Description
This resource will describe undeclared students as well as their most common advising issues.
Who are undeclared students?
Undeclared students have yet to declare and formally enroll in a major at the University of Minnesota. Since the University of Minnesota requires students to declare a major by the semester in which they reach 60 credits, most undeclared students will have accumulated fewer than 60 credits. Some undeclared students have decided on a major and simply need to complete the admittance process. Some undeclared students are having difficulty deciding on a major.
Common Advising Issues
There are a few common advising issues related to undeclared students. The advising issues are divided into two sections. The first section addresses undeclared students who are pursuing a competitive admissions major, and the second section addresses undeclared students who are having difficulty deciding on a major.
Note: Students who have not declared majors by 45 credits receive an email message reminding them of the fact they will have to choose a major shortly or a hold will be placed on their record (Holds, Section 5.3). Students receive another email message if they still have not declared a major by the semester in which they reach 60 credits.
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Students seeking admission to competitive majors
For students who are seeking admission to competitive majors it is important that they are aware of the requirements that must be met in order to apply to the major.
The main advising issue for this group of undeclared students is the “Plan B.” It is important for advisers to help students understand that if they are not admitted to the competitive program, it is wise to have an alternate major chosen. This alternate may be a noncompetitive major, or at least a competitive major for which the student’s academic record is sufficient. This issue can be difficult for students to discuss, because often they do not want to face the reality that they may not be admitted to their first choice of major. From an advising standpoint, it is helpful if advisers have a knowledge of related majors that may still help the student end up in the same or a related career path.
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Students having difficulty deciding
Although they may have four semesters worth of classes behind them, some students still have difficulty finding a major that interests them. Alternatively, some students remain undeclared because they want to major in many things and can’t decide. For these sets of undeclared students, education about majors and careers is important.
The main advising issue for those who do not know what they want to major in will be to start educating themselves about the options. Advisers must help students understand that they will not be allowed to continue their education at the University of Minnesota if they do not declare a major at 60 credits. Advisers can do one-to-one career discussions with these students, but the Career and Community Learning Center (CCLC) is a great referral for these students. The CCLC has everything from a resource room full of career materials, workshops, and credit-bearing classes to personal appointments with career counselors to help students decide on a major. Informing students about possible career paths, reassuring them that this decision does not dictate what they will do for the rest of their lives, and referring them to use the CCLC to their benefit are all options to help this type of undeclared student. (Note: each advising office has CCLC referral slips to give students specifics of what to ask for once they get to the CCLC. This can increase the likelihood of their using this resource.)
For undeclared students with many interests, the main advising issue will be assisting them in narrowing down their options to a manageable level. In addition to the resources mentioned above, information about the Inter-College Program and Individualized Degree Programs or referral to a counselor in UCCS may be appropriate for this type of student. However, there are deadlines and paperwork for acceptance into the ICP and IDP programs so students will need to plan accordingly. Otherwise, if there is a pattern of interest, pointing out the commonalities among majors may assist in the student. Also, for some students double majoring or picking up a minor is a reasonable way to satisfy all their interests.
Strategies for Advising Undeclared Students
Nearly all first-year students can be considered “undecided” about their majors, at least to some degree. Those who indicate a specific major may be quite uncommitted to them, and may, in fact, change majors several times. Thus, advising for the undecided first-year student is similar to advising for other first year students. The following advising strategies have proven useful.
- While students should not focus solely on liberal education requirements, students should begin their college careers by working on some of the liberal education requirements. It is helpful to emphasize that students should choose courses that interest them and help them explore their interests. This is true for their liberal education courses as well.
- Possible majors can be explored via introductory courses in these majors
- Students should be encouraged to consider possible majors when making choices about liberal education requirements. It often doesn’t occur to students that some courses can serve multiple purposes (i.e., meeting a liberal education requirement and exploring a major).
- Unless the student specifically requests it, major exploration activities should probably not be initiated until late in the first year. Students often need time to adjust to being in college before they can maximally benefit from these activities. As students do begin the career exploration process, the CCLC Resource room in 135 Johnston and the course ID (Interdepartmental Study) 1201, Career Exploration, are great places to start.
- Encourage students to consider the first year as a time for exploration. Assure them that it is perfectly acceptable to be undecided about a major as long as they’re actively exploring and filling requirements essential to all degree programs.
- Effective fall 1999, students must officially declare their major by the term they will complete 60 semester credits.
Students with more than 30 semester credits may feel considerably more anxiety about being undecided. Although nearly 30 percent of new students do not declare a major until their sophomore year, it becomes increasingly important that these students plan their courses carefully. Poor course selection may delay a student’s planned graduation date.
- As a rough rule of thumb, if students normally carry four courses per semester, at least two of them should be major exploration courses. Many students stick compulsively to liberal education requirements, complete them, but remain undecided and no longer have any “safe” courses to take in future semesters. The emphasis should be focused on selecting a major after the first year.
- If one or more of the possible majors has prerequisite courses or a limited range of acceptable courses in the Liberal Education requirements, the student should be encouraged to pursue this coursework. For example, a student who is considering business through the Carlson School of Management can take Math 1142 or 1271. If the student is also considering an economics major only Math 1271 is an acceptable math course. These issues are especially important for students who are pursuing CLA majors with limited access or pre-professional programs.
- Students should be reminded that they must have 48 credits of upper-level coursework for a CLA degree. Students who take more than 72 credits of 1xxx- or 2xxx-level courses will need more than 120 semester credits to graduate. Remember that students who haven’t fulfilled the second language, the mathematical thinking, and the physical and biological science requirements will have very limited options for selecting upper-level courses to meet these requirements. Also, it is often important to “save” some lower level credits in case the student changes majors later.
- Students who are undecided should be encouraged to select courses that serve multiple purposes (e.g., a liberal education requirement and a major requirement, multiple liberal education requirements). This gives them more opportunities to sample a variety of majors and to select majors with large credit requirements.
- Undeclared students beyond their first year usually are good candidates for major exploration activities. They often have done some self-assessment and are highly motivated to make a decision. See “Major and Career Exploration Activities” below for possible referrals.
Major and Career Exploration Activities
There are a variety of major and career exploration activities available at the University that can help students make educational and vocational choices. There are three primary resources for CLA students who are doing this type of exploration: CLA student communities, the Career and Community Learning Center, and the Career Development Center of University Counseling and Consulting Services (302 Eddy Hall). Other referrals may be appropriate if students are considering non-CLA majors.
Students who are considering majors in CLA should be encouraged to contact the departments that interest them as soon as possible. Students who are considering majors outside of CLA should be referred to the Undergraduate Advising Programs sheet to determine the services that are available to them. These services may include “First Step Meetings,” information group meetings, or on-site mini-appointments.
When considering referrals to these services it is important to consider several issues: Will the student feel more comfortable working alone or in a group? Will the person feel comfortable working with a computer? How much coursework or work experience has the person had? What are the parts of the major exploration process that are most confusing to the student?
CLA Student Services has also developed an online service module that is available through the student community websites called Choosing a Major. This module offers advice and resources for students who need help deciding on a major.
