When I came to TCU, I was so excited with the endless possibilities that awaited me! With over 115 majors and minors to choose from, I felt the pressure to choose the right one. The good news is you don’t have to know what you want to do right away! Here are some tips to help ease your mind as you select a major.
Think About Your passions, Interests and Skills
A great place to start if you are unsure how to choose your major is by reflecting on your interests, passions and hobbies. Write down a list of majors that pique your interest and begin to research those programs. Also, identify subjects that you excel in and consider a major or career path that allows your skills to shine. Your major should be something that you are passionate about and can see yourself making a career out of.
Evaluate Your Goals and Values
When choosing a major, you should reflect on your long-term career goals and values. Think about what values matter to you the most in a career (for example, flexibility, helping others, making a high income, etc) and base your major choice around those core values. Your goals should be aligned with your values, as you strive to build a successful career after your time at TCU.
Start Your Journey as a General Studies Major
I can attest to the fact that starting your college career as a general studies major, or undecided, is one of the best things you can do! By doing this, you will be able to focus on your core curriculum classes and use those courses as a way to discover what you might be interested in majoring in.
Major in a Broad Discipline
When you graduate from TCU, most employers are looking for candidates with transferable skills. If you choose to major in a field such as business, communication studies or liberal arts, you will have more opportunities and career paths to choose from. The skills you gain from these programs will shape your professional career and successes.
Consider Double Majors or Minors
If you have multiple interests, you can double major or minor to pursue a degree that is unique to you. This degree plan will give you insight into several different career paths or give you a well-rounded look into several facets of a particular field of study. For example, you could major in social work and minor in child development.
Use the Career Center as a Resource
One of the many great resources we have on campus is the Center for Career & Professional Development a.k.a. the Career Center, where our career consultants help students prepare for job interviews, review resumes and offer career and academic major assessments. It was through one of these assessments that I discovered our strategic communication program, which focuses on a combined study of public relations and advertising. Learn more about the various assessments offered by the Career Center here.
It’s OK to Change Your Major
You don’t have to have the perfect major picked out from the beginning! In fact, many students will change their major after classes begin. You can even change your major after you submit your application by going to your MyTCU portal and filling out a Major Change request form.
Your time at TCU, no matter what you major in, will inspire you to Lead On® as part of the next generation of global leaders!
Sophia Vargas ’25 studies strategic communication at TCU with a minor in political science, and is from Northern California. She is a social media intern and operations intern for the Office of Admission. Sophia is also involved with her local church and the Turning Point USA chapter on campus.