Career Exploration -- Academics

Now that you have identified your interests and abilities, the next stage in your career exploration process is to examine how to get to your pool of career options. As you probably noticed, your set of interests resulted in a wide range of careers. This is because many career field have similarities to other areas. Identifying the alternative options creates a better exploration process for finding the best fit for you. Utilizing the Choices Planner is also beneficial during major exploration.

Most of the career in the workforce require some level of post-secondary education. Selecting a major is defining an area of study. One major educates you for a variety of careers. The following link connects you to information about all of SDSU's majors.

What Can I Do With A Major In . . . ?

When searching through the different options, consider the following questions:

• What majors are offered in this department? What is common among them? How do they differ?
• What are the most interesting courses/events students in the department experience?
• What is the typical student like in the program?
• What does it take to be successful in this major?
• What types of out-of-class experiences are required and how much time must be devoted to them? For example, studio/field work, travel, etc.
• What do students find most challenging about this major?
• What are the common misperceptions about this major (and what is the reality)?
• What is the application or admission process for changing into the major? What are the prerequisites needed to be considered (courses, GPA, other experiences)?
• What type of positions have your graduates attained and what companies are they working for now?
• What activities or courses are available for someone who wants to learn more about this major?

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Choices Planner A helpful way to follow your career journey is to use the "Choices Planner" online resource.   Simply click on the bridges hyperlink to get started.  Please note that this tool is only available to current students at South Dakota State University. Please contact 688-4425 to gain the Site ID and password. www.bridges.com    Utilize the "LEARN" tab in the Choices Planner online resource to learn more information about major areas of study.

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College of General Studies
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