Picking My Major—Academic Exploration at Carleton

When Does Major Declaration Happen?

Major declaration happens at the end of your sophomore year at Carleton. This is because Carleton encourages its students to explore a multitude of different subjects before they have to identify their field of study. In fact, in my class year, about 40% of first years were undecided about their major upon arriving at college. With several graduation requirements to fulfill, students are given the opportunity to sample a variety of classes before committing to a major, and are encouraged to find out what they are interested in through this process. Many Carls finish most of their graduation requirements early on in their college career. Easy to complete, they are not limiting, but open up new avenues for academic discovery and intellectual growth. In their blog post, Joe highlights some of their favorite aspects of Carleton’s liberal arts curriculum.

Academic Exploration

Before arriving at Carleton, I pinned myself as a decidedly “non-STEM,” person. As someone who more easily flourished in my humanities and social science classes in high school, taking a lab science course in college was daunting. Within my first 2 years at Carleton, I dabbled in a variety of fields and actually managed quite well. With the help of fantastic teaching and academic support, I took courses in the following areas:

American Studies, Cross Cultural Studies, European Studies, Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies, Geology, History, Linguistics, Music, Philosophy, Sociology-Anthropology, Spanish, Studio Art

Now that I have declared my major, the classes I take as an upperclassman will primarily be within my major. However, my schedule is still open enough that I may continue taking classes and electives outside of my major that pique my interest. In these next 2 years, I intend to take courses in Statistics, Psychology, and Art History.

Finding Your Passion

My friend Kelly and I came to Carleton thinking we would become Political Science majors. After taking an introductory Neuroscience course, however, Kelly became interested in Psychology. About a year and a half later, after taking a few courses within that field, she declared as a Psychology major. Similarly, I took a 100-level Sociology-Anthropology (SOAN) course during my first term of freshman year, and absolutely loved it! The class, “Animals & Society,” discussed human-animal relationships and dove into why we keep some non-human animals as pets while eating and wearing others. Throughout the next year I continued to take SOAN classes and enjoyed them so much I ultimately declared SOAN as my major (a field I had no previous knowledge of before arriving at Carleton).

How You’re Supported: Liberal Arts Advisers vs. Major Advisers

Right off the bat, the summer before you arrive at Carleton as a first year student, a “liberal arts adviser” is assigned to you. This adviser may be a professor in any department, and for the first two years of your college experience at Carleton they guide you through your academic exploration and provide recommendations about what classes to take. Typically your liberal arts adviser will also be your “Argument and Inquiry” (A&I) professor, the required 10-15 student seminar that all first years take their first term at Carleton. The forty-or-so A&I seminars offered span a variety of topics in a number of different fields. Examples include “Trials in Early America,” “The Cultural Life of Plants in China,” “The History of Political Caricature,” and the one I was in, “Allies or Enemies? America through European Eyes.”

Later, after declaring your major at the beginning of spring term sophomore year, all students are assigned a “major adviser,” a professor within the department of their major. These major advisers provide specialized help to their students, guiding them through the process of choosing classes, studying abroad, and completing all of their graduation and major requirements.

Zoë is a junior Sociology-Anthropology major who loves traveling and studying abroad, taking photos, and luxuriating in long walks in the glorious Arb. At Carleton, some of Zoë’s favorite pastimes include frequenting the various coffee shops in downtown Northfield, playing cello in the orchestra, participating in club soccer, and spending time with friends. Meet the other Bloggers!