Choosing a Major

Divisions of Loyola College

Loyola College is actually comprised of two undergraduate colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Joseph A. Sellinger, S.J. School of Business and Management. Freshman students, however, are granted general admission to Loyola; they do not have to choose a division when they submit freshman applications. The formal declaration of the major takes place at the end of the sophomore year, at which point, having taken the proper prerequisites, the student formally enters either Arts and Sciences or the Sellinger School.

Undecided Status

Freshman students are not required to enter Loyola with a declared major. Undecided students usually make up a third or more of the freshman class. It is also very common for students to switch majors in their early college years. Loyola is well suited to undecided students because the liberal arts program gives them more options to explore different fields. In addition to fulfilling general requirements, core courses often serve as introductory major requirements. Therefore, students who change their initial choices are often prepared for a different major because of the liberal arts core.

Choosing a Major

Loyola’s academic regulations specify that a major must be designated by the middle of the sophomore year. However, we recommend that you begin working on making this important decision earlier. Declaring a major at the end of the first or second semester of the freshman year is worth considering, since putting yourself on this kind of schedule will motivate you to start thinking things through.

Steps to take in choosing your major:

While still in high school, read descriptions of college programs carefully, and try to come to open house programs that include faculty presentations for prospective students. At Loyola, the three College Day programs provide such opportunities. Talk to people you know who are in different professions to begin gathering information and impressions.
Research potential choices prior to Summer Orientation for freshmen. You can construct your first semester schedule to try subjects at the college level that might interest you.
Begin to investigate the student perspective during Summer Orientation. You will meet juniors and seniors serving as Orientation staff members, who will maintain contact with you throughout the freshman year.
Continue to discuss your plans with your Core Advisor, a faculty member who will approve your program each semester and will help you select courses as you explore your options.
Visit the Career Library in Loyola’s Career Center. You will find guides that include educational requirements, employment outlook and earning potential for virtually all occupations. You can also begin to research graduate programs that might be suggested or required in your field.
Students considering medical, dental, veterinary or law school may discuss their plans with Loyola’s faculty advisors in these areas. Here students learn about course requirements, internships, selection criteria and application processes through group sessions and individual consultations. The Career Library also contains resources for researching different professional schools.
If you are undecided, sign up for a group session in the Career Center designed to help you explore your interests along with other first and second year students who are going through the same decision-making process.
Take an interest test in the Career Center and follow up with a Career Counselor. Interest tests can show you how your mix of interests and your personality matches with people in different professions. While this is not the only factor in making your career choice, your interest profile can help point you in the direction of options you might find relevant.
Once you develop specific interests, speak with faculty members about the majors in their departments. Many departments will even sponsor group presentations for students considering their majors.

Planning your major

Once you have made a decision, you are transferred from your Core Academic Advisor to your Departmental Advisor, a faculty member in the major you have chosen. You will then choose from different course groupings or concentrations offered within that department, and you will consider how to use your electives, maybe taking more courses for the major than required, taking a minor in another subject or some other option. You may also plan for internships, research projects, independent study and other special opportunities.

Double majors and interdisciplinary majors

Students may take double majors by completing all of the requirements of two different programs. Their official record would indicate this accomplishment. Sometimes, summer work or an extra semester is needed for a double major. Interdisciplinary majors may be arranged between some of the College’s majors, subject to approval by academic advisors within the departments involved. In this case, introductory courses in both majors and one-half of the upper division courses in each major would be completed.