Choosing a Major at FIU

Most students in college experience indecision when selecting a major.  In fact, most students are either undecided as a freshmen or change their majors before beginning their senior year.  It is typical for students to be nervous about the decision-making process that comes with choosing a major; however, it is crucial that students be proactive and that steps be taken to ease this overwhelming process.

Before proceeding to seek help, it is often recommended that students take some time for self-assessment. Self-assessment is a vital part of career planning as it leads to evaluating individual values, interests, skills, personality, and desired lifestyle.

Additionally, this helps identify potential strengths which will be ideally aligned to specific careers. After students learn more about themselves, they can begin an ‘elimination process’ to cross off majors that are not a good fit—often times, eliminating those majors that are not appealing is an effective way to concentrate on those majors that are better aligned to one’s goals and priorities.

A list of majors can be found on the FIU website or can be obtained from visiting with an academic advisor. Those majors that are being considered are the ones that will require a closer look, utilizing all the resources available at FIU!

Florida International University diligently designs programs to assist students in deciding on a major. Encourage your student to make use of the following resources:

Academic Advising Center 

In the Academic Advising Center students will find trained advisors, available to ease this exploratory process.  Encourage them to:

• Consult with an advisor about the classes to take for the major your student is considering and for guidance on her or his options, according to her or his interests, values, priorities and strengths. Moreover, our office administers a career-oriented assessment that students can take to get ideas of majors and fields they should consider.
• Learn about the service-learning project, designed for exploratory students to get exposed to a field while volunteering abroad.  This year, the Academic Advising Center developed a project in collaboration with the Center for Leadership & Service that took exploratory students to the Dominican Republic to volunteer.  While on site, students worked with disadvantaged children.  Students interested in the areas of international relations, education, psychology, and social work were able to gain some first-hand exposure to the field while making connections and validating their interest
• Visit our website for more information on frequently asked questions related to undecided students and a copy of our Undecided Students E-newsletter, where updates on workshops and programs designed for undecided students, are shared.

Career Services  

Professionals in Career Services are available to assist students who are exploring majors and career options. Encourage your student to:

• Visit the office for information on workshops and assessments that will help your student narrow down her or his options.
• Visit a career specialist for more information on career options with specific degrees.
• Inquire about internships available to expose your student to a field of interest.
• Seek help on developing an impressive and representative resume.

At FIU, it is our goal that students feel connected to the campus and take full advantage of our resources.  A big part of that involves assisting students with identifying a field of study and working with them to develop an academic plan that will enable them to be successful.

Being exploratory is a reality for many college students. It is important for those students to know, however, that there are a number of resources available to guide them through that decision-making process!

By Bianny Fernandez, Academic Advisor, Undergraduate Studies