1. Choosing Your Major © Emily B. Kolby, M.Ed. (2015)

2. Your “Major” Defined MAJOR: a subject or field of study chosen by a student to represent his or her principal interest and upon which a large share of his or her efforts are concentrated (Dictionary.com) Bachelor’s Degree (180 credits) Your Major General Education Requirements Electives/Double- Major/Minor

3. FAQs How do I declare my major? Here at Bellevue College you will declare a program of study, which could be simply the AA degree you are following. You will officially declare at the University. Does Bellevue College offer a major in Underwater Basket Weaving (or really any other major…)? Not technically… we may offer classes in your chosen major to get your feet wet. Do I have to decide on my major today? NO! Today is just the beginning!

4. Some Numbers… 50-70% of students will change their major at least once. Many will change their major up to three times before graduating. The University of Washington has approximately 149 different majors… wow! Really your major may only consist of 10-12 classes in a specific area of study. This means you are not committing to one focus for the rest of your life.

5. Which comes first, my major or my career? No right answer… Some careers have a specific major related (e.g., Engineering) Some majors are very broad and can lead toward lots of things (e.g., English, History, etc.) We encourage you to work with an Academic Advisor or Career Advisor to talk through this question

6. Being “Major-Ready” You will want to start taking classes to explore and knock out prerequisites so that you can be admitted to your major at the university (e.g., competitive majors like Business) Some universities allow you a certain amount of credits before you are blocked out of lower-level classes. You want to save time and money!

7. Tips for Choosing Your Major

8. More Tips Be Open to exploring new classes, ideas, and areas of interest! Ask yourself some questions: What do I enjoy? What am I good at doing? What classes have I enjoyed in the past? Explore online resources: CollegeBoard.com, etc. Meet one-on-one with an Academic Advisor, Career Specialist, or Counselor to talk one-on-one.

9. Just for Fun… Celebrity College Majors Martha Stewart– European and Architectural History Steve Carrell- History “Weird Al” Yankovic- Architecture Sasha Baron Cohen- History Will Ferrell- Sports Information Jerry Springer- Political Science Rowan Atkinson (aka “Mr. Bean”)- Electrical Engineering Natalie Portman- Psychology