Deciding on a major is a process that unfolds over several semesters. About 30% of incoming freshmen begin as undeclared students. It is best to declare a major by 60 credits earned or before first semester junior year. Majors range from 36-120 credits. The larger majors (engineering, education) require an earlier decision than smaller credit majors.

When you declare and how many credits you have earned toward a major will determine the semester you are able to graduate. Declaring earlier will give you the best chance at graduation in four years. The Academic Advising Center has professional advisors to help you through the process of exploring and deciding upon a major. Here are some ways you can explore majors:

• Spend the first three semesters at New Paltz taking General Education and exploratory 1courses. Many introductory courses fulfill GE as well as major requirements.

• Research New Paltz majors and minors by looking at the Undergraduate Catalog.

• Read the course lists for potential majors. You should feel excited by the courses and understand the math, science, or writing skills needed to be successful.

• Visit the department Web pages of all majors of interest. Are there entrance requirements, such as cum GPA, grade restrictions, portfolio or application requirements? Understand the major, the department, and school it is housed in.

• Talk to everyone! Ask friends and faculty about the course work for majors of interest. Help your parents understand your interest in a major. Talk to professors of your favorite courses or seek out professors doing research in an interest area. Talk to professionals in fields you might be interested in. Ask them what they studied in college.

• Make connections between careers paths and major. Visit the Career Resource Center, attend workshops on major decision making offered each semester by the Academic Advising Center, and research majors and careers online.

• Try a simple Google search "Careers for _______ Majors." Fill in the blank with majors of interest. You will get many ideas to help you begin to think about how majors and careers are connected. Professional track majors (like Accounting or Communication Disorders) lead to very specific careers. More general liberal arts majors (like Philosophy or History) do not lead to specific careers, but rather focus on building skill sets, such as research, writing, and critical thinking.