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- Major and Programs @ HSU
(includes 4 year plans) - Math Placement Test - MPT (pdf)
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Steps to Get Started
FIND OUT WHAT’S OUT THERE…
The catalog: get acquainted with your Humboldt catalog. It’s got lots of information to help you begin your search. You wouldn’t order a meal at a restaurant without first studying the menu, would you? Think of the catalog is your menu to a wide variety of enticing and fascinating possibilities.
First, find the list of academic programs. It’s followed by a more than a hundred pages of program descriptions arranged in alphabetical order. Each entry tells you the title of the program; what it is (major, minor, credential, etc); who the staff and faculty contacts are; supplies a description of the program which usually includes career opportunities available to graduates.
Review the program description, and requirements. Want to know more about the courses associated with the major? You can find course descriptions arranged alphabetically beginning on page 189.
The campus: Walk around campus and check-out department/major bulletin boards. Does the posted information appeal to you, are there activities advertised that interest you? Does the major have a club with meeting information posted? Visit the Career Center to find out how majors relate to careers.
The web: At www.humboldt.edu, select “Majors and Programs” and investigate. There are links to four year plans, department websites, links to major’s clubs and activities, and to faculty areas of interest. Check out the Exploring Majors links from the Advising Center's Exploring Majors page. You're exploring without ever having to leave your chair.
FIND OUT WHAT’S IN YOU…
Take some time for self-assessment. What are your values, goals, interests, inclinations, aspirations? Do you want to be wealthy? Influential? Do you want to help others? Are you most comfortable in a stable environment or do you seek change? Are you artistic or scientific, or a little of both? Do you thrive when you can participate in hands-on activities or do you love a traditional classroom environment. Is it important to you to be around people, or to work independently, work outside or in, live in a rural or urban environment? The HSU Career Center offers various personality and interest assessment tools. Make a visit to their office and their website.
Consider your skills and academic strengths. Do you do well in math and science? How strong are your study skills? Do you love to read? Write? What was your favorite class in high school or community college? You need to assess your abilities realistically when choosing a major. Don’t choose a Pre-veterinary program because you love animals, but don’t enjoy science courses, or a music major because you enjoy listening to music, but have no musical talent.
Take your interests into account. Chances are you’ll succeed in classes that focus on issues, ideas, and topics that engage your interest and excite your imagination. If you love to travel and learn about other cultures, check out geography, anthropology, or international studies. If you love to read and write, think about English or journalism. If the study of the natural world interests you check out Natural Resources or Wildlife. Read the course descriptions of the classes you’ll take in a major. Do they sound interesting?
CONSULT WITH OTHERS…
Talk to other students, especially juniors and seniors that seem satisfied and successful in school. Ask them how they decided on a major, what they plan to do after they graduate, if they have any advice for you.
Talk to people you know that have jobs you might like--your parents, cousins, neighbors, parents of friends, friends of parents. How did they get started in their careers? What did they study in college? Do they have any advice for you? When people ask you what you’re majoring in, turn the question around--ask them what they think you should major in!
Talk to department chairs and faculty associated with majors that intrigue you. Don’t be shy. Most faculty are happy to spend a bit of time introducing the merits of their program to a potential new major. If you don’t know how to strike up a conversation, make a formal appointment, and bring a list of questions you want to ask. Remember that faculty are educators with your best interest at heart. They are not just experts in their field, but measure their success as educators by your success as a student. They want you to thrive.
TAKE INTRODUCTORY COURSES
There are many majors with introductory courses that also count for general education. Take advantage of that—you can fulfill a GE requirement, learn a lot, and also become acquainted with a major discipline.
What about majors that don’t have an intro course that counts for GE? Consider attending a few lectures as an observer, review course syllabi (usually available in department offices or on the web).
NARROW YOUR CHOICES TO A SHORT LIST, AND COME SEE US!
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