CHOOSING A MAJOR

Choosing an academic path to fit your interests and aptitudes isn’t always easy, especially when careers aren’t directly linked to undergraduate degrees. For your first enrollment, you don’t have to know exactly where you’re headed, but you should have a few options in mind.

WHAT DEGREE PATH SHOULD YOU TAKE?

1. Visit okla.st/majors and read the pages for each degree area and its options.

2. Read the course descriptions listed in the university catalog for any potential degrees. This will give you an idea of the types of classes you'll take for each major. View it online at catalog.okstate.edu

3. Talk to people working in the field or in related areas and ask questions about how they earned their positions and what they studied (or wish they had studied).

You can also take advantage of OSU’s “MyMajors” tool. This interactive website will help identify how your aptitudes, knowledge and strengths lend themselves to OSU degree programs. Your results will link you to majors and options identified as a best fit for you. MyMajors takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. For more information, visit okstate.mymajors.com

If you have a specific career in mind, the best starting point is researching degree paths that support it through online searches, personal contacts and your OSU resources. A great place to start is the Career Services website at HireOSUgrads.com . Click on the “Explore Careers” tab for resources and online career assessments.

Your experiences in and out of class, along with help from your academic advisor and OSU Career Services consultant, can help you discover the right fit for you. If you’re looking at multiple areas, choose the degree program with the least flexibility to start.

For instance, if you’re equally interested in graphic design and marketing, you might begin in graphic design, where the first semester coursework should include Drawing I. Marketing is slightly more flexible and will allow for transfer of classes to its program should you change your major within your first or second year. Your academic advisor will help you choose the most appropriate courses for your current academic and career focus. okstate.mymajors.com