Investigating College Majors Related To Careers

Does every student want to be employable after college graduation? For the majority of students and their families, the answer is a resounding YES.  A key question then should be “In what industry and career do I want to make a contribution?” The answer will influence choosing a major wisely. “What can I do with this major? What industries value this major? What credentials are critical to this industry?” are also important questions to consider. It is not sufficient to choose a college major by simply choosing a favorite subject.

Connecting majors to relevant careers informs student planning and success, including how  many years of education is required: Associates, Bachelors of Arts or Science, Masters, Ph.D. When students know the industries and kind of jobs that are a good fit with their aptitudes and interests, they can focus their exploration of those careers. This enables them to make informed decisions regarding which department to apply to and the college major, internships and other experiences that can best prepare them for a career path.

Some careers, like nursing, are very specific and require a student to choose a particular major.  To begin a career in nursing, a student must major in nursing, not biology or chemistry, and be accepted into the program. However, there may be several majors that can prepare a student to enter other careers successfully. For example, the academic path to a career in video game  design can be routed through majors in animation, interactive technology, computer graphics, computer science, software engineering, or information systems. Similarly, preparation for a career in forensics can direct a student to a criminal justice major or a science route via a major in biology, chemistry, physics, forensic sciences or physical anthropology. Examining the specific coursework and admission criteria required for each major can help in the decision-making and preparation process.

How can students investigate various majors to see which academic preparation may be the best preparation for their intended careers?

1. A first step is to identify the kinds of jobs and work environments in which you want to launch their career. The University of Tennessee developed and shared with many universities an excellent resource, What can I do with this Major? to help with this task.
2. Learn about the coursework for the majors under consideration. Different colleges and related departments have varied admission criteria. These include grade point average, test scores and other experience. Look at the courses required for the major, and the courses that you can choose as electives. Read through the course descriptions in the online course catalog. Do most of the courses sound interesting to you? For many career areas, like engineering, business, and biology, there are several options of specialization within those majors. These may differ by college or university. Be sure to dig into that information to get a sense of the differences and which one might suit your purposes best or suggest early exploration activities.
3. At the beginning of a semester or on a college visit, stop by the campus bookstore and head for the textbook area. Find the section that where the books for courses in your potential major are shelved. Skim through the tables of contents in the books as an easy way to preview the course content.
4. Does the campus have at least one club or organization for your major or intended career direction? Many professional organizations have student chapters. The American Marketing Association, for example, supports several hundred collegiate chapters. Students already on campus can join the student chapter of the professional organization or club related to their major and career direction, and gain knowledge, experience and often meet with professionals in the field.

“The coursework is not always the career.” In your work, you will be applying what you have  learned. So as you rise to the challenge of a biomedical terminology course, which relies on  pure memory to learn the basic language of the medical world, keep in mind that you won’t be memorizing lists of words on the job every day. Some courses, like organic chemistry, are known to be quite challenging, so hunker down and do the work. These courses provide you with the foundation you will need in upper division and graduate coursework, and to do your best on the job one day.

And remember, if you are working a plan, you will have time in your schedule to take classes that  are enriching, interesting, and broaden your perspective of your community and the world. These are exciting years. Don’t lose opportunities because you didn’t create a game plan, and remember that plans can be adjusted if new information comes along.