What Is A College Major?

Introduction

College major refers to a group of subjects which you have to study at college level in order to receive a college degree. You have to specialize in a particular field like literature or physics. There are specific subjects which are regarded as ‘core courses’ in which you will have to specialize in, while there are others which you will need to pursue as ‘elective courses’. In the US, a college major is also known as academic major.

Why should you choose a major?

You need to choose a college major because of two reasons. The first is to prepare for a particular field where you want to pursue your career, and secondly, to study a subject which interests you. Some students go for a major so as to enter into a particular job sector. Career focused majors include different fields like management, medicine, engineering, law etc. If you have interested in a certain profession, majoring in it will provide you with practical skills which you will be able to apply when you enter the job market.

You may also choose a subject as a major simply because you love the subject, though you may pursue a career which has little to do with it. But that doesn’t mean you do not gain any skills. For instance, many students who opt for philosophy as major do not become philosophers, but graduate you with good analyzing power and critical thinking which are highly valued by prospective employers.

What benefits does choosing a major give?

Choosing a major provides you with requisite knowledge as well as skills necessary to be successful in the career you choose. For example, if you choose law as a college major, you will get acquainted to the different laws related to different skills, which will help you in the long run to analyze client’s cases from different perspectives and solve them.

How career choices are made based on majors?

A large number of students opt for those subjects in which they want to build their future career. For example, an individual who wants to work in finance will choose accountancy as his area of specialization. But career choice isn’t made on the basis of the specific profession one wants to enter into alone. You need to find out whether the subject you choose as major interests you or not. If for instance, you have genuine interest in literature and opt for English as your major, then you can get into exciting professions like journalism and publishing.

Conclusion

The subject major that you opt for is going to shape your career in the long run. Therefore, take your time and think over the matter. Consulting a career counselor may be a good idea. Therefore, go for the subject which you are passionate about. This will ensure that you not only enjoy the subject, but get good grades as well.

Chriz writes about online education and offers tips to students on choosing a college, taking up a course and offers information on choosing a career.