Exploring Majors at the U
Need to speak with an advisor?
Easy Ways to Explore Majors
Answer a few questions and get personalized major recommendations tailored to your strengths and interests.
Browse hundreds of majors, filter by college or interests, and discover programs you never knew existed.
Explore hundreds of careers filtered by category, salary, or required skills -- then find the matched majors that can get you there.
Review your quiz results and save favorite majors & careers in UGuide.
The Steps of Choosing a Major
Reflect
Start by understanding yourself.
Your interests, abilities, and values can provide clues to potential majors and career paths. Taking time to reflect helps you identify what matters to you and what motivates you, making it easier to recognize majors that truly fit—rather than choosing based on pressure or guesswork.
Motivators
- What is the reason you want to go to college?
- What excites you about college?
- What do I want your university experience to look like?
Interests
- What do you watch, read, talk, or think about?
- What would I like to know more about?
- What is a skill you want to learn while in college?
Values
- What does meaningful work look like to you?
- If you could solve one problem, what would it be?
- How do you define success?
Abilities
- What qualities do you consider your personal strengths?
- What skills do you enjoy using or learning?
- Which activities make you feel energized or cause you to lose track of time?
Take the quiz To help you discover your strengths and find recommended steps.
Gather Info
Explore your options.
Exploring majors and careers helps you see how your interests connect to programs offered at the U and to future opportunities. The more you understand what you’ll study and where it can lead, the easier it will be to to narrow your choices.
Test It Out
Discover by doing.
Testing your interests through conversations, classes, and experiences helps you move from “this sounds interesting” to “this feels right.” Firsthand experience is one of the best ways to confirm—or rule out—a major.
Decide
Make it official.
Once you’ve explored and tested your options, it’s time to make your choice. Declaring your major officially updates your student record with your chosen field of study and helps you focus your academic journey. Students are strongly encouraged to declare by the end of their first year at the U. Doing so allows you to plan your courses with your major advisor, connect with resources in your field, and create a clear graduation plan tailored to your goals.
How to Declare
Make an appointment with an academic advisor from the major of your choice.
When to Declare
- Students should declare their major by the end of their second semester.
- Students who are undeclared after their first year will be required to meet with a Navigate Hub for Exploring Students advisor each semester until they declare.
Why Declare
- Gives clarity and focus for your academic journey
- Unlocks access to major-specific advising and opportunities
- Allows you to confidently plan for graduation and career goals
What can you study in college?
Majors
Your major is your main area of academic focus. It’s the set of courses you spend the most time on, and your diploma will state Bachelor’s degree in [your major]. To graduate, every student must have a completed major.
Minors
A minor is a secondary area of study that lets you explore another interest alongside your major. It requires fewer courses and appears on your transcript, but not on your diploma. Minors are optional.
Certificates
A certificate is a short, focused set of courses that builds specific skills or knowledge. Certificates are often career- or interest-based and appear on your transcript, but not on your diploma. Certificates are optional.
Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science - What's the Difference?
Many majors at The University of Utah are available as either a B.A. or a B.S. Let's review the difference.
- A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) demonstrates proficiency in a method of research while a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) demonstrates proficiency in a second language.
- A B.S. degree requires completion of one Disciplinary Inquiry (DI) or one Quantitative Intensive (QI) course, and a B.A. degree requires fourth semester proficiency in a second language.