How do I explore a major?
Choosing your major is an important moment in your academic career. Whether you are an exploring student or you have changed your major several times, it is important to explore the many opportunities that are available to you. The more exploration you do, the more informed you will be when you declare a realistic major.
Below are some resources that can assist you through this process.
SSC 1150 Student Success Center: College Success Seminar (2 credit hours)
- myZou Attribute: DISCOVER
- Designed for exploring first semester students.
- This course is designed to create a positive student experience by connecting students with the Mizzou campus community and the academic resources essential to their success. Students will assess their strengths, values, interests, and skills to develop and implement an individualized and strategic approach to successfully navigate their way through college and life. Course topics will focus on navigating career and major paths in pursuit of academic and life success. Students will become aware of the exploration process and understand their agency and responsibilities in major and career development.
SSC 2100 Student Success Seminar: Career Explorations (1 credit hour)
- Suggested for continuing and/or transfer students.
- The goal of this course is to facilitate the exploration of personal and social determinants of career choice. Students will apply career development theory to choice of career and/or major.
Links
Four Semester plan for Exploring Students
Below is a semester guide for exploring students. Students should identify a major by 45 hours (end of third semester). Once a student earns 60 credit hours, they are required to declare a major to continue registration eligibility.
| First Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | |
| SSC 1150 Discover | 2 | ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | |
| Math and Quantitative Reasoning course | 3 | *Science course | 3 | |
| Social Science (MO State Law) | 3 | Humanities course | 3 | |
| Humanities course | 3 | Behavioral or Social Science course | 3 | |
| *Science course | 4 | Major Exploration course | 3 | |
| 15 | 15 | |||
| Second Year | ||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | |
| Writing Intensive | 3 | Major Exploration course | 3 | |
| *Science course | 3 | Major Exploration course | 3 | |
| Behavioral or Social Science course | 3 | Major Exploration course | 3 | |
| Humanities course | 3 | Elective | 3 | |
| Major Exploration course | 3 | Elective | 3 | |
| 15 | 15 | |||
| Total credit hours earned by end of second year | 60 | |||
Note:
Based on University general education requirements
*At least one science course must have a lab