»Choosing and Using Your Major

Choosing your major can be a difficult step in your academic career, but finding out how to use your major is a whole different hurdle to cross. Look here [four year college plan pdf.] for guides on how to pick and apply your major.

+-Choosing Your Major Checklist Guide

The Career Development Center offers career counseling to assist you in choosing a major, but before you utilize these services follow this simple checklist to make sure prepared to speak with your counselor.

Scan the list of majors listed in your Chapman catalog.
Mark those majors that are appealing, even if you aren't sure what they are. Use your gut reaction and resist the temptation to eliminate majors because they aren't "practical."
Look for patterns of interests. Do all the majors seem to be in a particular school? Do they share common characteristics? This can help you identify patterns within your academic interests.
Read about the majors in the catalog. Do the classes sound interesting? This is a very important step because your idea of what that major is about may be very different than reality.
Create a list of 3-5 majors you would like to explore.
Utilize our "What You Can Do With Your Major" section below to read about your preferred majors.
If you are still interested in the major, talk to other students who are in that major and faculty who teach the classes.
Skim books that describe the occupations of people in that major. The Career Development Center has a career library with books that can be checked out. You can also use the Occupational Outlook Handbook found at www.bls.gov.
Consider combining your interests by double majoring or having a major and a minor.
Get an internship or part-time job in a field that's related to your major. This can be a great way to confirm that the major is right for you.

+-What Can You Do With Your Major

Sometimes the most difficult connection is the one between your major and your future career. This is a list of Chapman University majors and the career choices compatible with them. Remember that this is a general list, there is not and end all be all guide of what you have to do with a specific major. Many people get degrees in majors that are not related to their career field, but this is a great start off point when looking for a career related to your major.

What can you do with your major »