We know that choosing a major is a big decision that can help determine your future. At UWM, you don’t have to make that decision alone. Academic Advisors in our Pathway Advising office who specialize in working with undecided students will help you explore your options and guide you to a successful declaration of major late in your first year or early in your sophomore year. They’ll also make sure that the classes you take while deciding on a major count toward your degree.
The process starts at orientation, when students can choose from six exploratory pathways called “metamajors” that allow them to explore multiple majors that share a general academic theme. Academic Advisors in our Pathway Advising office will help you pick classes that fit that theme, making sure you get a good understanding of your options while satisfying requirements for a degree.
Undecided students are strongly encouraged to use UWM’s Career Planning & Resource Center. Throughout your college career, CPaRC can help you! They provide guidance for students exploring majors. They offer assistance in interview preparation and the job search process, and will review and critique your resume and cover letter. Mock interviews, career fairs, internship postings, and self-assessments are just a few of the services they offer.
Did you know?
of UWM’s incoming freshmen haven’t chosen a major.
Arts, Design, & Innovation
Are you interested in the creative process? Do you want to revolutionize or invent new ways of seeing and interacting with the world? Do you enjoy creative problem solving, design, and having creative control of your work? Majors in the Arts, Design, & Innovation pathway study and make art and design projects that explore and meet the challenges facing us in the 21st century. This field of study is a great fit for students who like to think, create, and make.
Career Outcomes
Majors in this pathway typically lead to careers in traditional arts settings; social media and multi-media; entertainment; and in the expression of ideas and information for government, business, and other organizations.
Overlapping Career Cruising Clusters: Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Business, Industry and Applied Technology
Are you a self-starter? Do you enjoy leading others? Students in this pathway explore the many facets of business, including marketing and promotion, supply chain and operations management, accounting, finance, actuarial science, information technology, human resources, and economics. If you want to learn the skills necessary to launch a successful career in business, industry, and technology, then consider exploring majors in this pathway.
Career Outcomes
Majors typically lead to careers supporting operations, promotion, administration, finance, and information/technology in business, local or global education, government, and non-profit organizations.
Overlapping Career Cruising Clusters: Business Management & Administration; Finance; Government & Public Administration; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics.
Engineering & Natural Science
Have you always been strong in math and science? Do you enjoy solving problems and puzzles? Are you technologically talented? This pathway is best for students with a strong interest in math and science who would like to learn how to apply those skills to a future in engineering, science, or technology. The strong analytical skills developed by majors in this pathway are highly sought after by employers.
Career Outcomes
Majors in this pathway typically lead to careers supporting exploration, business, and development in science, research, engineering, manufacturing, or technology.
Overlapping Career Cruising Clusters: Science, Technology, Engineering & Math; Manufacturing; Transportation, Distribution & Logistics; Information Technology; Architecture & Construction
Health
Students pursuing health careers often begin their story by saying they’d like to help people. UWM’s Health metamajor allows a student to explore the “how.” Students must be ready to make the sciences an integral part of their introductory studies as they explore the hundreds of roles available as health and wellness professionals. Students are grounded in the biological, physical, and social sciences, which are stepping stones to applications in health, healthcare, and wellness.
Career Outcomes
Majors in this pathway lead to careers in healthcare or health education; research and development; business/administrative support; management; or direct patient care.
Overlapping Career Cruising Clusters: Health Sciences; Science, Technology, Engineering & Math; Human Services
Humanities & Communication
Do you love studying languages, culture, and history? Do you enjoy analyzing literature, film, and art? As our world becomes ever more global and interconnected, we will need professionals to facilitate cross-cultural communication. Students who want to learn more about people and culture should consider majors in the Humanities and Communication pathway.
Career Outcomes
Majors in this pathway typically lead to careers providing global/cultural perspectives, communication, media, language, diversity, writing, critical thinking and/or leadership support in government, education, non-profit, or business organizations.
Overlapping Career Cruising Clusters: Education & Training; Hospitality & Tourism; Human Services
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Do you find social issues interesting? Are you curious about why people think and behave and make decisions in the ways they do? Are you interested in other cultures and societies? Students who are interested in learning more about people, society, and relationships should explore majors included in the Social & Behavioral Sciences pathway.
Career Outcomes
Social science majors develop a diverse set of skills that are applicable in a wide range of careers. Besides the knowledge gained in a particular major, these skills include strong oral and written communication, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, teamwork, organizational, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Majors can lead to careers in government, business, education, social service fields, non-profit organizations, scientific careers, media, criminal justice, and law, among many others.
Overlapping Career Cruising Clusters: Government, Public Administration, Non-Profits; Economics and Business, Social Services; Public Policy and Research.
Note: these majors may also lead to careers within all the other clusters, especially those that support the human and social services within each cluster..