Undecided & Exploring Majors

What is the No. 1 answer when we ask incoming students what their major will be? It's not business or any of the sciences. It's "undecided." And that's okay. In fact, that can be your best approach when you begin college.

Society places too much pressure on 17- and 18-year-olds to decide on their major and lock themselves into a program. And there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about choosing a major (here are nine). We think many students benefit from waiting to declare a major. When you join our academic community, you explore different areas, get hands-on experience in different settings, and discover what you want to do and who you want to be.

That's why OWU doesn't require you to declare your major until the end of you sophomore year. OWU's academic progam focuses on helping you develop nine core "power skills" that employers value most highly, no matter what career path you choose. You will learn to think, speak, and act.

Year One: Explore Majors

Your first year at Ohio Wesleyan is your greatest opportunity to explore the breadth of the liberal arts. This is your year to expand your options, expand your experience, expand your mind.

• Sign up to take the first-year seminar class How to Change Your World, where students explore the issues that matter to them from a variety of academic disciplines. The course includes an Academic Journey unit, where you'll reflect on your values and interests to consider what kind of major and career makes sense for you.
• Collect stamps in your OWU Passport by completing milestones that will help you learn about opportunities at OWU and successfully navigate your first year.
• Take classes in areas that you've always enjoyed AND in areas that you've never experienced. A single class in an unfamiliar field has changed the life of countless students.
• Visit the Career Connection office, where you can take evaluations that might uncover special interests or skills, get advice from career coaches, and find internships where you can discover jobs that you might - or might not - think you want to pursue.
• Talk with your academic advisor about areas you can explore and classes that fulfill academic requirements. And be sure to review Academic Advising's "Deciding on a Major" webpage for indepth information about every aspect of the process.
  
• Gather information. Think about how you would answer questions like these about why you might be interested in a specific major.

Year Two: Dig Deeper to Choose

In your second year, begin to focus on areas that you find especially exciting. When you find majors that you like, gather information. Take another class in that subject. Visit a faculty member during their office hours to talk about the field. Talk with students majoring in the subject. Go to the Career Connection office and ask about an externship, where you can shadow an alum working in the field.

And think about how you would answer questions like these about why you might be interested in a specific major.

By the end of the year, you should have a broad base of classes under your belt, and you will be able to officially declare your major.

Before you declare a major - or if you plan to change majors - do you think you might have challenges in telling your family about your decision? If so, here are some tips that will help you prepare for that major conversation.

Two Majors

Maybe you'll declare two majors! 

A second major can make a graduate's resume more impressive in certain fields - and the right combination could be ideal for a career path you want to pursue. For example, combining zoology with English or commuinication could be a winning combination for someone who wants a career writing about animals and science.

That's why OWU makes it easier than many universities for students to graduate with multiple majors. In fact, about a third of OWU students graduate with two or more majors!

If you're thinking about combining two (or three) majors, start working with your academic advisor as early as possible to make sure you can combine the right classes to ensure that you graduate on time.

Tools & Resources for Choosing a Major

Academic Advising's "Deciding on a Major" webpage is filled with in-depth information about every aspect of the process. Here are a few of the resources there to help you learn about all your options and choose the right path for yourself.