The Undeclared Major
Some students are uncertain of their choice of major and choose to enter the university as undeclared. For such students, there is a dedicated first-year academic advisor who will assist in the process of discovering and selecting a major. Beginning studies as an undeclared major allows students to take time for careful reflection in selecting a major that best suits their interests and abilities.
Undeclared students must choose a major by the end of their sophomore year because traditionally a student’s junior and senior years are devoted to taking classes within the major. The first-year academic advisor encourages undeclared students to begin narrowing down their potential majors by the conclusion of the first year.
Typically, there are two types of undeclared students, each with a different suggested first-year course plan.
Undeclared Major Option 1
This option should be chosen by students who are open to several possibilities or have no clear idea about how to choose a major. The focus will be on taking classes required for the Liberal Arts Core and exploring introductory courses in areas of interest.
Year One — Fall
EN 101 Composition I (WR core course)*
Humanities (FNA or HI-1) core course*
TRS 100 Theological Inquiry (TRS-1 core course)*
DSC 101 DISCOVER First-Year Seminar*
One (1) explore elective**
Year One — Spring
EN 102 Composition II (WR core course)*
PH 100 Introduction to Philosophy (PH-1 core course)*
Natural Science (NS) core course with lab*
Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course*
One (1) explore elective**
Undeclared Major Option 2
This should be chosen by students who are able to narrow down their choice of major to two or three possibilities, and at least one of those choices is a field that is mathematics- or science-intensive. In addition to taking Liberal Arts Core requirements, these students will take introductory mathematics and science courses. This will give students an opportunity to evaluate their aptitude in these disciplines.
Year One — Fall
EN 101 Composition I (WR core course)*
SS-1 or Mathematics (MT) core course*
Natural Science (NS) core course with lab*
TRS 100 Theological Inquiry (TRS-1 core course)*
DSC 101 DISCOVER First-Year Seminar*
Year One — Spring
EN 102 Composition II (WR core course)*
PH 100 Introduction to Philosophy (PH-1 core course)*
History (HI-1) or SS-1 or FNA core course*
Introductory Social Science (SS-1) core course*
One (1) explore elective**
* Fulfills Liberal Arts Core/University Requirements. See University Requirements and the Liberal Arts Core and Course Descriptions for further information.
** Explore electives should be selected from courses in the subject area(s) in which the student is considering a major.