Deciding Student Resources

• Using the Majors and Minors sheet, identify majors that you are interested in. Crossing out majors that you are NOT interested in might be easier. Then go through and highlight any that you are curious about or interested in. Work your way through the entire sheet and if you have 2 or 10 options that is OKAY! At this point we want you to get familiar with what we have available on campus.  
• List of Majors 

• With the remaining majors you have on your sheet, the next step is using the course catalog. Within the course catalog you will find a list of all the courses and majors/minors/ pre-professional programs offered by the university. Click into each of the majors remaining on your sheet and all the classes you’d be taking in this major. 
• There will be a section specific to general studies, if you see specific classes listed those will be required. As you continue scrolling you will see a list of all the major classes you will be taking. Take a moment and look into the classes, reflect on what you are excited about and which ones you might not be interested in. TIP: If you click on the class ex. SPCH 100, a course description will show up.  
• As you are going through this step and looking at classes you will be taking in each area, feel free to cross out those majors you are no longer interested in.  
• UNK Undergraduate Catalog

• At this point in the deciding process, you should meet back up with your academic advisor and discuss what you’ve learned so far. You’ll talk about majors you started with and how you began to narrow your list down. With the remaining majors you have your advisor may suggest conducting a faculty interview in your area (s) of interest. These conversations with faculty members will give you insight straight into that area. This opportunity also allows you to hear information directly from the source! This is a great time to ask any questions that you may have about the major, the classes or even what kind of jobs can come with this degree. We also have a list of questions for you to ask, be sure to ask the last question about job shadowing opportunities, this will be helpful for the next step.   
• Faculty Interview Document

• There is no better way of knowing what a career could look like than by doing some job shadowing. When conducting your faculty interview, ask what places they would recommend for job shadowing. Do you know someone in that role? Ask if you can job shadow them to learn more about their day and ask any questions you have about their profession. Be sure to check out the job shadow attachment we have attached to this page. There you will find information about etiquette, questions to ask, how to set up the appointment and anything else you can think of. If you are not sure where to start, stop by and chat with your advisor and they can help you get started!  
• Job Shadow Worksheet

Consider taking assessments, FOCUS II is one we recommend and have available for our students. With FOCUS II you can complete five assessments that focus on work interest, skills, personality, values, and leisure. The results can give you examples of different majors and career paths that are compatible. Keep in mind that an assessment is not a concrete answer, but it does give you ideas on where to start exploring 

Exploring Majors & Careers 

Are you unsure of what careers best suit you? Are you having trouble choosing a major? Do you want to know what UNK majors lead to particular careers? FOCUS-2 will help you select the right major and develop a career plan! 

FOCUS-2 will enable you to self-assess your career relevant personal qualities and explore career fields and major areas of study that are most compatible with your results. Link to Focus-2. Link to a Focus-2 guide.  Link to a Focus-2 Orientation Packet. 

The best way to understand your results is to meet with an advisor in Academic Advising and Career Development. We can assist you with interpreting what you've learned about yourself, potential majors, and potential careers. Email us at careerserv@unk.edu to schedule an appointment. 

NEW USERS: create a new account (access code = lopers) You will be prompted to create your own username and password.  

RETURNING USERS: login to the account you already created 

• Have conversations with family members, friends and people you know and ask them about their career paths and their education. You can learn a lot from those around you and they may even be able to connect you with some job shadowing opportunities!  
• Attend our career fairs that we host every semester! Our office has the Educational Opportunities Fair and the Career & Internship fair every semester for all of our students to attend. Career fairs are a great way to learn about different jobs you’d have available to you depending on majors. You can ask employers if they only hire certain majors or if they are open to a wide variety. Conversations that start here can lead you towards endless opportunity.