Skip to main content

Major Exploration at Utah State University

Exploratory Advising is the home for students who are are exploring their interests and options before they declare a major. In partnership with the Career Design Center, we provide students with many resources for major exploration including one-to-one advising appointments, a self-paced, ungraded canvas course, and exploration-driven workshops.
Join our Major Quest Canvas Course

As you investigate majors, consider these questions:

  • How do your strengths and abilities play a role in the majors you are considering?
  • How do you want to use your major to make a difference in the world?
  • How could the majors I am considering prepare me for future careers?

Step 1: Discover why you're here

Students are undecided for a variety of reasons. The exploration process can begin with taking a reflective look at reasons why you are unable to choose a major. It could be that you have to many interests to narrow it down to just one, or you are afraid of making the wrong decision. It could be that trusted people in your life are encouraging you to choose a major that doesn’t really interest you. No matter what the reason, the Exploratory Advising team is here to help you.

Action! 
  • Complete the Focus2 assessment and meet with the Career Design Center to discuss the results.
  • Take USU 1400—Exploring Majors and Careers. This course is a great course to help students assess their interests, values, skills, and temperaments and apply them to major and career options. This course emphasizes relationships between self-knowledge and realities of educational and employment opportunities.

Step 2: Learn more about our majors and career options

  • USU’s Degree Finder tool provides a general overview of all majors offered on a campus. Type a key word in the search and review the majors, requirements, and careers. Our Focus Areas can help you narrow your interests to majors with similar career outcomes.
  • Once you have identified a major, create summary of the 1000- and 2000-level requirements of all majors. We have first semester registration guides for every major to help you identify early classes that may be important. 
  • Generate a list of questions to ask faculty, academic advisors, and other resource persons.
  • Share information and reflect on what you learned with an Exploratory Advisor. 
Action! Use this worksheet as a guide to gather information.

Step 3: Integrate the information you've collected 

Now that you have gathered information, it is time to integrate what you have learned. You might consider combining several areas of interest into one new alternative like a major with one or two minors.  

Action! Use this worksheet as a guide for generating and confirming your major options and realistic alternatives.

Step 4: Initiate your action plan and make decisions 

Work with your Exploratory advisor to: 

  • Outline an action plan that specifies the activities to be done and the time frame in which these need to be accomplished. Understand deadlines and requirements for declaring your chosen major. 
  • Identify short- and long-term action steps placed in sequence on a timeline including dates for meeting with the major advisor. 
  • Realize that plans need to be periodically reevaluated and changed as new information or circumstances indicate. 
Action! Meet with your desired major advisor to confirm admission into their program. Fill out this form before meeting with your new advisor. If you have questions about meeting the prerequisite or admissions requirements for your desired major, meet with your Exploratory Advisor.

Exploring requires action

Our team of professionally trained academic advisors are available and ready to assist you in actively exploring and identifying a variety of majors to match your career goals. We encourage you to take advantage of the numerous campus resources available to educate and assist you in discovering your personal, educational, and career goals. We will ask you to be intentional and purposeful as you move toward selecting a major, a career, and through your life journey.

The Exploratory Advising Center will help facilitate a smooth transition to the appropriate College Advising Office once you have made the decision about your major and meet the College academic requirements.

Visit our Staff Directory

Web Chat

chat online

An online exchange of messages where the Exploratory Advising Office Staff will respond to questions, comments and concerns that do not require a full advising appointment but are still important. Our office hosts web chat hours Monday – Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Introducing New Conversational Space-Makers

Exploratory Advising has partnered with Conversational Space-Makers to give students a resource for exploring values, goals, conflicts, and difficult decisions. We know how important self-knowledge is in the major exploration process and we invite you to meet with a Conversational Space-Maker. You can explore questions like:
  • How do I discover things that give me purpose and energy?
  • How do I deal with the advice or expectations of others?
  • How do I manage the stress associated with difficult decisions?
  • What do I want in a career?

Conversational Space-Makers are USU students who have been formally trained in facilitating these conversations. These students have completed many hours of courses, training, observation, and practice in holding safe, exploratory and empowering conversations for others, and all have personal experiences with many of the same questions mentioned above and are eager to assist you in discovering answers to your own questions.
Schedule an Appointment