These services are included in your tuition and fees.
Academic Advising Center, University College | Your advisor can help you begin to explore majors and choose courses for the next term. Your advisor can also help you by making referrals when you need additional help on campus.
Health Professions Advising | The HPA office provides a centralized point of contact for all pre-health profession students regardless of major.
Academic Civic Engagement | Academic Civic Engagement provides opportunities for students and faculty to engage in service-learning and civic involvement in the classroom and in academic research.
Academic Departments |Are you considering multiple majors and not sure how to narrow down your choices? Make an appointment with a department chair or program coordinator to learn more about that major.
Career Development Center | The Career Development Center (CDC) offers a variety of career services and professional development including coaching for interviews, resume editing, and salary negotiations. The CDC hosts career fairs, part-time and full-time job fairs, internship fairs and graduate school fairs. Handshake is Appalachian's online portal for all career services, including making an appointment with the CDC.
Handshake |Use Handshake to look for jobs, find out about career events, make an appointment and schedule interviews!
Career Exploration | Professionals in the Career Development Center can assist you through a four-step process of self-assessment, information gathering, decision-making, and career planning. Resources include self-directed searches, computer career guidance programs, assessment inventories, and information about majors and careers. Login to Handshake to make an appointment online.
Internships | An internship combines work and learning in a possible career field, offers on-the-job training, and is a great resume builder.
Student Employment | Appalachian considers work a valuable part of your transformational educational experience. You will gain skills that are aligned with the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies. Visit Handshake to see on and off-campus part-time jobs, internships, and Federal Work Study-funded positions.
Career Studio | The Career Studio is your first touchpoint for peer-to-peer career advising! The Career Studio provides a casual and accessible environment for students to explore possible majors, develop career materials and get questions answered from Career Guides.
Start searching for your major as soon as you are admitted to Appalachian! The first step is to assess your values, interests, work preferences, abilities, and skills. The Career Development Center is here to help you. While your major choice is important, don’t confuse choosing a major with choosing a career. Well-educated people with marketable and transferable skills can work successfully in a variety of fields. Keep in mind the following when making this major decision:
College isn’t just job training | It is a time for you to learn a lot about yourself and the world through a variety of experiences and learning opportunities.
Employers want to hire well-rounded people | People who have performed well in college and who can talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically about a variety of subjects are desirable employees. Become actively involved in all of your courses and learn as much as you can. Use part-time jobs, volunteer work, and internships to gain work experience.
Employers look for career readiness skills when hiring new personnel | University requirements are designed to improve your communication, analytical, and technical skills. Career Readiness Skills are highly valued by employers. You gain these skills via service, work, and internships.
Your major should reflect your values as well as your skills | Take time to reflect on your values and how you will incorporate them in your major and career. For some, values may include job security and pay; for others, values may include independence and creativity. Reflect on what is important to you before deciding.
Your major may be related to many careers, and your desired career may be attainable with many different majors | You may change jobs and careers throughout your life. Most people have 7–10 different jobs and just as many different careers, so your major doesn’t determine the rest of your life.
Your major won’t just happen! | You must take an active role in making the decision. Have a goal in mind when you plan your classes. Fortunately, there are many resources on campus to help you—check out the ones listed in the rest of this section and on the back of the section tab.
Make an appointment in Handshake to meet with a
Career Development Center Professional who can help you assess your
values, interests, and skills as part of your process in choosing a major.
You indicated an intended major when you applied for admission to Appalachian, but you must officially declare that major once you meet the minimum requirements for doing so. Generally, most students declare a major at the end of their first year or at the beginning of their sophomore year.
Some majors require that you be admitted to that program before you can declare: Music, Nursing, etc. Talk with your academic advisor for more information on declaring your major. You should declare your major as soon as you are eligible. If you haven’t declared your major by the time you have 60 earned hours, you will be required to see your advisor before you can register for classes.
INFORMATION FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS:
Declare your major as soon as you are eligible!
Once you declare you will be able to work more closely with faculty in your major.
Create your preferred major plan and a parallel plan for success. Some programs at Appalachian can only admit a limited number of students and therefore have a highly competitive admissions process. Other major programs require a higher than average GPA or a high skill level in a particular subject (e.g., mathematics) in order to succeed in the program.
Finally, some careers (e.g., medicine, physical therapy, speech pathology) require a certain undergraduate GPA in order to have a chance of getting into the necessary post-graduate programs. Choosing a parallel major gives you a backup plan if you are unable to gain admission to a particular program or if your interests change.
What were your favorite subject areas in high school?
In which courses did you earn the highest grades?
What do you do well (organization, creativity, physical activity, communication, etc.)?
What subjects or skills are normally a struggle for you?
What kind of work have you pictured yourself doing?
What classes would you prefer NOT to take in college and why?
We form impressions about careers based on the people we know. Think of the people in your life. Which of their careers appeal to you and why?
What kind of work environment would you prefer after you graduate? For example, would you like to work in an office or outdoors? Do you want to work with people or more by yourself? How important is flexibility? Autonomy?
Look at the list of majors at the end of this section. Which majors would fit into your career goals and plans? Cross off any majors you would NOT consider doing. If you are unfamiliar with a major, do some research by going to Career Exploration, reviewing the departmental website, or talking to a professor who teaches in that department. You can view the requirements for any major via the online Undergraduate Bulletin.
As you develop your plans, talk to your advisor about whether there are courses that can count for both majors, and if possible, work on those courses until you decide for sure which major you want to pursue. Doing so can help you graduate on time.
Preferred Major:
Target GPA:
Parallel Major:
Target GPA:
Always consider the Major and GPA requirements when making your preferred and parallel plans.
Don’t wait until you walk across the stage to think about your career! Start planning now to gain experience, network with professionals, and build your resume. Drop by the Career Development Center, located on the 2nd floor Student Union or make an appointment in Handshake to meet with a Career Development Center professional who can help you find majors and careers that fit with your interests, skills, values, and personality. Use the tips on the Four-Year and Transfer Career Plans to guide your career planning each year that you are at Appalachian.