Exploring Majors

Meeting with an academic advisor

We encourage you to contact and meet with the advisor for a major(s) you are interested in to discuss the program and career paths related to the degree. This doesn’t mean you have to declare that particular major at that time, but it is a good idea to learn as much as you can and have your questions answered by that particular major advisor. To locate the advisor in your department (potential major), go to “Who is my advisor?”

If you are undecided or confused about majors/degrees at UT in general, and would like to spend some time with an advisor exploring various majors, we recommend you meet with an advisor in the Academic Advisement Center for a major exploration appointment to discuss the different majors and minors we offer at UT and which degree may match your interests as well as your educational and personal goals.

Preparing for your major exploration appointment

Below are several questions to consider before your major exploration appointment with an advisor. We encourage you to write down the answers to some or all of these questions and bring the information to your appointment. You could also submit this information via e-mail to the advisor prior to your scheduled appointment if you would prefer.

1. What courses and subjects do you enjoy?
2. What are your interests and hobbies?
3. What clubs and activities are you involved in or would like to get involved in?
4. If you could picture your dream job, how would you describe it?
5. What are your academic and/or personal strengths?
6. Please describe some of the goals you have set for yourself at UT.
7. What is important to you in a career – happiness, advancement potential, challenging work, money, work-life balance, status, minimal stress, etc.?
8. What is challenging for you about deciding on a major at UT and/or a career path?

Declaring your major

We strongly encourage that UT students declare a major by the end of sophomore year (by the time a student earns 60 credits). You can either:

• Declare your major with an advisor in the appropriate department. We highly recommend you do this as soon as possible. You can find the departmental advisors at the following link: “Who is my advisor?”
• Set up a major exploration appointment with an advisor in the University Advisement Center by calling 435-652-7690. After that meeting, the exploratory advisor may refer you to a career coach for further exploration or to the academic advisor for the specific major you plan on pursuing to officially declare.

The importance of declaring a major

In order to graduate, you will need to select a degree program (major). Selecting a major early allows you to establish a relationship with your departmental advisor, which means you can develop a graduation plan that fits your educational needs right from the start. The earlier you declare a major, the sooner you can benefit from potential perks of the program including departmental scholarship, undergraduate research opportunities, internship opportunities and student leadership positions within the department. Students who declare a major early typically save time and money – a big plus in college!

how to declare a major at UT

• Meet with the departmental advisor of the major you want to declare. During the discussion, the advisor will submit an online major change form on your behalf. After your meeting, you should verify that your major is listed on your unofficial UT transcript through your “My UT” account.