges are divided into various departments which offer majors. A major is a set of courses that exposes you to an academic area of study in depth. UND offers more than 150 majors, many with a variety of options available. Refer to the Select an Academic Department or Program. Explore UND on the World Wide Web at http://www.und.nodak.edu for more information.

The University of North Dakota does not require students to declare a major at any particular point in their college career. Students can declare a major at any time. Declaring a major does not mean that you are formally admitted to that major. Some colleges and departments have established additional requirements for those seeking admission into their area.

You will benefit by using a process to select a major, even if you think you already know what you want to major in. Many students who began UND "knowing" what they wanted, later found they had not explored all their options carefully and had not made good choices. Many times this could cost you time and money. So, if you know what you want, or if you're finding it a challenge to narrow down your interests to a single major, or if you just aren't sure which major is for you, begin by thinking about yourself. Who are you? What are you good at? What do you like to do? Where do you want to be in ten years?

Today's workplace is rapidly changing. Twenty years from now you may find yourself in a field that has not yet been invented! Most people change careers several times over the course of their working lives. A well-chosen major will prepare you to do well in many occupations because it will give you the communication skills and problem-solving skills you'll need to be successful. Some jobs require specific college majors and others do not. For example, it's very possible to work in the business industry with a psychology degree.

By completing a degree you should gain skills and knowledge that you'll use through out your life. As you complete your General Education Requirements and courses required for your major you'll learn:

These are skills that will be necessary in the ever changing area of work.

You may choose to include a minor as part of your bachelor's degree. In fact, some departments may require a minor. A minor requires a minimum of 20 credits in a certain area of concentration. Additional information is available in the Academic Catalog or through Departments and Program.