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Study: Director: John Ruff, Ph.D. Huegli 114 | 219-464-5318 | John.Ruff@valpo.edu UNDECIDED? At Valparaiso University we call students who arrive with a mind full of aspirations (and without a declared major) "exploratory" students. How can you decide on a major at Valpo? If you are undecided about your major, Valpo provides an exploratory approach to investigate the many options available to you. The term "exploratory" captures our approach to helping students pinpoint a major. Declaring yourself as an Exploratory student can be done on your Application for Undergraduate Admission. Simply write "Exploratory" as your probable field of study. Your route as an Exploratory student at Valpo may begin before you reach the University. Through experiential evaluation, you begin to narrow down the list of choices. After considering the following, you should be able to better describe your major interest. Identify Your Most Enjoyed Subjects: Make a list of the subjects you enjoyed most in high school and rank them in order of preference. This will prioritize the areas of study that will appeal to you. Take Personality and Inventory Tests: Ask your guidance counselor about career and personality inventory tests. These tests may help you to identify your particular interest and unique potential. Interview People You Know and Respect about Their World of Work: Find out what makes their work or vocation meaningful and rewarding and find out how they prepared themselves for it. Relax: You have time to explore at Valpo and advisors who can guide you. What Will Help You Choose a Major at Valpo? Advisors You will have a faculty advisor with whom you will meet at least once a semester, but who is available most days of the week and sometimes in the evenings to meet with you. This advisor will help you determine what areas interest you the most, choose and schedule classes that fit those interests, and plan your schedule so you can make the best of your time here and take advantage of opportunities such as studying abroad. Talk with Fellow Students Valpo freshmen become a family. The girl down the hall may be "mom", the guy upstairs may be "big brother" or "best friend", your roommate will be your roommate! Each connection you make and friendship you form based on respect and common experience may influence your decision on a major. Sometimes peers can see what you love and what your interests are better than YOU can! Look at Valpo’s General Catalog Ask Valparaiso’s Office of Admissions to send you a General Catalog or visit www.valpo.edu/registrar/catalog/01catalog.htm. In it you will find full descriptions of all the majors offered. Write down the names of the majors that catch your eye. FOCUS (Valop’s Summer Orientation Program) At FOCUS our Exploratory students have advising sessions with advisors who help them register for classes. In the fall the Exploratory students continue to work with these advisors and the staff in the Office of the Assistant Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. They will support you in your goal of finding a major. Valpo’s Student Guide to University Life This important book –Student Guide to University Life – provides detailed information on course requirements and career paths. Taking time to thoroughly review this book, once you receive it at FOCUS, will provide you with Valpo facts!
What Is
Distinctive About Valpo's Program? The Valpo Core A big asset for Exploratory students is the fact that all Valpo freshmen take the same seminar-style course: the Valpo Core (Christ College students are the exceptions to this – they pursue a rigorous seminar-style course with similar objectives known as the Christ College Freshman Program). The Valpo Core is a two-semester interdisciplinary course that encourages interpersonal connection with professors and fellow students. Core introduces you to the close and supportive academic community that is Valpo, encourages your intellectual and spiritual growth, and exposes you to both great instructors and challenging ideas. The Valpo Core will give you opportunities to engage in discussion with your professors and your classmates about the Human Experience (the theme of the Core curriculum) and how you feel about where you are in your stage of life. Such discussion can help you clarify your interests and decide what areas you would like to study at Valpo. In the first semester, students do research and interviews related to careers as part of a Core unit on work and vocation. You may even shadow a professional of your choice.
Faculty Throughout your Valpo experience, you will find that faculty are your greatest resource for not only knowledge in a specified area, but for personal assistance in helping you reach your personal goals. This is critical to Exploratory students. As you take introductory courses in your areas of interest, you will also have the opportunity to make connections with faculty that are able to provide insight into particular academic and career choices. Valpo’s faculty members are accessible and eager to help you meet your personal goals.
Valpo’s Career Center The Career Center on campus offers a wide range of services for students at all levels of career readiness. For Exploratory students who cannot narrow their opinions easily, the Career Center makes available the personality and inventory tests that your high school guidance office may already use. The Career Center provides excellent resources on various subject areas, brings events like the Career Fair to campus, and publishes a newsletter to let you know about various career-related workshops and events. What Beyond-the-Classroom Opportunities Does Valpo Offer in This Field? Extra-Curricular Groups You can participate in the more than 100 campus organizations at Valpo. By taking part in these extracurricular activities, you can explore a wide variety of interests. Writing for the newspaper, hosting a radio show, being involved in community service, or running for a seat in Student Senate can help you decide what course of study you wish to pursue. And, meeting so many new people through extracurricular groups will give you a network of people with which to discuss majors, careers, and areas of interest. Community Resources Valpo’s location gives you a unique opportunity to experience both a small-town community and an urban city’s resources. The community of Valparaiso itself offers you numerous opportunities to participate in community service, community arts programs and traditional town events. The larger northwest Indiana region offers a diversity of community service organizations, small and large commercial groups and businesses, and fine arts programs to those who are interested. The resources of Chicago, less than an hour away, can give you an even deeper look into the cultural, the political, the economic, and the social aspects of various fields of interest. Taking advantage of these resources and making the most of opportunities to get into the community can help you decide on a field of study. RETURN TO Majors & Areas of Study Page |
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