The Most Popular Undergraduate Majors
Choosing a college major is an important part of embarking on a career path. The courses that are required in any particular major give students the knowledge they need to build a foundation they can expand on as they continue in school and after graduation. The major a college student selects is usually based on a combination of job security and individual interest. In this article, we explore some of the most popular college majors.
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Easiest College Majors Your 2021 Guide To Easy College Majors
Home » Easy College Majors
Searching for the easiest college majors in 2021? What makes a college major easy? Fewer math classes? Less time in the Chemistry lab? Or maybe you like classes with lots of writing.
Whats easy and whats difficult is very subjective. It all depends on your likes and dislikes. Me? I like writing. But Im not a huge fan of dissecting random animals in a bio lab.
What do you enjoy? Let that be your guide as you start exploring majors!
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Top 10 College Majors
College offers you many academic freedoms. You can cultivate existing passions and explore new interestsand find a major that will put you on the career path you want.
Whatever major you choose, don’t pick based on the courses that come easiest to you, or what your friends are studying, because you’ll be cheating yourself out of some great opportunities and self-discovery!
We compiled this list of best college majors based on research covering job prospects, alumni salaries, and popularity. That doesnt mean every course of study listed here will guarantee you a job, or a huge paycheckbut each of these majors does offer unique intellectual challenges and will help you develop skill sets that will be applicable in a variety of professional positions.
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What Is A Major In College
When you get to college, youll need to pick a specific subject area to specialize in. That subject area is called a major.
Your major will dictate the coursework you take. Ultimately, most students take about half of their coursework within their majors department.
As we said before, the vast majority of schools require students to pick a major. A handful of schools dont require you to major in anything at all, while at other places, you can major in more than one subject. Some students might choose to major in two subject areas, such as Anthropology and History. Other students might choose to have a major and a minor, which is a specialization that requires fewer courses than a major does.
Most majors are outlined by the university: youll have to choose a set subject area and pick classes from a pre-selected workload.
Some schools, however, allow students to design their own major. In this scenario, youd work with an advisor to create a class load that matches what you want to study. For instance, if you wanted to study Human Rights, but your school doesnt have a Human Rights major, you might select classes from History, Anthropology, Sociology, and Political science to create this new major. Its important to note that not all schools allow students to create their own major. If creating your own major is something youre interested in, youll need to talk to your advisor.
What Am I Good At
What youre good at is a little bit more complicated, and its going to take some honesty and self-awareness to figure out. For instance, English classes were always super easy for me, and although I wasnt bad at science, I had to work harder to succeed. Despite this fact, I wanted to study environmental science, which meant that I was setting myself up for a career path that would just naturally be more difficult for me than one centered around writing.
Its not wrong to do this, and if all the other things to consider when choosing a college major had been in line for me, I might have continued to study environmental science. Still, when you make a mark next to everything that you are naturally good at, you might find that what you initially wanted to do isnt what you have a foundation of skills in. Its not impossible to build skills, especially if the field youre working in is really fulfilling for you, but its good to know where youre starting out.
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How Many Years Does It Take To Study A Common College Major
Students have the choice of either studying for two years, and receiving an associates degree, or four years, and receiving a bachelors degree.
For those who want to further their studies even more, there are graduate programs that advertise a more in-depth study and take about two more years to earn after completing a bachelors program.
What Is An Option
Options are available only within your home faculty.
For example, only students within the Faculty of Engineering can choose Engineering options. An option provides depth to your degree and usually requires six to eight courses.
Waterloo offers six faculties: Arts, Engineering, Environment, Health, Mathematics, and Science.
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When Do You Declare A Major
Colleges will likely ask you to declare your intended major on your college application. But dont panic! Most colleges have the option of allowing you to be an undeclared major, letting you take classes for a year or two until you have decided what course of study you want to commit to.
If you decide to change your major at some point after youve declared it, its most often an easy, painless process. In fact, at some schools, a majority of students change their majors during their academic careers. Some of us, myself included, change our majors more than once. In most cases, this has a minimal effect on the length of time required to complete your studies.
Social Sciences And History
The BLS projects that employment of all life, physical, and social science occupations will grow 5% between 2019 and 2029, adding about 68,200 new jobs. To help meet this demand, an increasing number of students are pursuing social science majors. According to NCES, around 160,000 degrees in social sciences and history were awarded by postanchor institutions in 2017-18.
To help meet demand, an increasing number of students are pursuing social science majors.
The median annual pay for life, physical, and social science occupations is $68,160. However, because social science encompasses many different fields, wages can vary greatly by industry and occupation.
Undergraduate social science coursework generally takes an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating topics such as economics, sociology, and history. Social science programs often provide a liberal arts education, developing students’ analytical, communication, and leadership skills, and preparing them for an array of potential career paths.
Social Sciences and History Career Paths
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Computer And Information Systems
Computers are powerful tools for gathering, organizing and storing data. If you want to learn more about data management and computer networks, you could major in computer and information systems.
Most computer and information systems programs start with introductory classes in computer systems and programming. Many common courses for this degree discuss database systems and how to design, manage and analyze them. Other common topics that are studied are how to oversee projects, make decisions, and keep information secure.
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Overall, computer and information technology careers pay an average annual salary of $91,250. This particular degree earns a median salary of $69,000 . A few jobs that computer and information systems majors may pursue and their average salaries are:
- Computer Network Architect $116,780
- Information Security Analyst $103,590
- Database Administrator $98,860
Employers need people who can turn computer theories into practical business solutions, and thats a skill you can gain in an information systems program.
Consider What Youre Interested In
First, consider your interests. The vast majority of your coursework will be in your majors field, so you dont want to pick something that bores you. If you hate English, for instance, you probably shouldnt be an English major!
Pick something that youll want to study and enjoy learning about for the rest of your time at college.
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The 6 Most Popular College Majors
Earning a college degree is more valuable than ever before. The Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce calculates that a bachelor’s degree is worth $2.8 million over a lifetime.
Accordingly, more Americans are going to college than ever before. Most recent figures from the National Center for Education Statistics show that students earned approximately 1.9 million bachelor’s degrees during the 2014 to 2015 school year a 32 percent increase from 2005.
But what are students actually studying? Check out the 6 most popular college majors to see if yours makes the list:
Am I A Competitive Applicant For This Major
If you are naturally good at something, like me in my English courses, you will naturally be a more competitive applicant and you will have a greater chance of getting into more competitive schools. This might not be important to you, but the sad reality is that it could be important for your chosen career path. Also consider what your extra-curricular activities are, and how that might help you. Ultimately, you will want to put together a streamlined application that makes sense to the committee reading it.
Whether or not you are a competitive applicant is one of the important things to consider when choosing a major in college because it is actually easy to switch from some majors and into others. This means that you can apply for something you are more competitive for, and then switch or even double major instead of the area you initially got in for wont actually make you happy. If your major requires a specific program this will be a challenge, but hopefully, you already answered that question for yourself.
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What Do I Like
This little question is the simplest of all the things to consider when choosing a major in college. Chances are, you already know the things that you like. Go ahead and make that list right now, with plenty of room for more brainstorming around it. Include what topics in school you like, specific courses that you like, after-school activities that you like, genres of books, music, and movies that interest you, and even areas of study that capture your imagination that youve never had the chance to explore. Anything that you like has a place on this list.
College Of Arts And Sciences
Arts
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Best College Majors For The Future Rankings
Heres the list of the 30 Best Majors for the Future rankings based on salary, expected growth, and the availability of programs from reputable, top accredited universities.
The best college majors for the future should prepare you for a number of career choices with pay at or above average reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics .
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A Major Is Required For A College Degree
If you intend to graduate with a bachelors degree that has equipped you for a career in a particular field, then it is essential to complete a major rather than dabble in whatever courses you like for a 4 year time period. It is nearly impossible to earn a bachelors without the formal structure of General Education requirements + College Major + Electives = Bachelors degree.
Not sure which major to pursue? Heres a list of some of the most difficult majors and easiest college majors.
How To Choose Your College Major
There are a few key considerations you want to take into account before you commit to a major area of study. Certainly, you will want to clarify your financial expectations and the cost of your education.
However, more importantly, you will also want to reflect on your personality and values and how these will affect your choice of a satisfying area of study.
Finally, you will want to determine which sectors and careers have the most growth potential since a significant reason for attending university is to prepare for your future.
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What Is The Best College Major To Study
Choosing the best college majors for the future may seem like a balancing act as you contemplate the job market, your personal interests, and abilities. But as you could see with the up-to-date salary data and projected industry growth rates, there are quite a few great options for bachelors degree holders!
Which college major is the best major? The choice is yours.
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Factors To Consider When Choosing A Major
Does the work interest me? You will have a much harder time securing good grades and retaining concepts if you are pursuing a major that does not interest you. We are not saying you have to choose something that fascinates younot everyone can be a professional musician or writerbut make sure you choose a major that holds your attention.
Do I have natural talent in this field? Everyones brain is wired a little differently. It follows that certain subjects will be easier for certain students. Natural talent is not a prerequisite for pursuing a given major. In fact, many leaders in their field report initial setbacks that they had to work hard to overcome. However, choosing to major in an area where you already have an intellectual advantage based on your brain chemistry is a good way to make your college years easier.
How much time do I want to spend studying? Realistically, academic coursework is not every students top priority. One of the best parts of college is making lifelong friendships. Another is exploring your interests through clubs and internships. Only commit to a time-intensive major if it really is your top priority in college.
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Most Common College Majors
Selecting a college major is important because it paves the way for students to create a career for themselves. Many students change majors at least once while they are in college and continue to gain exposure to different core classes that may influence their goals and career aspirations.
Here are 25 of the most popular college majors nationwide:
What’s The Difference Between Program And Major
At Waterloo, your major is your program when you apply to it directly from high school, e.g., Kinesiology, Geomatics, Civil Engineering. These are also called entry programs because you “enter” university through them.
In other cases, you’ll apply to a program such as Honours Arts or Honours Science and then choose a major such as History or Biology.
However, program and major are often used interchangeably.
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Commercial Art & Graphic Design
Commercial artists and designers create art for a specific purpose. For example, their work may be intended to sell products, relay information or increase brand recognition. To help you use your talents in this way, enroll in a bachelors program for commercial art or graphic design.
Your classes will most likely address 2-D and 3-D design as well as color theory, photography, typography and art history. You may also have studio classes and assemble a design portfolio. Because this line of work often relates directly to branding and product sales, you may take classes in marketing and advertising as well.
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With a degree in commercial art or graphic design, you may earn an annual salary of around $51,000 . A few jobs that commercial artists may pursue and their average salaries are:
- Industrial Designer $71,640
Alternatively, some graphic designers look for jobs in marketing, web design or drafting.