Questions to Ask About a College Major
For high school seniors and undecided college students who want questions to ask about majors before declaring one. The list follows who can answer: the department and its professors on coursework, entry requirements and cost, then students already in the major, then what graduates go on to do, how switching in or out works, and a last group to ask yourself.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Coursework
Which courses does this major require, and in what order do students usually take them?
Why ask it
Ask for the plan of study on one page, then read the order and not only the titles. A good answer points out which first-year courses everything later depends on, and those are the ones that cannot slip. If nobody in the department can lay out the sequence, expect to piece it together yourself every term.
What is the work in this major like week to week: problem sets, reading, labs, writing or projects?
Why ask it
The name of a subject says little about how you would spend your evenings in it. Find out what a normal week in a second-year course asks for. Weekly problem sets and long papers suit different people, and the useful test is which one you would still do when you are tired.
How does this major differ from the one closest to it, and is it offered as both a BA and a BS?
Why ask it
Name the neighbor yourself: economics beside business, or computer science beside information systems. The useful answer is a list of courses one requires and the other does not, because two majors can share a first year and part ways after it. Where a BA and a BS both exist, what separates them is set by each college, so ask which one students with your goal usually take.
Which course in the major do students find hardest, and why?
Why ask it
Most departments have one and can name it without thinking. The reason matters more than the name: a heavy workload is something you can plan a term around, while a course that leans on math or writing you have not had tells you what to shore up first. If all you hear is 'it depends on the student', put the same question to a student.
How much math, statistics or programming does this major need, and up to what level?
Why ask it
Get the name of the highest course required and read its description, because the same subject can stop at one statistics course on one campus and run through calculus on another. A major that sounds far from numbers may still have a methods sequence in the middle of it. If that course is beyond you today, ask what majors who arrive without the background take first.
How do the upper-level courses differ from the introductory one?
Why ask it
An intro course is often a broad survey and the later ones narrower and more technical, so loving or hating the first class can mislead you in either direction. The telling detail is what a third-year course expects that the intro does not. Once you have heard it, look at a syllabus from one.
How much of the major is fixed, and how much do I get to choose?
Why ask it
Have them give it as a count: required courses against electives. A mostly fixed major gives everyone the same training, which some fields expect, while one with many electives lets you follow your interests but leaves the planning to you. Neither design is better, and only you know which one you would make good use of.
Are there concentrations or tracks inside the major, and when would I have to pick one?
Why ask it
Two students with the same major on their diploma can have taken quite different courses. Find out whether any track has its own entry requirement and how late you can change. A late choice with shared early courses gives you time to learn what you like.
Could I study abroad or take a term-long internship in this major without graduating late?
Why ask it
A major built on a long chain of courses may leave one free term, or none. Ask which term its students usually go, and whether courses taken away count toward the major or only toward the degree total. If time away matters to you, hear this before you declare, because the open term can come earlier than you would guess.
After the intro level, how large are the classes and who teaches them?
Why ask it
Press for the second and third years, where most of your time would go. Ask too whether those courses are taught by permanent faculty, graduate students or instructors hired by the term, since the mix is each department's own. Small classes with the same few teachers are where the people who later write your references get to know you.
Is there a thesis, capstone project or final exam at the end of the major, and what does it involve?
Why ask it
The last requirement shows what the department thinks the whole major was for. See a recent example if you can, or the list of last year's topics. If the idea appeals to you, that is a good sign. If you would dread a year-long project, find out whether there is another route to finish.
How often are the required courses offered, and what happens when one is full?
Why ask it
A course taught once a year turns one missed registration into a twelve-month delay. The reassuring answer is that declared majors get first claim on seats, or that the department opens another section. 'Students usually work it out' deserves a follow-up about how many of them graduate late.
Can I sit in on a class or read a syllabus before I decide?
Why ask it
Pick a course from the middle of the major, not the intro: an hour in the room shows the pace, how much the students speak, and whether you want to know what happens next week. A department that says yes easily is also showing you how it treats newcomers.
Entry and cost
Can any student declare this major, or do I have to apply to it?
Why ask it
Colleges handle this differently, and the same subject can be open on one campus and selective on the next, so find out how it works here before assuming anything. If the answer is 'just fill in a form', several of the questions below fall away. If it is an application, ask for the criteria in writing.
As a high school senior, do I apply to this major with my college application, or after I am enrolled?
Why ask it
Some colleges admit straight into a major or a school within the university, and others bring everyone in undeclared. Where direct admission exists, ask how students get in later from inside the college, because that door can be narrower than the front one. It may change what you put on the application.
What GPA do I need to get into the major, and is meeting it enough?
Why ask it
A published minimum and the grades of the students who were actually admitted can sit far apart when there are more applicants than places. You want both figures. If the department will only give the minimum, ask how many students who met it were turned away last time.
Which courses have to be finished before I can declare, and what grade do I need in each?
Why ask it
Some departments look at a short list of gateway courses more closely than at the overall GPA, and some count only the first attempt. Check which rule applies here and whether a repeated course replaces the old grade. The answer tells you which classes in your first year carry the most weight.
When is the deadline to declare or apply, and what happens if I miss it?
Why ask it
Write down the date and the consequence together. Missing it might mean waiting a term, a hold on registration, or nothing at all, and only the department or the registrar can say which. If applications are read once a year, plan backward from that date to the prerequisites.
How many students applied to the major last time, and how many got in?
Why ask it
This is the plainest measure of how competitive it is, and a department with a real admission process will have the numbers. Compare them with a year or two earlier if you can, since a popular major can tighten quickly. If nobody will say, a current student can tell you how many of their classmates were turned away.
If I am not admitted the first time, can I apply again, and where do students who are turned down usually go?
Why ask it
Find out how many attempts are allowed and what a second application would need to show. A department that can name the nearby majors its turned-down students move into has thought about them. If the answer is a shrug, build your own second choice before you apply.
Will my AP, IB, dual-enrollment or transfer credits stand in for any of the major's prerequisites?
Why ask it
A credit can count toward graduation and still not replace the department's own intro course. Go through it course by course, and ask whether students who skip the intro tend to cope in the next one. Being allowed to skip and being wise to skip are separate questions.
Once I am in, what GPA or course grades do I have to keep to stay in the major?
Why ask it
Getting in is sometimes only the first check. What happens to a student who dips below the line could be a warning term, a required meeting or removal from the major. A clear, written policy with a second chance in it is the answer to hope for.
Does this major cost more than others, through higher tuition, lab or studio fees, equipment or software?
Why ask it
Charges of this kind vary by college and by program, so put the question to the department and the financial aid office instead of guessing. Get a rough total per year, including the things students buy themselves. Where there are extra costs, ask whether aid covers any of them.
Ask students
What made you pick this major, and has it turned out the way you expected?
Why ask it
The second half is the useful part. Listen for the gap between what they pictured and what the courses were, because you probably picture the same thing they did. If the surprise was a pleasant one, ask which course brought it.
How many hours a week do you put into your major courses outside class?
Why ask it
Get a normal week and a bad week. Students in the same major give different numbers, so collect a few and look at the range. Then set it beside what else you plan to do, such as a job, a sport or a long commute.
What do you wish someone had told you before you declared?
Why ask it
Students tend to answer this one quickly, and the answer is rarely in the catalog. Expect it to be about one course, one deadline or one professor. Whatever it is, take it back to the department and ask about it directly.
Was there a course that made you think about leaving the major, and what kept you in?
Why ask it
Almost every student can name a low point, and having one says little. What kept them going says more: interest in what came next is a sturdier reason than having gone too far to turn back. Note which term it happened in, and you will know when to expect yours.
When you are stuck on the material, where do you go for help?
Why ask it
A good sign is a quick, concrete list: a professor's office hours, a tutoring room, a group that meets on a certain night. Hesitation suggests students mostly struggle alone. Check whether the help is still there in the upper-level courses, where tutoring can be harder to find.
Do students in the major help each other, or compete?
Why ask it
The grading and the entry rules shape this. Where only a fixed share of a class can earn the top grades, or students are still fighting for a place in the major, sharing notes gets rarer. Find out how the big courses are graded, then decide which climate you work best in.
Do you know anyone who left the major, and what were their reasons?
Why ask it
People who left are hard to find in the department, so this is the nearest you will get to their side. Sort the reasons into two piles: they found something they liked more, or something here pushed them out. The second pile is the one to raise with the department.
What kind of student does well in this major, and who has a hard time?
Why ask it
Students describe this more bluntly than faculty do. Listen for habits and tastes, such as liking to work alone or not minding being wrong in front of people, more than for talent. Then hold the description up against yourself without flattering the result.
If you were starting over, would you choose this major again?
Why ask it
A fast yes is good news, and so is 'yes, but I would have started the math earlier'. A long pause followed by talk about the job market means they are staying for the outcome and not the subject, which is fine if that is your reason too. Someone near the end of the major has seen more of it than someone in the second year.
After graduation
What jobs did last year's graduates of this major take, and is there a list I can see?
Why ask it
Try the department first, then the career office, and compare the two. Job titles and employers are worth more than 'our graduates do all sorts of things'. Ask how the list was put together and how many graduates are on it, because a survey that few people answered can lean toward the ones with good news.
What do people do with this major that I would not guess from its name?
Why ask it
Many majors lead to a wider spread of work than the obvious job. A professor or career counselor who can name several unexpected paths, with real people behind them, knows where the students ended up. It also tells you whether the degree would still serve you if you change your mind about the obvious one.
Does the career I have in mind require this major, or would several majors get me there?
Why ask it
Some lines of work expect a specific degree and many do not mind what you studied, and which is which depends on the field and on where you plan to work. Hear the department's view, then check with employers or the body that licenses the profession. If several majors would do, you are free to pick the one you would do best in.
Is the program accredited, and does that matter for a license or for the jobs graduates apply for?
Why ask it
In some fields a program's accreditation affects whether you can go on to a license, and in others it is beside the point. Those rules are set outside the college and differ from place to place, so find out who accredits the program and confirm with the licensing body where you expect to work. Do it before you declare, not in your final year.
Is a graduate or professional degree expected in this field, and how many of your graduates go on to one?
Why ask it
If the work you want needs a further degree, the bachelor's is the first half of the plan, and the cost and years of the second half belong in your decision now. Find out where recent graduates were admitted and what the department does to prepare them. A field where the bachelor's alone opens the door is a different commitment.
Does the department help students into internships, co-ops or research, or do they find those on their own?
Why ask it
Both answers can be fine, but you should know which before you count on it. Help looks like a named person, a list of places students went last summer, or a course with a placement built in. 'Our students are very resourceful' means it will be up to you, so ask the students how they managed.
What do graduates earn in their first job, and where does that figure come from?
Why ask it
A salary with no source is decoration. Ask whether it describes this college's graduates or the field at large, whether it is a median, and how many people reported. Pay moves with region and employer, so treat any number as a range and ask what sits at the low end of it.
What will I be able to show an employer at the end: software, lab methods, writing samples, a portfolio?
Why ask it
A good answer is a list of things you could put in front of someone, not qualities like 'critical thinking'. If the list is thin, find out which electives or outside courses students add to fill it. Seniors are worth asking too, because they know what their job applications wanted.
Switching
If I start this major and it is not for me, how late can I leave without adding a term?
Why ask it
It comes down to how many of the early courses count somewhere else. Put the question to the department and to an advisor for the major you might move to, because each knows only its own side. If the honest answer is 'after the first year it costs you time', treat the first year as the trial and watch it closely.
Of the students who start in this major, how many finish in it, and when do the rest tend to leave?
Why ask it
Not every department tracks this, but whoever runs the undergraduate program can usually describe the pattern. Students leaving after the first course is ordinary sorting. Students leaving in the third year, with the gateway courses behind them, points at something later in the major, and that is what to ask about next.
Which majors do students most often move to from this one, and how much of their coursework goes with them?
Why ask it
Departments know their usual exits, and naming them is not an admission of failure. A neighboring major that accepts most of the early courses makes the whole choice safer. If nothing nearby shares them, you are making a bigger bet and should try the subject before committing.
How hard is it to switch into this major from another one, or from undeclared?
Why ask it
Moving in later can be harder than starting in it, with its own application, its own grade requirement or a limited number of places. Ask whether students changing majors are considered alongside everyone else or separately. If the way in is narrow, the prerequisites are worth taking early even while you are unsure.
What is the latest I could start this major and still finish on time?
Why ask it
The limit is set by the longest run of courses that must be taken one after another. Have the department count the terms in that run and tell you which term it has to begin. A major with a short chain can wait while you look around, and one whose chain fills every term from the first cannot.
Could a minor or a second major give me what I want from this subject?
Why ask it
If you love the subject but doubt you want its careers, or the reverse, this is the middle road. Find out how many courses the minor takes and whether its classes are open to non-majors, since a crowded department may hold seats for its own students. For a double major, ask to see a term-by-term plan from someone who has done it.
Ask yourself
Do I like the subject itself, or the idea of the job at the end of it?
Why ask it
Both are fair reasons, but they hold up differently in a hard term. Interest in the subject carries you through the courses, while a picture of the job has to survive years of work that may look nothing like it. If it is only the job, go and confirm that this major is the way into it.
In which classes have I kept going after the assignment was finished?
Why ask it
Reading ahead, arguing about it at dinner or redoing something for no credit is better evidence than a grade. Write down two or three such moments and see whether they point at a subject or at a kind of activity, such as building, explaining or solving. A kind of activity can be found in more than one major.
Would I still pick this major if nobody else had an opinion about it?
Why ask it
Family hopes, a friend's choice and lists of what each degree pays all lean on this decision, and it helps to see how hard. Advice from people who know you is worth hearing. You are the one who sits in the classes, though, so if the answer here is no, say so to someone before you declare and not after.
Which of my strengths would this major use, and which of my weak spots would it lean on?
Why ask it
Set your answer beside what the students said about who does well. A weak spot is not a reason to walk away, since the required courses exist to teach it, but go in knowing which ones will take you extra effort. If the major uses nothing you are good at, work out what is drawing you to it.
What do I want to be doing for most of a working day: talking with people, working with numbers, writing, building things?
Why ask it
Answer with tasks, not job titles. Then hold it against what students told you a normal week in the major is like, because the coursework is your nearest sample of the work. If the two do not match, ask a graduate whether the job is closer to the classes or to your picture before you rule the major in or out.
What would have to happen in the first year for me to conclude this was the wrong choice?
Why ask it
Decide the signs now, while you are calm: a grade below a certain line in the gateway course, dreading every class, or finding the electives next door more interesting. Write them down with a date to check. That turns a vague worry into a test, and it makes staying a decision too.
Have I spent time with anyone who does the work I picture, or have I only seen it from a distance?
Why ask it
A job seen from outside is mostly its best hours. One conversation or a day of shadowing shows the ordinary ones, and whether the people doing it studied what you are about to. If you cannot find anyone, the career office or a professor may know a graduate willing to talk.
What is the one thing I still do not know about this major, and who could tell me?
Why ask it
Save this one for last. Whatever you write is the next email to send, and the name beside it is who gets it. If nothing comes to mind, you have probably asked enough, and the doubt that is left is not one another conversation will settle.
How to find out what a major is really like
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Who to ask what
Read the catalog page first
The college's catalog or the department's own page lists the required courses, and often the rule for declaring. Read it before you ask anyone, and bring what you could not find or did not understand. 'The page says there is an application but not what it looks at' gets a better answer than 'how do I get in?'
The department for rules, professors for the subject
The department office, or the faculty member who runs the undergraduate program, is the source for requirements, deadlines, GPA rules and how often courses are offered. A professor who teaches in the major is the person to ask what the subject becomes after the intro course. The first two groups on this page, Coursework and Entry and cost, go to these two.
Students for what it is like
Workload, the course everyone fears, how much help there is and how students treat each other are things only the people inside can report. Find them through a department club, a teaching assistant, an admissions office that will put you in touch, or a friend of a friend. Speak to more than one, and include someone near the end of the major.
The career office for outcomes
If the college keeps a record of what its graduates did next, the career office is a likely place to find it. Ask for the figures for this major, not the college as a whole, and ask how they were collected. If nothing is kept by major, the department's own account of where students went is the next best thing.
High school seniors: ask each college separately
The same major can be open to all at one college and selective at another, with different prerequisites and different costs. Do not carry an answer from one campus to the next. The admissions office can tell you whether you apply to the major directly, and may be able to arrange a conversation with the department when you visit.
Getting useful answers
Keep an email to a professor short
Say who you are and that you are considering the major, then ask two or three questions, or for fifteen minutes in office hours. A short message with specific questions is easy to answer. Do not send the whole list.
Put a year on the question
Departments change, and a major that was open two years ago may have an application now. Tie questions about admission, class sizes and what graduates did to the most recent class: 'how many applied this past spring, and how many were admitted?' An answer with a year on it can be checked against what the next person tells you.
Take one question to both sides
A professor and a student may name different courses as the hardest, and the department and the career office may describe the same graduates differently. Each is reporting the part they see. Where the two accounts part ways, take the difference to a third person as your next question.
See the work, not only hear about it
Sit in on a class from the middle of the major, read a syllabus, look at a past exam or a finished capstone if the department will share one. Half an hour with the real material tells you things no description can, including whether you are curious about it.
Take notes you can compare
If you are weighing two or three majors, ask each the same handful of questions and write the answers side by side. Memory favors the last conversation and the friendliest person. A page of notes does not.
Weighing what you hear
Look for something you can check
A course number, a deadline, a count of last year's applicants or the name of an employer can each be confirmed with someone else. 'Our students do very well' cannot, even when it is true. When an answer is all warmth, ask for one course, one number or one graduate, and judge it by whether one comes.
Hard is not the same as wrong for you
Every major has a course that students dread. What matters is whether the hard part is a kind of work you are willing to do a lot of. A demanding major in a subject you want can be easier to stay with than a gentler one you chose to be safe.
Rules belong in writing
GPA cutoffs, deadlines and what happens if you miss them should be on a page somewhere: the catalog, the department's site or an email from the office. Advice given in a hallway can be out of date. If a rule matters to your plan, ask where it is written and keep a copy.
Weigh one student's story lightly
A single student who loved or hated the major is telling you about their own years in it. Three or four who say the same thing about a course or a professor are telling you about the department.
Before you declare
Take the first course before you commit
Where the rules allow it, take the first course or two in the major before you declare. It is the most direct test there is. Ask what those credits would count toward if you move on, and judge the course by whether you wanted to know more, not only by the grade.
Keep a second option alive
While you decide, look for courses that count toward both this major and the one you would pick otherwise. An advisor can show you where the two overlap, and whether the college lets one course serve both. The more the early courses are shared, the less a change of mind costs.
Know your own deadline
Find out when your college requires a declared major and when this department's own process closes, and put both dates in your calendar. Being undecided before that point is ordinary. What it costs to be undecided after it is a question for the registrar.
Set a date to check the choice
Once you declare, pick a point, such as the end of the first major course, to look again at the signs you wrote down under Ask yourself. Changing your mind then is a small correction. The questions under Switching tell you how small.