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How to Choose a Major

[Note: The website links in this document are not live (they will not link to the website if you click on them), so the site addresses are also included. Just copy and paste the link into your browser.] Here's a list of things you can do to explore possible majors. Some are easier than others. Some may take an hour while others take a quarter. Some will work for you and some won't. Whichever you decide to do, you should:

Treat the process like one of your jobs or one of your classes (i.e., "This quarter I'm taking Oceanography, Math, Art History, and Choosing a Major.") Set specific goals. For example, "By the end of this quarter I'll attend information sessions for my top five majors, try to narrow to three, then meet with the department advisers for those majors." Work with advisers throughout the process. Advisers can be outstanding partners in this process. They can help you discover your own interests, help you set your goals, and can be a wealth of information, too.

Do some or all of these steps to really being your process if you still really unsure Look at the list of undergraduate majors. Use DARS to explore the options, look at departmental webpages Attend some information sessions. Attend a Roadmap to Choosing Your Major workshop. Take a few introductory courses. Talk with department or college advisers. Talk with faculty in the major. Talk with students already declared in the major. Talk with a premajor adviser. Talk with a career counselor. Talk with family and friends. Get a job or an internship. Take the personality/preference tests offered at the Counseling Center. Do undergraduate research. Peruse some academic journals in your areas of interest. Go to an academic conference. Assess your academic strengths.

Declaring a Major
When and how you can declare your major at the UW varies in several ways. Some majors accept students year-round, some only once a quarter, and some once a year. Some can be declared upon entry as a freshman, some require UW credits be taken first, and some require junior standing. Some require prerequisite courses, and even interviews, while others can be entered with no background in the area whatsoever. Some majors have the resources to be available to any student with interest, while others are heavily impacted and therefore highly competitive. So how do you make your way through this tangled web of requirements? If you know what you want to major in, it's actually pretty simple.

1. Find out the Admission Requirements, if Any


The Undergraduate Majors [ http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/majors/majoff.php ] page lists the admission and graduation requirements for every major the UW offers. In looking at that, it might help to know that all majors fall into one of three types, in terms of admission requirements.

Open majors can be declared at any time by any student in good standing (not on academic probation). Minimum Requirements majors can be declared as soon as the prerequisites are completed. For example, before you can declare the Mathematics B.A. major, standard option, you must have completed MATH 124, 125, and 126, all with grades of at least 2.0. Competitive majors require specific prerequisite courses and usually a minimum GPA, but meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. In each application cycle a limited number of places are available, and the competitiveness of the major depends on how many students apply. These majors have application forms and application deadlines; some of them require standardized tests, recommendations, and/or interviews. Some competitive majors admit students only once per year.

Contact department advisers [ http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/about/departments.php ] if you have questions. A number of majors offer regular information sessions [ http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/majors/infosessions.php ].

2. If There are Admission Requirements, Complete Them


This is sometimes easier said than done. For open majors, you can skip right onto #3. For others, you may spend several quarters to more than a year at this step. This is the time to continue to explore your interests, work with advisers, and do everything you can to make yourself into the best possible candidate for the major or majors you are considering.

3. Apply to Your Major


Here's where the when comes in. Some majors, like Anthropology, allow you to declare any time of year. Some majors, like Psychology, accept applications only once per quarter, and not in the summer. And some, like Construction Management, accept only one time per year. Whenever the time comes to apply to your intended major, be ready, get the application early, and take your time filling it out. If there is a personal statement, take it to a writing center [ http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/help/writecen.php ], have a friend read it, let it sit for a while and read it again; a good personal statement can really make your application stand out in a competitive application process.

4. If You are Accepted, Fill Out Any Necessary Paperwork


Depending on the competitiveness of your major, you may know as you turn in your application that you "got in," or you may have to wait for several weeks to find out. Even open and minimum requirements majors often ask you to fill out an application, and they often require that you meet with a department adviser to talk about your plans and fill out the paperwork. The thing that actually declares your major is the "Change of Major" form. Sometimes this is done behind the scenes, sometimes there will be a big group orientation, and sometimes your new adviser will fill it out one-on-one with you. You may also be sent to retrieve your advising file; if you are a premajor you may have an advising file in UAA Advising. The Change of Major form gets sent on to Graduation and Academic Records where your major code is changed in the system.

5. What is your backup?


Sometimes plans will need to change due to poor course scheduling, unforeseen circumstances, or perhaps not being able to meet the criteria of your intended major. Like many things in life, you should always have a reserve, a backup option that you can

readily follow that would not be an unreasonable decision based on the decisions you have already made. As satisfactory progress is becoming a major issue, your back up will need to have a clear goal and meet the parameters

Experiences to Consider
These can help flesh out your interest in a major, apply what you are learning, make friends, and/or help you in defining what you want to do with the major you are going toward.
The Undergraduate Research Program (URP) facilitates research experiences for undergraduates to work one-on-one with UW faculty members on original research in many different disciplines. URP staff assist students in planning for an undergraduate research experience, identifying faculty mentors, projects, and departmental resources, defining research goals, presenting and publishing research findings, obtaining academic credit, and finding funding for their research. The Student Activities Office (SAO) encourages students to join an RSO or participate in student government, and take full advantage of opportunities to enrich the cultural, social, recreational and political life of campus. SAO advises and works closely with registered student organizations and student government leaders on campus in the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS). Currently, there are more than 600 registered student organizations (RSOs) available for students to get involved with. SAO services include event planning, general program advising, leadership workshops, funding assistance, skill development, practical career experience, volunteer recruitment, and programming options. Study Abroad Office. The benefits of foreign study are numerous, including language fluency, cultural immersion, academics, global understanding, and personal growth. IPE can help you make the dream of foreign study a reality. Some facts about foreign study:

Foreign study need not delay your graduation In most cases, the costs of foreign study are similar to those of studying at the UW Each year IPE disburses more than $100,000 in support of student and faculty study abroad Look at Friday Harbor Labs, National Student Exchange or an Exploration Seminar as additional possibilities or alternatives

The Carlson Leadership & Public Service Center engages undergraduates in building and improving our communities through service learning, community events, volunteer, and internship opportunities. Through community-based learning, students deepen their understanding of complex issues and develop civic responsibility. Whether students get involved with a community-based organization by enrolling in a service learning course,

joining one of our quarterly Days of Service, or pursuing an internship in the public sector, the Carlson Center helps students make meaningful connections with the community. The center has several different avenues that will allow you to engage the surrounding community on different levels; some of them are: The Dream Project Pipeline Jumpstart

Visit The Career Center. [ http://careers.washington.edu/ ]


The Career Center offers counseling and workshops for students at every stage of career exploration. They assist students in developing a job or internship search plan, managing progress toward career goals, and learning the skills to successfully find a job and/or make a career transition. You can research job fields, learn to write a resume targeted at your intended field, and practice interviewing, and much more. Their website also has links to lots of great Internet resources.

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