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Choosing a Major

Undecided about your major?
We get that, and we’re here to help.

Taking your time to consider your academic options is more common than you might think.

As you think about possible majors, start with answering a few questions:

  • What appeals to me about this major?
  • What skills does this major teach that I enjoy doing?
  • Can I see myself in any of the careers that are related to this major?
  • Are there programs or minors that would allow me to focus on my specific interests?

The questions below are good starting points to explore career pathways related to your interests.

 

Do you enjoy sales, working with numbers, or want to start your own business?

YES

Do you enjoy sales, working with numbers, or want to start your own business?

Gain skills to succeed in today’s rapidly changing business world. Small classes allow you to work closely with professors, conduct independent research, present at academic conferences and publish research in academic journals. The McGaughy Professional Development Center provides internship preparation and support to ensure your success.

  • Where have recent graduates landed?
    • KPMG
    • Amazon
    • Ernst & Young
    • Animus Capital Partners
    • Hult International Business School, Dubai

Do you want to help people and communities succeed?

YES

Do you want to help people and communities succeed?

Fulfill your passion for helping and empowering others through academic programs in healthcare and related fields.

  • Where have recent graduates landed?
    • Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
    • Sheltering Arms Institute
    • Peace Corps
    • Inova Loudoun Hospital
    • James Madison University, audiology Ph.D. program

Are you interested in the sciences or math?

YES

Are you interested in the sciences or math?

Majors in the core STEM fields focus on problem-solving, exploratory learning and critical thinking. Students are eligible to apply to the PRISM program that combines practical training in a specific research technique and one-on-one collaboration with faculty.

  • Where have recent graduates landed?
    • Department of the Army
    • GENETWORx
    • Vanderbilt University Ph.D. program
    • Deutsche Bank
    • University of Chicago Ph.D. program
    • PPD Global Pharmaceutical Research Organization

Do you want to educate and influence future generations?

YES

Do you want to educate and influence future generations?

The Education and Teaching program will prepare you to work with children at the elementary, middle, or high school levels.

Are you interested in learning about people and their behaviors?

YES

Are you interested in learning about people and their behaviors?

With a focus on active learning inside and outside the classroom, these majors teach essential skills for examining people, cultures, and society.

  • Where have recent graduates landed?
    • Virginia Commonwealth University
    • University of Tennessee at Knoxville
    • Newport News Shipbuilding
    • Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History
    • American University

 

 

Do you want to explore/enhance your creative abilities?

YES

Do you want to explore/enhance your creative abilities?

Extensive academic offerings in music, theatre, art and graphic and animation design provide opportunities to develop and refine skills in the visual and performing arts.

  • Where have recent graduates landed?
    • Nickelodeon
    • Virginia Theatre Association
    • Theatre West Virginia
    • Landstown High School
    • American Shakespeare Center

Are you Interested in pursuing a career in law, public service or writing?

YES

Are you Interested in pursuing a career in law, public service or writing?

Explore and shape your understanding of the world through majors designed to expand creativity, critical thinking and cultural awareness.

  • Where have recent graduates landed?
    • Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
    • University of Alberta, Canada
    • University of Southern California
    • Dominion Aviation Services
    • Walt Disney World
    • J.E.J. Moore Middle School
    • Miami University in Ohio

Want to explore more? View all of our undergraduate programs

And connect with others that can help guide you:

Talk to a Professor

Have questions about major or careers that sound interesting? Our professors are ready to help!

Contact the Registrar's Office

The Registrar’s Office offers resources and advising for undeclared students to help guide you through the process of exploring and selecting a major.

Exploratory Studies

Exploratory Studies—for students who aren’t ready to commit to a specific major—allows you to choose from six tracks of study.

Meet Haleigh

Started undeclared. Leaving a History major. Here's her story.

Haleigh James ‘21

History major, concentration in public history. English minor.

"What do you want to do? What do you like to do?"

When I first came to Longwood, these questions seemed like they would never intersect. I felt like there were too many options and I could never choose just one. Environmental science, French, English, history, education? My advisor in the registrar's office helped me work through my interests, discover potential career opportunities, and decide on classes for the following semesters. But people who entered my life through pure chance led me to declare.

“Looking back at my experience, I see that coming in as undeclared was one of the best decisions I could have made.”

- Haleigh James ‘21

During my freshman year, my randomly-assigned roommate asked, "What do you like?" After naming off all the potential majors I had racing through my head, she asked again "What do you like about them?" It was then that I realized I had been thinking too much about my academic performance or a teacher I had in high school. I needed to focus on what really mattered—how the subject made me feel. "I like museums, I like art, I like art history, I like writing," I told her. "So, you like public history?," she responded. I had never heard of it, but it was exactly what I was searching for.

Looking back at my experience, I see that coming in as undeclared was one of the best decisions I could have made. By taking my general education (now Civitae) courses before declaring a major I was able to see what each field had to offer. While the process may seem stressful, pressuring you to decide before you are ready, you have time. Take it. Consult with Longwood faculty, staff, and students in your potential majors—the people you meet could be the ones that open new doors you never knew existed.

Have questions or want to talk? We’re here.

Admissions
Text 434.207.6514
admissions@longwood.edu
Phone 434.395.2060