Ready for College, But Not Sure About Your Major? You’ve Come to the Right Place
In Exploratory Studies, you’ll choose from six exploratory options to begin your journey toward your perfect major. Throughout the year, you’ll have an academic advisor by your side — even if your interests change.
You won’t be alone as you explore. You’ll navigate through your first year of college with a group of fellow students who are exploring majors, just like you. You’ll be assigned a peer mentor and be invited to events designed for our Exploratory Studies students.
What You’ll Learn
Major and Career Exploration Tailored to Meet Your Needs
Choosing a major can be challenging, but we’re here to help. Our goal is to guide you toward making this important life decision in an informed way by the end of your first year. On your journey, the Exploratory Studies faculty and staff will serve as your guides, offering one-on-one support to help you choose classes and point you toward helpful resources. You’ll take courses from different subject areas to help you learn about majors and career options.
Imagine Your Future
Imagine a future where you’re more financially secure, more prepared for meaningful work, and equipped with the skills to adapt in a rapidly changing world. A college education isn’t just about the next four years; it’s an investment in a lifetime of opportunity, growth, and resilience.
College graduates earn more and have more opportunities. National data shows that bachelor’s degree holders earn significantly more than those with only a high school diploma — with median lifetime earnings about twice as high. On average, bachelor’s degree holders make roughly $40,500 (86%) more per year than high school graduates, and the lifetime earnings advantage can exceed $1.2 million. Bachelor’s degree holders also experience lower unemployment rates and report higher financial well-being than peers without degrees.
The value of a college education extends beyond earnings. Graduates are more likely to access jobs with benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, and higher education is linked to better health outcomes and greater civic engagement.
Classes and Requirements
Exploratory Studies Program
Exploratory Studies provides beginning college students with the best guidance and the broadest overview of a range of academic and career possibilities.
Goals for Exploratory Studies Students
- Review your major of interest for admission/entry guidelines and requirements
- Discuss the admission guidelines and requirements for your major of interest with your Academic Advisor and create a strategy to meet these goals
- Check in regularly (at least twice a semester) with your Academic Advisor to ensure you’re making progress toward your major of interest
- Explore intentionally by connecting with program faculty and by attending programs designed with exploratory students in mind.
- Be open and flexible to exploring all potential paths to degree completion
What You’ll Study as an Exploratory Studies Student
You will work one-on-one with an academic advisor to identify and assess your skills and goals to develop a degree plan that helps you identify and successfully transition into your desired major.
Being an Exploratory Studies student within University College allows you to actively engage in major and career exploration, while taking courses that count toward graduation. Through the Crimson Core curriculum, students are exposed to coursework from across the undergraduate colleges, allowing them to use the Crimson Core requirements as a starting point for exploring and discovering their areas of interest.
Career Exploration will begin when students take UNIV 101 First Learning Year during their first semester. In this course, students will apply design thinking principles to build a meaningful life and career, focusing on self-discovery, exploring options, and prototyping potential paths through exercises, interviews, and reflection.
First-Year Course Guidelines
Below, you will find an array of first-year courses taken by students in Exploratory Studies. Your courses may be slightly different, based on YOUR academic interests, placement testing, and classes you have already taken through dual enrollment or Advanced Placement (AP).
First Semester
- UNIV 101 First Learning Year (3 credits)
- Course of Academic Interest (3-4 credits)
- Crimson Core: Civic Readiness (3 credits)
- Crimson Core: Written Communication (3-5 credits)
Second Semester
- UGSS 160 Academic Development Workshop (1 credit) or UGSS 281 Successful Sophomore Transition (1 credit)
- Course of Academic Interest (3-4 credits)
- Crimson Core: Human and Creative Inquiry (3 credits)
- Crimson Core: Global Learning (3 credits)
- Crimson Core: Values and Ethics (3 credits)
Choose from Six Possible Starting Points
At many colleges, you would be labeled “undecided” and expected to figure out a major on your own. At IUP, you are an “explorer,” and we are all set to guide you as you seek the major that suits you best.
You’ll begin by choosing one of our six exploratory options. It will serve as your starting point for discovering the major that inspires you. Faculty advisors along the way will help you identify your strengths and interests. Choose your starting point and go anywhere your curiosity takes you.
Exploratory Arts, Humanities, Media, and Public Affairs
For students interested in majors in humanities (e.g., history, English), social sciences (e.g., political science, criminology), arts (e.g., art, graphic design, music, theatre), or communications.
Exploratory Business
For students interested in management, sport management, marketing, finance, economics, accounting, or hospitality.
Exploratory Education and Human Services
For students interested in elementary and/or secondary education, human development, and sociology.
Exploratory Health Sciences
For students interested in allied health fields like nursing, medical imaging, speech pathology, nutrition, exercise science, athletic training, or psychology. .
Exploratory Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
For students interested in majors like natural sciences, computer science, anthropology, geospatial and earth sciences, safety sciences, environmental engineering, or mathematics.
Exploratory
For students who want to explore a wide range of majors across the university.
Will Exploring Majors Make College Take Longer?
Your first-year classes count toward graduation whenever possible, keeping you on track for graduation.
As an explorer, you’ll be in the University College, which covers all Exploratory Studies areas. Students are encouraged by their academic advisor to explore their academic interests with intentionality. Throughout your exploration, you will be guided from discovering your possible major to declaring one. At that time, a student will choose their major and enter a new academic college for their degree path.
Research indicates that many students who declare a major are uncertain about their choice. If they change their major later and have to backtrack to complete the necessary courses, college can take longer and cost more.