Current Exploring Students
As an Exploratory Student at KU you have a vast network of individuals, opportunities and resources available to support your exploration. Exploration is an active process and will be unique to you and your individual interests. At KU, students declare Exploratory Pathways for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps you have a two majors in mind and are deciding between them. You could also know what type of job or career you want, but not know the educational path to reach this point. Others are completely unsure of what they want to study and
Ideally, you will take your time as an Exploratory student to identify your specific combination of majors, minor and certificates and change your major once.
The goal for current Exploratory students is to change your major once. Using your time as an Exploratory student can allow you to feel confident in your academic choices.
For many current students, you will be able to graduate on a four year timeline like your peers. It is important to check in with your advisor often, as each major at KU has a specific timeline for classes, and we want to keep you on track as much as possible.
Steps to Take for Exploratory Students
KU provides several free assessments to help you discover the best academic fit.
Using these tools can either re-enforce interests you have already identified or expose you to new majors and careers you have not encountered before.
- HawkQuest is a brief, informal quiz to help you learn about yourself and start thinking about possible careers and majors.
- PathwayU helps you to explore majors and occupations that align with your interests, personality, values, and workplace preferences.
- This KU majors page allows you to learn more about the skills you will build in each area of study, as well as some of the common professions students enter post-graduation.
As you identify major and career possibilities, it is important to learn more about each option to understand what you could be choosing in a major or career.
Running a “What If” Degree Progress Report is a helpful way to see how you past and current
Once you’ve defined some of your interests, talking with professionals on campus and in your community can be a helpful way of continuing the exploration process.
- Advisors can help you see what majors and educational paths at KU best match your interests and give you an idea of what that might look like moving forward in classes.
- Career Coaches in the UCC can help you see how majors connect to various careers, and how to gain experience where you can build professional skills.
- KU also has a mentoring program called KU Mentoring+ that will pair you with an alumnus, allowing you to learn more about an alumni’s experience in their industry and hear their advice for you as a current KU student.
- Your own network of family, professors and peers can provide valuable insight into different industries and opportunities.
Engaging in activities outside of the classroom can expose you to career paths and opportunities that complement and develop your educational interests. For example, go to professors’ office hours, join student clubs and organizations, and participate in volunteering or internship experiences. However you choose to explore, engaging with the KU campus and community will enrich your time as a Jayhawk!
To help narrow your course options, we have created curriculum guides specific to your Pathway. Taking courses in an area of interest allows you to get a sense of the faculty in this area and determine if you do in fact want to take more classes related to this topic. Even if you do not pursue a specific subject further, many courses will still fulfill your KU CORE.
The process to officially change your major varies depending on what major you are pursuing. You can meet with an academic advisor for assistance or follow the steps on our Ready to Declare page.