Changing your major
Before you meet with an advisor to change your major you will want to make sure you are making a good choice. Take the time to reflect on this decision by answering the following questions and doing some research on your major and career field interests.
Once you have completed the following steps you may meet with an advisor on either the Utica or the Rome campus. You can make an appointment for the Utica campus by calling the Academic Advisement Center at 315-731-5710 or for the Rome campus by calling the Student Service Center 315-334-7709.
Some things to consider:
Many students select majors because of their interests (Will I like doing this?), their potential performance (Can I do well in these classes?), the implications for their careers (Does this major help me to reach my goals?), and their educational and lifestyle values (What is most important to me?).
Ask yourself some of these questions and then utilize the resources below to make sure you have all of the answers you need.
- Why are you changing your major?
- What specific research have you done on this particular major?
- Where did you get your information about this new major?
- How did you make the decision to change your major?
Taking the free the Career Coach online assessment can help you explore areas of interest through tests focused on your values, interests, personality, and skills. The assessment will suggest careers and MVCC majors that might be a good fit for you based on your responses. You can create a profile and save your results so that you can revisit them with an advisor or career counselor.
We also suggest meeting with one of our Career Counselors for additional questions or help with choosing a major. You can schedule an appointment by calling 315-792-5377 or stopping by the Career Services Office in AB202 on the Utica campus.
Talk to students in the major that interests you to learn about their experiences. Some questions to ask might be:
- What do you like about this major?
- What do you not like about it?
- What are you learning that is especially challenging?
Another option would be to speak with a faculty member in the major you are interested in and to get their advice and insight. You can find a list of faculty members by major on each of the Department's websites as well as in the Academic Advising Center. Questions you may want to ask include:
- What kinds of abilities will I develop in this major?
- What kinds of careers have graduates of this major gone into?
- Which courses are known to be the most challenging?
- What kinds of prerequisites do I have to complete?
- What do students who enroll in this major say they like about it?
Volunteer or get a part-time job working in your field of interest. This is a great way to both get additional experience and to see if the career field is a good fit for you.
We also encourage you to do an informational interview or job shadow with someone in your desire field of work. Taking the time to talk with someone who currently works in the your field of interest allows you the chance to ask questions and become more familiar with what the work environment is like.
Another option would be to use the resources in the MVCC Library and online that provide great information about all kinds of careers, including the outlook, average salary, training and education required, opportunities for advancement, what kind of skills and abilities needed, and much more.