Guide to Choosing a Major

Your Major Doesn’t Have to Relate to Your Career

Major and career choice are not always the same thing. It’s true: some fields like accounting, education, social work and nursing do require specific degrees or substantial course work in order to qualify for certification or licensing, but don’t worry! A lot of careers may require a bachelor's degree, but not a specific major.

• Most employers are concerned with the skills you’ll learn throughout college, like oral and written communication and problem-solving.
• Because most majors aren't focused on a specific job or career field, some form of practical experience is important. Internships can help you build the skills you need to succeed. So, an English major can use an internship to prepare for a career in banking, or a Psychology major can do an internship in the field of human resources.
• If you want to go into a career field that requires graduate or professional school, many have prerequisite course work requirements, but most don’t require a specific major.
  
  For example, medical schools will require a specific core of science courses, but you don’t have to major in one of the sciences to qualify for admission. This is not always the case, though, so it’s important to research the requirements as early as possible.

What to Do if You’re Not Ready to Declare

Many students believe that once they choose a major they are "locked" into that course of study. But that’s not true – you can change your major as many times as you’d like. There are, however, precautions to consider about changing a major too frequently or declaring late in your college career:

• Some departments may restrict enrollment in courses to majors only.
• Other courses may have prerequisites that must be taken before enrollment is possible.
• There could be a limited number of courses open to you outside of the courses required in the general education program.
• You may graduate later so you can complete necessary graduation requirements for your new academic program.

Remember, you don’t need to rush the decision and choose your major right now. But don’t delay longer than necessary. It may be easier to procrastinate because you’re focused on completing general education requirements, but you need to make the decision soon.

How to Declare at UW-Green Bay

After you’ve decided your major, contact your assigned professional advisor. To find out who your professional advisor is, log into SIS. Your professional advisor will help you declare. Note that for some majors, such as Social Work, Communication or Education, students must meet special admission criteria to be accepted as a major. See department websites for specific information.

Declare Your Major

A Complete List of Our Majors & Minors

See a complete and current list of majors and minors in the UW-Green Bay Undergraduate Catalog.

You are responsible for planning your course of study and major with the assistance and consultation of your academic advisor. To ensure you are fulfilling the correct requirements:

• Meet with your advisor each semester before registering for classes
• Check your degree progress through the Student Information System.
• Consult the college catalog and the academic department to get specific information about program requirements, areas of emphasis, and course offerings.