How to choose your major
Start gathering information now
- UMD's Career Center is a great resource for major and career searches, interview help and learning what UMD students do with their majors after graduation via the UMD Graduate Follow-up Report.
- Begin talking with university alumni or individuals who are working in their field of interest, professors and your family. Gathering information from these sources help students learn how others made their "major decisions" and provides direction or interest.
- Explore the UMD Catalog, for detailed information about courses and requirements for any majors of interest to you.
- Use online resources and complete assessments which connect your personality, interests, skills, values and strengths with major/careers (Self-Knowledge). Research information in the UMD Catalog, Occupational Outlook (Academic and Career Knowledge).
Intentional research will help make connections to majors and careers.
| Resource | Self Knowledge | Academic Knowledge | Career Knowledge |
|---|---|---|---|
| UMD Catalog: UMD's Degree requirements, Liberal Education program and Major/Minor requirements. | X | X | |
| UMD Career & Internship Services: In-depth assessments and self-assessments for skills, interests, strengths, etc. Internships, skills, job search help, graduate follow-up reports and more. | X | X | X |
| Occupational Outlook Handbook: The US Bureau of Labor and Statistics holds the latest career information, training & education, earnings, work conditions and projected job openings. | X | X | |
| O*NET Interest Profiler: Provides career areas matching interests. | X | X | X |
| My Plan: A Values Assessment that identifies your underlying work values and links to career matches by educational level. | X | X | X |
| Personality Types and Multiple Intelligences: Take the "basic tests", which link personality & learning styles with careers. | X | X | X |
| Explore Engineering: preparation, engineering degree fields, resources and societies. | X | X | |
| Engineering, Science and Math Careers: Links to job descriptions, daily activities, skill requirements, salary and training required. | X | X | |
| ISeek career information | X | X | |
| Explore Health Careers: An extensive list of different health careers, including both traditional and nontraditional career paths. | X | X | X |
| What Can I Do With This Major?: Personal characteristics, job titles and national resource links. | X | X | X |