E-mail this pageUndeclared (General Education Pre-Major) Students
An Exciting Place to Be!
Many students know they are ready to attend college, but aren't ready to choose an academic major. In fact, approximately one-third of each freshman class at SUNY Plattsburgh enter as undeclared majors! (And about half of your peers who are declared will change their major at least once while they're in college.)
As an undeclared student, your possibilities are open, vast, and flexible. Your first-year schedule will consist of primarily general education courses that allow you to explore many disciplines until you zero in on the field that is best for you. You'll be exposed to topics and issues you never knew existed, or interests and strengths in yourself that you didn't know you had! The active exploring you do with your advisor will be an exciting part of your college experience.
Your Academic Advisor Is Here to Help You
As an undeclared major, you benefit from being assigned to a professional academic advisor. Even before the semester begins, as well as once you are here, your academic advisor will be in touch with you via e-mail to invite you to meet with her. We encourage you to respond to these invitations, as she will:
- Get to know to you (your likes, interests, academic values)
- Assess your current level of indecision, and
- Start you off on a program of academic major exploration
During your time as an Undeclared major, your academic advisor will:
- Help you to understand your degree requirements and to make appropriate course selections
- Show you how to use your CAPP report, Banner, and the college catalog to keep track of your progress toward a degree
- Direct you to information about particular majors and careers
- Assist you in developing strategies to achieve excellent academic performance
- Address questions or concerns you may have regarding your program, courses, educational goals, etc.
- Explain and refer you to campus resources, such as the Career Development Center.
Resources to Get You Started
All Undeclared students are not the same. We'd like to know: Which one of these best describes you?
- You might have a really strong leaning toward a field, but want some time to dabble in it before you commit. Students in this situation might say something like, "I'm 'pretty sure' I want to study [Environmental Science] but I want to take other courses to be 100% sure." OR
- You might have a narrowed set of majors in mind - a general direction - that you want (or don't want), but you're not sure exactly. Students in this scenario come to us saying things like, "I know I want something in the business area or math, just no sciences please," or "I know I want to help people, but I don't know if teaching is for me or some other major working with people would be best." OR
- You might feel completely without a direction, baffled by all of your options, or liking many subjects at the same time. Students who feel this way ask us for help with the following, "I have NO idea what I want to do with my life," or "I'm thinking about criminal justice, journalism, or information technology. Then again, medical technology and hotel/restaurant/tourism management looked pretty interesting too. And I've always loved theatre and politics."
Your advisor looks forward to helping you sift through your options with you, exploring possibilities on the way toward finding a major of good fit for you. Your academic advisor will work with you to provide resources specific to you.
To get a start on assessing your own unique circumstances, and learn how major selection is done, check out:
- Misconceptions and Advice for Undeclared Students
- Managing Common Pressures and Dilemmas
- Special Workshops
- Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Declaring/Changing Majors
- General Education Requirements
Contact Information
Academic Advising
Office Location: Feinberg 101-103
Phone: (518) 564-2080
Fax: (518) 564-2079
E-mail: advise@plattsburgh.edu