07-08 Undergrad Catalog | Majors, Minors, and Advisement Resources

BYU undergraduates should develop competence in at least one area of concentration. Competence generally demands study in depth. Such in-depth study helps prepare students for their life's work; it also teaches them that genuine understanding for any subject requires exploring it fully. Students normally acquire such depth from their major and minor fields. (The Aims of a BYU Education)

In addition to completing the university core, each student must choose a specialized area of study—a major. Requirements vary considerably from major to major, but all majors share in common a sequential development from introductory foundation courses to those that expect increasingly greater depth and sophistication. As the aims indicate, "By the time they graduate, students should grasp their discipline's essential knowledge and skills . . . , and many should have participated in scholarly or creative activities that let them demonstrate their mastery." Within this sequential development, prerequisites—whether within or outside the major department—help prepare students for subsequent, more focused work in the major. Some majors also require allied course work in related fields outside the major proper.

Aptitudes, Interests, and Objectives

Success in a major depends upon the right combination of interests, skills, effort, and aptitudes. Students who choose a major only because of its job possibilities and fail to consider their own interests and aptitudes will probably be disappointed. Some majors, particularly those in professional programs (e.g., accounting) lead directly to employment in a particular field; others (e.g., philosophy) provide a rich liberal arts preparation for subsequent graduate study or professional programs (e.g., law) but may not track as directly into employment in the field of the major. Liberal arts majors do open up a great variety of employment opportunities, but students majoring in such fields need to be more conscious of exploring such opportunities over the course of the major.

Flexibility and Adaptability

The only things that can be counted on in the future are change and a continued knowledge explosion. Some futurists have estimated that today's high school graduates will be in five to seven different careers during their lifetime. Flexibility and adaptability, learning how to learn, and learning to think carefully and critically are the aims of a strong liberal arts education.

For some careers a degree in a particular major is not required. Employers respond favorably to applicants who have developed analytical skills, who have the ability to reason abstractly, and who have learned to communicate precisely and effectively.

Choosing a Major

Although some students may change their major several times before arriving at a "good fit," bouncing from major to major can prove to be costly in both time and money. Careful and thoughtful consideration before choosing a major will reduce the time to graduation and help make the most of the time at BYU. Major requirements and course descriptions can be found in the Academic Departments/Schools/Areas, Degrees, and Courses section of this catalog or online at http://saas.byu.edu/catalog/current/depts/majors.aspx. Students may find some combination of the following action steps useful in selecting a major:

Review catalog information pertaining to undergraduate majors. A list of majors can be found in the Alphabetical List of Undergraduate Majors at Brigham Young University section of this catalog. Detailed information on each major is included in the respective Academic Departments/Schools/Areas, Degrees, and Courses section of the catalog.
Meet as often as needed with an open major advisor in the University Advisement Center (UAC). Open major advisors are available to help students choose a major or career path. Contact them at 2500 WSC, (801) 422-3826, or e-mail to university_advisement@byu.edu. You can also access their Web page at http://www.ccc.byu.edu/uac/openadv.php.
Choose university core requirements carefully. Once a major is chosen, a college advisement center can help in the selection of classes that both satisfy university core requirements and expose students to the core subject matter of a major or career: http://saas.byu.edu/classschedule/fall/geDetail.aspx?lms=21
Enroll in a career exploration course or career workshop. Student Development (StDev) 117, Career Exploration, is a 2-credit course designed to help students choose a major and a career path. In addition, workshops on this subject are available in the Career and Learning Information Center (2590 WSC). These workshops last for one hour and are free of charge. Juniors and seniors may want to take StDev 317, Career Transitions, a 1-credit hour course designed to help upper-division students focus on career placement and take final steps into the workforce. This course is offered only on the block at http://ccc.byu.edu/stdev/courses.php.
Visit the Career Learning Information Center (CLIC). The CLIC (2590 WSC) has hundreds of printed and electronic resources designed to help students educate themselves about majors and career options so that they can make informed decisions. Discover, a Web-based self-assessment and career exploration program, and the book From Major to Career, which contains many tips for turning academic majors into careers, are available in the CLIC. Both of these tools, along with several others, are also available on the Web at http://www.byu.edu/ccc/clic.
Complete a career interest inventory. The University Advisement Center (2500 WSC) administers career interest inventories that help students match their interests with a major or career. There is a small fee for these tests.
Learn, firsthand, about potential careers. Part-time work, summer employment, internships, and volunteer work provide useful opportunities for students to collect information about what a specific career entails and to make contacts that will help them further their career goals. In addition, students might ask relatives or friends doing the kind of work they are interested in if they can be their "shadow" for a day, or perhaps longer. Alternatively, students might interview individuals in these positions, asking them about their work, the associated academic prerequisites, and so forth. For more information, go online to http://www.ccc.byu.edu/majortocareer/book.pdf#pagemode=bookmarks.
Take introductory or seminar courses for majors/careers being considered. BYU offers seminar courses for pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-optometry, pre-law, and many of the engineering majors. There are other introductory courses such as Introduction to the English Major (Engl 195), Historian's Craft (Hist 200), and Introduction to International Studies (IAS 100) that may be helpful. Information on these courses is available through college advisement centers.
Pursue multiple options. When trying to choose between two majors, take courses that will fill major and minor requirements for both. When deciding which of the two will be the major, the other choice can possibly become a minor.
Seek advice from the faculty. Faculty members who teach and mentor in a particular major understand the purposes of the major program, its array of courses, and the opportunities available to those who complete it. Students should identify an appropriate member of the faculty and ask for assistance, which will often require an appointment.
Make a firm commitment. Pursuing a major with a firm commitment to go beyond its requirements will bring satisfaction and ensure future opportunities. Tentative or half-hearted completion of minimum requirements of any major will lead only to discouragement and detachment. Students are encouraged to choose carefully, trust their choice, and diligently pursue their studies in the major.
Learn about deadlines, prerequisites, and application requirements for limited-enrollment programs. Some majors have limited enrollment and only accept students by application. Limited-enrollment programs are identified with an asterisk (*) in the list of majors referred to in step 1. Students should become familiar with the prerequisite courses required for limited-enrollment majors several semesters before they plan to apply. When applying to limited-enrollment programs, students should have a backup plan in case they are not accepted. Advisors in the University Advisement Center can help develop alternative academic plans for reaching a given career objective.

Choosing a Minor

A minor offers students the opportunity to increase their breadth of expertise by exploring an area of study in depth but not to the same degree as in a major. Some majors require students to complete a minor from a specified set of options, but for most students a minor is optional. Students who elect to complete a minor often choose fields related to the major. Others may choose a minor in an area in which they have expertise or interest. In most cases, the minor would be chosen from a different department than the major.

Courses used to satisfy the requirements of a student's major may also be used to satisfy the requirements of a minor, unless the minor's requirements place restrictions on the double counting of courses.

Academic Advisement

The university provides a number of resources to assist students with careful and thoughtful academic and career planning while at BYU. It is expected that students will partner with the university by taking full advantage of these available resources and opportunities to enhance their chances of a successful academic experience.

The university is committed to providing students with access to academic advisors who will:

Stay abreast of major and university requirements, and the corresponding academic resources
Assist students by making appropriate recommendations for registration
Help students in their pursuit of an appropriate major and career
Aid students in planning an education program consistent with their academic progress
Offer friendly, attentive, informative service, listening to the student's situation before offering a solution

Students will be successful as they:

Prepare for and keep appointments with their college advisement center (CAC) advisor; preferably at least once a calendar year
Establish and follow an academic plan for graduation
Use university resources such as MyMap, Major Academic Plans (MAPs), Academic Information Management (AIM), and the progress report
Become familiar with their basic academic program and requirements
Review personal academic progress each semester

The key components to advisement are:

AIM (available on Route Y through the BYU homepage; your net ID and PIN are necessary for access)
MAP (available on the Web through the BYU homepage
College and university advisement centers

AIM

The Academic Information Management (AIM) system provides students with easy access to information on their academic progress and other vital information. In AIM, students can change their addresses and phone numbers, access their class schedules, determine course availabilities and instructor schedules, monitor their progress reports, look at their grades and BYU credit, make PIN changes, check on transfer and AP credit, and conduct personal registration procedures.

MyMAP

In the new MyMAP feature in AIM, students will be able to plan their academic course of study for the entire time they're at BYU. By using their progress report, on the Build page, students can plan which classes they want to take to meet certain requirements. The Organize page will provide students with the capability of mapping their courses semester by semester. Their academic plan can then be viewed on the Register page as the student registers for classes. Easy access to course descriptions can be found on any MyMAP page by simply clicking on the course title.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports were created to provide students with accurate academic progress information. Students can access their progress report in the AIM system (through Advisement, Registration, Student Academic Record or MyMAP). In the new MyMAP feature in AIM, students can actually use their progress report (on the Build page) as a tool to plan their academic course of study.

MAP

This supplement to the BYU Undergraduate Catalog is also a valuable academic resource for students as they plan and prepare their academic schedules. The MAP includes information regarding university core and major requirements, semester-by-semester recommendations for course selection, and course availability. Please see the following Web site for more information: http://saas.byu.edu/catalog/current/depts/majors.aspx.

College Advisement Centers (CACs)

CACs exist in every academic college. At these centers, students receive personal assistance in meeting their educational goals as quickly as possible. Students should contact their advisement centers at least once a calendar year.

David O. McKay School of Education, 120 MCKB, Provo, UT 84602-5096, (801) 422-3426, email: eac@byu.edu

Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology, 264 CB, Provo, UT 84602-4101, (801) 422-4325, email: engineering_advisement@byu.edu

College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, 151 SWKT, Provo, UT 84602-5535, (801) 422-3541, email: fhssadvisement@byu.edu

College of Fine Arts and Communications, D-444 HFAC, Provo, UT 84602-6333, (801) 422-3777, email: advisement_secretary@byu.edu

College of Health and Human Performance, 203 RB, Provo, UT 84602-2113, (801) 422-3638, email: hhp_cac@byu.edu

College of Humanities, 1175 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602-6120, (801) 422-4789, email: humanities_advisement@email.byu.edu

International and Area Studies, 273 HRCB, Provo, UT 84602-4526, (801) 422-3548, email: kennedy_advisement@byu.edu

College of Life Sciences (formerly Biology and Agriculture), 380 WIDB, Provo, UT 84602-5189, (801) 422-3042, email: bioag_advisement@byu.edu

Marriott School of Management, 460 TNRB, Provo, UT 84602-3113, (801) 422-4285, email: msm_advisement@byu.edu

College of Nursing, 551 SWKT, Provo, UT 84602-5544, (801) 422-4173, email: nursing_advisement@byu.edu

College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, N-170 ESC, Provo, UT 84602-5096, (801) 422-6270, email: pmsad@cs.byu.edu

University Advisement Center

2500 WSC
(801) 422-3826
E-mail: university_advisement@byu.edu
Web: http://ccc.byu.edu/uac/openadv.php

The University Advisement Center provides academic advising and career counseling to students seeking information on how to choose majors or careers. Services include: general academic advisement, advisement on how to choose a major or career, graduate school advisement, career interest testing, and information and referral to appropriate university resources. The center serves as the college advisement center for open major students, but all students are welcome to use its services and resources for assistance in making informed and appropriate decisions about majors or careers. Advisement to special populations, including Summer Visiting Students, international students, and students in transition, is also provided.

Honors Advisement Center

102A MSRB
(801) 422-5497
E-mail: honors@byu.edu
Web: http://www.byu.edu/honors/

Honors education is open to all students who choose to participate. Students who intend to graduate with University Honors should consult with an advisor in the Honors Advisement Center (102A Maeser Building) for assistance with choosing honors courses and understanding honors graduation requirements.

Preprofessional Advisement Center

3328 WSC
(801) 422-3044

The Preprofessional Advisement Center serves students preparing to apply to professional graduate programs, specifically law, health (medical, dental, etc.), and graduate management (MBA, MPA, etc.). For those students who are interested in such professional graduate programs, the center offers individual counseling, admissions advice, and courses to help students explore these fields and prepare for the study and practice of the student's chosen field. The center is open to freshmen through seniors from any major.

Additional Advisement Resources: Counseling and Career Center

The Counseling and Career Center offers advisement services to students who need help becoming a successful student, choosing a major or career, or considering options for graduate school. Services include the following: (1) general academic advisement, (2) academic standing advisement for students on academic warning, probation, or suspension, (3) advisement on study and learning skills, (4) advisement on choosing a major or a career, (5) graduate school advisement, and (6) workshops on career and learning skills.

Academic Support

2500 WSC
(801) 422-2723
E-mail: academic_support@byu.edu
Web: http://ccc.byu.edu/academic/

Academic counseling is available for students who are experiencing difficulty with their studies. This counseling includes help in working through and overcoming obstacles to successful academic performance. Information about the university's academic standards, a student's academic standing, or help with learning problems is available at this office as well. (See also Academic Standards in this catalog.)

Workshops

2590 WSC
(801) 422-2689
E-mail: workshops@byu.edu
Web: http://www.byu.edu/ccc/clic/workshops.php

Fifty-minute workshops desined to assist students with personal development, study skills, and career decision making are offered each day that BYU classes are in session. Topics include time management, communication, graduate school exploration, choosing a major, testing preparation, listening, and note taking. Printed self-help materials used in the workshops are also available.

Courses for Credit

2500 WSC
(801) 422-4007
Web: http://www.byu.edu/stlife/cdc/stdev/courses.php

Students in various areas of student development can receive credit for courses dealing with college study skills, life planning and decision making, career exploration, and job seeking listed under Student Development (StDev) in the class schedule. See also the Student Development section of this catalog for course numbers and descriptions.

Career Counseling

2500 WSC
(801) 422-3826
E-mail: university_advisement@byu.edu
Web: http://www.byu.edu/stlife/cdc/uac/openadv.php

Career counseling is offered to all students who need help choosing a career direction. Students can meet with a university advisor who can assist with career assessment and exploration, information-gathering strategies, and decision-making needs.

Career and Learning Information Center

2590 WSC
(801) 422-2689
E-mail: clic@byu.edu
Web: http://www.byu.edu/ccc/clic

The Career and Learning Information Center (CLIC) is a resource area designed to assist students with a variety of career and/or learning concerns. Printed and electronic resources, personnel, and workshops are available to help students make informed decisions about majors, careers, and graduate school options. In addition, the CLIC offers workshops, materials, and assistance to students who desire to improve their learning skills so that they can be more successful academically.

Testing Services

2590 WSC
(801) 422-2689
E-mail: careertests@byu.edu
Web: http://ccc.byu.edu/clic/testingServices.php

Printed and electronic inventories are available to assess career interests, abilities, and values so that students can more accurately determine suitable career options for themselves. After completing an inventory a student will meet with an advisor who will interpret the results and guide the student toward additional resources so that they can research careers. Although modest fees are charged for most tests, there are no-fee assessments available.

Career Services

2410 WSC
(801) 422-3000
Fax: (801) 422-3444
Web: http://www.byu.edu/stlife/cdc/placement/advising.php

Career Services assists BYU students and alumni from all colleges, departments, majors, and class standings with job and internship preparation and searches. Students who register at http://byu.erecruiting.com gain access to such services as advisement on job and internship search strategies, on-campus interviews with recruiters, and information about specific job and internship opportunities submitted by employers from business, education, and government. A system (eRecruiting.com) is available that allows students to register, research employers search job postings, submit résumés to employers, schedule interviews, and check interview schedules.