The Pre-Major Option

Students who choose to enter SUNY Cortland as pre-majors will complete required coursework while assessing their opportunities.

Many students enter their first year of college with a number of exciting ideas about their potential major. The pre-major option allows students to learn about themselves, understand our wide array of academic majors, and make decisions with confidence.

SUNY Cortland offers a pre-major option to those students who have yet to commit to one particular field of study. Pre-major students work on the same set of university-wide requirements that all other first year students are completing.

Pre-major students often use their general education requirements and electives to explore academic disciplines. This option allows the pre-major to make progress toward their degree while they decide upon their major. The majority of these students declare their major in their sophomore year and then begin their concentrated major coursework.

Strategies for the Pre-Major Student

We work with all pre-majors to develop a strategy for effective decision making and academic planning. This strategy includes:

• Participating in Pre-Major Learning Communities.
• Learning about yourself: Understanding your goals, abilities, talents, interests, and values.
• Understanding academic majors and how they relate to careers. Visit the Career Services office!
• Connecting your knowledge of self with your knowledge of careers and majors to make a decision.
• Understanding the steps you need to take to reach your goal.
• Participating in pre-major exploration and advising workshops sponsored by the Advisement and Transition Office.
• Enroll in our Career and Major Exploration course (ADV 200)!
• Participating in First-year Transition Programs - Orientation, Academic Convocation, COR 101 and Welcome Week programs.

Resources to help you along the way

• Pre-major Decision Making Tip Sheet (PDF)
• Guidelines for Choosing a Major

Campus Resources

There are many campus resources to support pre-major students at SUNY Cortland:

• Advisors: Each student is assigned a professional advisor to discuss academic planning and decision-making.
• Advisement and Transition offers workshops, advising, and a resource library on all majors.
• Career Services provides counseling, assessment, and assists students in researching career options and internship and volunteer opportunities.