Dealing with “Major” Dilemmas : How to Declare your Academic Concentrations

Not one of those Emory students who has been pre-med since middle school? Then choosing a major might seem like a daunting process. Even if you come to Emory with a general idea of what you want to major in, it is likely you will change your mind at least once, if not two or three times, before you graduate.
 
There is no shortage of major options at Emory–we have 60 majors, one co-major, and 42 minors from which to choose. When picking your major there are many factors to consider. Do you enjoy the classes you will be taking? Does the major prepare you for graduate school? Will you feel prepared for your future career?
 
Most majors at Emory require at least 60 credit hours for completion, so it is important you like what you will be learning. Why waste all that time in classes you don’t enjoy?
 

It is equally important to think about your future goals when choosing what you want to study. Your college curriculum is an important stepping-stone on your path to a post-graduation career. For example, if you know you want to go to Medical school when you graduate, majors like Biology and Chemistry will probably be high up on your list.
 
That being said, as an Art History major aspiring to be a magazine journalist, I can say first hand that your major does not have to dictate your career. You can be pre-med and major in English as long as you finish your required courses for medical school. Your resume will be shaped not only by your major, but also by the experiences you have outside of the classroom.
 

Still lost? Take some random classes in different departments that seem interesting and go from there. If you still have no idea what you want to do, go with what interests you most. Talk to your academic advisor and professors, or consider setting up a meeting with someone who teaches in a field you are thinking about studying.
 
Once you find the right major for you, declare it! Emory College requires that all students declare a major by then end of their second year. To do so, you must go to that particular department’s office and fill out the appropriate paperwork, which will probably take all of two minutes. The contact information for most departments can be found here.

And just remember, you can undeclare a major just as quickly as you declare one, so don’t stress if you’re not as “decided” as you had hoped!