Choosing a College Major That Pays for Your Passion

With hundreds of majors to choose from, students sometimes are overwhelmed by the choices when trying to select a college major. Dr. Kevin Bukatman's workshop will explore those choices, based on a student’s interests, skills, and talents. Choosing the "right" major isn’t always about a student's best subject and where they excel.  Questions regarding whether to enter college as “Undeclared” will also be answered.  Successfully determining how a student decides on a major can lead to a more satisfying college experience. It can also lessen the likelihood of the student changing majors and adding extra semesters (and more debt) to earn a degree. College majors also heavily influence future career opportunities. Dr. Bukatman discuss the relationship between a major and the career options within it. He emphasizes the need to consider the future in the decision as well. After all, the job market will look very different in 20-30 years than it does today.

• Objective

  • Learning how to make educated decisions when choosing a major in college/university.
  • Understanding the criteria to consider when choosing a major.
  • Understanding the reality of what your major can and cannot do for you, and when it makes sense to change your mind.
  • Understanding what you are actually paying for with a university.  Cost/Benefit analysis for a number of criteria and how it applies to different majors.
  • Understanding employers’ hiring priorities: experience vs education.
  • The “21st Century Skill Set” is primarily soft-skills that are learned by doing but rarely taught.

• Topics

  • Basic criteria in choosing a college major
  • Real-world outcomes to expect from your selection
    • Will there be good job opportunities?
    • Will I need a graduate-level degree to find work?
    • Will my future income justify the education cost/debt?
  • Applying to college with a declared a major (Pros/Cons)
  • Applying to college as “Undeclared” (Pros/Cons)
  • Assistance in deciding what major is right for you
  • Assistance in deciding what career is right for you
  • Liberal Arts degrees, are they actually valuable?  Cost/Benefit over a career.
  • Prestigious universities; when they are worth the cost
  • Long-term view and impact of selecting your major.
    • The job market will change over the course of your career, will your major be relevant in 30 years?
    • Examples of high-paying, rewarding careers that did not exist 20 years ago.
  • How your major fits into employers’ hiring priorities
  • The “21st Century Skill Set,” will my college major help me acquire it?

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