Whether you’re totally undecided, confidently declared, or somewhere in between, you should explore your options before committing fully to a major. Students who make the effort to explore are more likely to choose a major that aligns with their interests and are ultimately more successful in their studies.
The Exploratory Program is designed to provide students with the time to explore major options while working on their general education coursework (the Liberal Education Program). All Exploratory students will have an assigned academic advisor who will guide them through their major exploration journey while helping them choose courses that keep them on track for timely graduation.
Area of Interests
Exploratory students must select an area of interest. This allows them to narrow their focus down to a particular group of common majors that match their interests, such as Business or Social Sciences. Students will have an assigned academic advisor within their area of interest who will provide specialized advising for their area. If a student is not ready to choose an area of interest and would like to be completely exploratory, they can choose the “Still Deciding” area of interest.
Choosing an area of interest does not mean that a student is declared or guaranteed admission into that major. It means that they are Exploratory and have selected a specific area of interest to explore before declaring a major.
Still Deciding
This option is for students who want to explore all majors and/or are not yet ready to narrow down their exploration to a specific area of interest. Those interested in exploring the Interdisciplinary Studies Program should also choose this concentration.
Arts and Humanities
Select if exploring the following major areas: Art History, Studio Art, Communication, Art Education PK-12, English, English Education 7-12, History, History/Social Studies Education 7-12, Media Studies, Music, Philosophy, Theatre, all World Languages (including World Language Education 7-12).
Business
Select if exploring the Business Administration major, with the following concentrations: Accounting, Business Economics, Business Information Systems, Finance, Management and International Business, Marketing, and Public Utilities Management.
Education
Select if exploring the following major areas: Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Elementary-Bilingual Education, Collaborative Special-Elementary Education, Special Education, and Information and Library Science.
Health and Human Services
Select if exploring the following major areas: Accelerated Athletic Training, Communication Disorders, Exercise and Sport Science, Health Science, Healthcare Studies, Nursing, Physical Education PK-12, Public Health, Recreation and Leisure Studies, Sport Management, and Social Work.
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Select if exploring the following major areas: Anthropology, Journalism, Political Science, Political Science Ed, Psychology, Sociology.
STEM
Select if exploring the following major areas: Biology, Biology Education 7-12, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Chemistry Education 7-12, Computer Science, Data Science, Earth Science, Earth Science Education 7-12, Environmental Systems and Sustainability, Geography, Math, Math Education 7-12, Physics, Physics Education 7-12.
Policies and Deadlines
- Students must declare a major upon completion of 60 credits.
- Transfer students with more than 60 credits can begin at SCSU in the Exploratory program, but must declare a major within their first semester.
- Students in the Exploratory program who have between 45-60 earned credits (and incoming transfer students with more than 60 earned credits in their first semester on campus) will have a registration hold put on their ability to register for courses, requiring them to see their academic advisor and make a major declaration decision.
- Students should be aware that a delay in the declaration of a major may result in needing more than 120 credits to graduate with their chosen major.
- Exploratory students can also declare a minor.
Contact
Harry Twyman