How undecided are you?
Common questions & concerns of students who are decided & undecided.
- What majors and minors are available at Niagara?
- Check out the full list of majors & minors.
- I feel stressed about not having chosen a major. As an undecided student am I in the minority?
- You should congratulate yourself for choosing an exploratory major. In fact, the Academic Exploration Program is the largest freshmen major at Niagara University. Entering college as an undecided student is a growing trend and here at Niagara 17% of the freshmen class are enrolled in AEP. When students leave AEP they have a solid understanding of the areas they are interested in and most stay in the academic major they choose.
- I am completely undecided and do not know what to major in. Where do I begin?
If you are participating in the Academic Exploration Program then you are off to a good start. While you are in AEP:
- Be sure to come to your advisement appointments and engage with your advisor.
- Participate in the semester activities.
- Think about the classes you are taking and have taken (high school counts). If a particular course was interesting to you then try to talk with a faculty or staff member from that field or a student majoring in that area
- Utilize the Office of Career Development.
- Get involved with campus clubs and organizations.
If you are a prospective student:
- Begin researching majors on our internet links page. It includes some self-assessments that you can try and may expose you to some new major or career ideas.
- You are welcome to meet with an AEP advisor to discuss our program. Arrangements should be made through the Admissions Office.
- Look at Niagara’s list of academic majors and minors.
- Use your high school guidance office as a resource.
- I am in an academic major, but I do not think it is a good fit. What should I do?
- Begin by meeting with your faculty advisor, a professional from your department or another faculty member in your department. They should be able to help you assess whether the major really is a good fit and tell you about potential career opportunities associated with that major.
If you have less than 30 credit hours you are welcome to consider transferring to the Academic Exploration Program. You can meet with an AEP advisor by scheduling an appointment: call 286-8203 or stop by our office in St. Vincent's Annex to discuss the program.
The Office of Career Development is another useful resource for students. Career Development has assessment tools for you to complete and review with a career counselor that can expose you to potential majors and careers.
You are welcome to utilize our internet links page to research potential areas of interest.
- What can I do with the majors I am interested in?
- You can use the What Can I Do with a Major In... section of AEP's Internet Links page.
Visit the Office of Career Development for information.
Visit specific department's websites for information on each area of interest.
Meet with faculty members who specialize in the field(s) you are considering.
- I am interested in many areas and having difficulty choosing. Should I choose a double major or select one major with multiple minors?
- You can consider the double major option. Your advisor can go over the details with you. Keep in mind one of the two will be your degree and the second enhances your degree by having a second area of expertise. This works best when the majors compliment each other.
A minor(s) is another option. You can choose your primary course of study and enhance the degree by adding a minor. It can help you develop a niche that can make you more marketable for a job. For example, if you major in social work and minor in Spanish you will be able work in the social work field by servicing not only the English speaking population, but the Spanish speaking population as well.
Investigate the Liberal Arts degree program. It is a multidisciplinary program that allows students to earn a Bachelor of Arts in areas that are otherwise not available at Niagara.
- I have specific interests (sports, working out, babysitting, hiking etc.), but do not know what to major in. How can I find out what majors might compliment my interests?
- Meet with your AEP advisor to learn about how your interests and abilities can be transferable.
Check out the AEP Internet Links page for information.
Make a list comparing and contrasting the things you like or don't like about your hobby, sport or interest and note the skills associated with each.
Visit the Office of Career Development and meet with a career counselor.
- What can I do if I have decided on a major, but Niagara doesn't offer what I am looking for?
- Investigate the Liberal Arts degree program. It is a multidisciplinary program that allows students to earn a Bachelor of Arts in areas that are otherwise not available at Niagara.
You can consider combining a major with a minor to help you gain more marketable experience for a particular career.
In some cases there are degree programs that can compliment your area of interest that you may not have considered.
You can consider changing your path or specifying a more general degree with graduate school.
You may consider transferring to a school that offers the program you are looking for.
- I have finally decided on a major. How do I declare?
- Schedule an appointment with your AEP advisor. The transfer-within paperwork takes only a few minutes to complete.
If you are transferring to Education or Social Work you will have to schedule a transfer interview with the department. Your AEP advisor will share the details of the transfer process during your appointment.
- What advice might AEP students have for incoming students?
- "Don’t think that you absolutely have to pick a major if you are not sure. AEP helps you pick the right choice for you and they are extremely helpful and friendly.”
“AEP is an awesome program – TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT! The reason it’s there is so that you can try out a couple different things on the intro level and find out what works best. Ask questions, try different things, and you’ll find something that fits what you want to do.”
“Explore all of the majors, minors and course offerings at NU, and don’t underestimate yourself when it comes to challenging coursework.”
“Make sure to keep appointments.” They are so helpful and everyone is willing to help you get on the right track.”
“Be open minded and you have to put in time to research majors.”
- What type of experiences have other students had in AEP?
- “AEP is a fantastic program that really helped me out. The advisors are very helpful and genuinely want you to succeed as a student. They will do anything they can to help you out.”
“My experience was extremely positive here at AEP. I felt my advisor was extremely helpful and concerned with my academic and personal well being.”
“My experience was positive because my advisor helped me explore all my options without pushing me in a certain direction.”
“It was a positive experience because by being able to take multiple classes of different majors. I realized what I was interested in and also loved my advisor.”
“AEP was the best college experience for me. I have never felt so certain that I am on the road to success and my confidence came from Toni and all of her help.”
