Students' Guide

For a college student, being undeclared or undecided about a major is more common than most may think. Each year, between one-third to one-half of all new students across the country start out undecided about their major.

At the University of Texas at Austin, there are hundreds of students who are undeclared when they enroll each fall semester. Additionally, more than 65% of students change their major at least once. That means that most of the students who claim to be decided will change their mind.

This means if you are uncertain about your major, you are not alone.

On our website, we have included some helpful information about what you need to know in order to find a possible major, how to make a decision about your major, and some resources to assist you with exploring majors and careers.

Before we begin, it is important for you to remember that…

…you are not choosing what you have to do for the rest of your life!
Many graduates claim to have jobs that are NOT directly related to their major, which means you can major in just about anything, and in most cases, go into just about any career as a result.

…there is no “perfect” or “right” major…just some that you’ll be more satisfied with than others.
Which also means that there is no “wrong” major either. Realize that there are likely five or six possible majors, from the numerous options available at UT, with which you would be very satisfied. The aim is to find and choose one of those possible majors.

…there is no magical test that will tell you what you should choose.
Yes, there are career tests you can take, and yes, they can be helpful in determining possible career options, but they won’t provide all of the answers for you.

…your academic advisor will not tell you what you should choose.
Your advisor will assist you throughout the process of exploring and determining a possible major. However, only you can make the eventual choice of major.