Undecided?

When students don’t have a declared major or are exploring different areas of study, they receive support from The Aspire Center. Here are three ways we can help:

• Students without a declared major are assigned to the career specialist for undecided and exploratory students in The Aspire Center for 1:1 support as both their academic and career advisor. This specially-trained member of The Aspire Center team helps students to explore options, build course schedules, and transition into a major once they decide. This unique Aspire team member is your bridge between exploring and finding a major and career; you will work with your advisor at least every semester and may begin connecting even before you arrive on-campus.
• All exploring students (with or without declared majors) participate in group and individual exploration activities, like networking with alumni in The Aspire Network, attending programs hosted by our Purposeful Life and Leadership Coordinator to design the life you might want to build (work, service, and personal goals), or Aspire-hosted site visits to area companies. For those interested in deeper exploration, you can also take a Career Planning and Preparation Course offered by Aspire each J-Term.
• PathwayU provides scientific insight on your interests, values, personality, and workplace preferences, which can help you to identify academic and career paths that match your unique set of characteristics. You can use PathwayU on your own and with your Career Specialist to find meaningful educational areas of focus, as well as career and service paths to explore.

Still unsure? That’s okay! Finding the right major isn’t always easy. Find out how other Carthage students chose their majors.

The Carthage curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary study as part of a strong liberal arts education. The Carthage Plan was created to ensure that students would gain experience in a wide variety of disciplines. As you’re exploring your major options, you’ll get a great start on the general education requirements in subject areas that match your interests, values, skills, and abilities.

Learn more about how the advising and registration process works

While there is no specific timeline for declaring a major, it’s ideal to be at least fairly certain by the end of your first year at Carthage. This will allow you to delve into your major coursework as you progress as a Carthage student.

Congratulations! Make an appointment with the career specialist for undecided and exploratory students in The Aspire Center to walk through the next steps of your declaration process. Or, you can always do so through the Office of the Registrar. And don’t worry — we understand that even after you declare your major, you may change your mind (it happens more frequently than you may think), and that’s OK! We’ll help you through your decision process and get you on track!