Exploratory Studies Advising

EDCEP 120: Academic and Career Decisions

Searching for a major? Choosing a career path? The Academic and Career Decisions course might be for you! The Career Center offers a career planning class that covers topics such as choosing a major, exploring careers, making decisions, and learning how to use K-State career resources. The small class size and interactive format enables you to learn from both your instructor and other students.

About this Class

• Credit hours: 1 hour
• Class size: Limited to 20 students
• Class format: Combination of lecture, group interaction, and independent research. Class is offered each fall and spring as an 8-week course, as well as a 16-week course through the Find Your Fit CAT Community (fall only).
• Start dates: Check the course schedule for actual start dates.
• General education: Meets K-State Core requirement #7

Course Objective

This course is designed to help you develop a plan for choosing an academic major and/or career path. This includes assignments and activities related to self-awareness, decision-making, career/major exploration, and transferable skill development.

Assignments

• CliftonStrengths Assessment- This assessment will help you identify your primary strengths and give you tools to articulate your strengths to future employers.
• Focus2 Career Assessment- This is a computerized career assessment program based upon John Holland’s theory of career development. Your scores will produce an occupational code representing environmental models from Holland’s typology: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. It focuses on generating possible academic majors and careers that would be compatible with your interests, abilities, and career-related values.
• Values Card Sort- Whether we are aware of them or not, our personal values influence the decisions we make every day. You will complete the career values card sort to become aware of what you value most, which can help provide clarity in the career decision-making process.
• Major of Interest Project- This project is for you to research a major of interest and related careers. You will organize a PowerPoint or Prezi outlining the information that you learned from your research.
• Informational Interview- You will have the opportunity to interview a professional in your major or career of interest. By interviewing a professional you will get a current, day to day perspective on your career of interest.
• Resume Workshop- This assignment is designed to ensure you have an accurate and up-to-date resume, which is an essential tool for anyone in the career-planning process.

Special Instructions

If enrollment is closed for the semester and the course has not begun, email Olivia Miller at orm0708@ksu.edu to receive enrollment permission.

Find Your Fit CAT Community

EDCEP 120: Academic and Career Decisions is part of a CAT Community, "Find Your Fit" every fall. A CAT community is an opportunity for first-year students to connect with 21 other students who share their academic interests by placing them in 3 of the same courses during their first semester.

Enroll in this CAT Community to learn more about yourself and the decision-making journey as you uncover your strengths, values, and a world of majors and careers that can lead to a life of passion, purpose, and fulfillment. This CAT Community serves Exploratory Studies students.

• COMM 106 Public Speaking 1
• PSYCH 110 General Psychology
• EDCEP 120 Academic and Career Decisions

Read more information about "Find Your Fit" on the CAT Communities website.

Thinking about changing your major into Exploratory Studies? Your first step is talk with your current academic advisor. Your advisor can provide valuable information to aid in your decision.

Next, email the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center at ppac@k-state.edu from your K-State student email account.

• Full Name:
• Wildcat ID #
• Changing From the Following Major:
• Changing to: Exploratory Studies
• If you have a pre-professions designation (i.e., pre-health, pre-law, pre-dentistry, etc...), do you want to keep it, change it, or drop it?

You will receive a confirmation email from Ashley Whaley, Academic Program Specialist, letting you know your request has been processed and connecting you with your new Exploratory Studies Advisor.

Exploring and Changing Your Major

My current major may not be right for me, what should I do next? If you’re thinking about switching your major, we encourage you to meet with the Peer Advisors at the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center. Our Peer Advisors are ready to assist you with any advising or program-related questions. They can guide you through assessments designed to help you explore your personal interests and values, and then help align those insights with a suitable major or career path.

I do not meet GPA requirements to get into my major of choice, can Exploratory Advisors help me? Yes! You should meet with one of our peer advisors as soon as possible to discuss your goals.

How can I find out how many credit hours I would have left to take if I change my major? Run a "What if...? DARS Report" to learn what classes you would still have left to take if you were to change your major.

How many students typically change their major, and how difficult is it? About 80% of students in college end up changing their major at least once, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. On average, college students change their major at least three times over the course of their college career. At K-State, 65-75% of students change their major at least once! Many students think that changing your college major is a bad idea, but a new study from the Education Advisory Board shows it can actually help you graduate. Students who use campus resources like K-State's Exploratory Advising Center or Career Center and decide on their major between their second and eighth semesters have an 83% chance of graduating. That’s higher than the 79% graduation rate for students who pick their major in their very first semester.

I’m interested in declaring multiple majors and considering a double or secondary major. How should I approach this? A double major can sometimes enhance your job prospects, depending on your career goals and the fields you're combining. However, it also means a heavier course load and additional time and effort. Since every student's situation is different, I strongly recommend meeting with your academic advisor in your specific college. They can help you evaluate whether a double major aligns with your goals, interests, and graduation timeline. Your advisor can also suggest alternative paths—like a minor or certificate—that might offer similar benefits with more flexibility.

Advising Support and Resources

I have a major, but have other questions. Who can I ask? You should meet with one of the Peer Advisors at the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center. Our Peer Advisors are ready to assist you with any major or career-related questions.

How do I decide between multiple career options? The advisors at the Career Center can help! They offer drop ins (no appointment needed) or you can schedule an appointment through Handshake. You can read more about scheduling an appointment on their website.

Career Exploration Tools and Assessments

How can I find out if I will enjoy a certain career or if it’s a good fit for me? The Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center offers multiple personal assessments to help students discover their interests, strengths, and values. For example, the World-of-Work Map is a helpful tool to help you understand more about yourself as well as how occupations might be a good fit for you. The map organizes hundreds of careers into smaller groups that are organized around four compass points: People, Data, Things, and Ideas. These compass points are primary work tasks that exist in most jobs. As you identify the types of work tasks you enjoy most, it can guide you to potential career possibilities. After taking an assessment, our Peer Advisors help students talk through potential majors and/or careers that align with their interests and values. You should stop by the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center in the Berney Family Welcome Center to take an assessment with one of our Peer Advisors.

Are there unique or less-known jobs within my desired career field that I should consider? A great resource for getting started with career exploration in your area of interest is the website What Can I Do With This Major? This website features 100 major profiles with information on different career paths, types of employers that hire in the field, and strategies to maximize opportunities. Scroll to the bottom of each profile for links to professional associations, occupational outlook information, and job search resources. Another great resource for talking through career options, are the advisors at the Career Center. They offer drop in (no appointment needed) or you can schedule an appointment through Handshake. You can read more about scheduling an appointment on their website.

Internships, Job Shawdowing, and Career Opportunities

How do I find internships and job shadowing opportunities in my field? You can search for internships specific to your major/career interests in Handshake! Beyond handshake, here are some helpful resources and tips for finding internships:

• Kansas Micro-Internship Program has short-term, paid projects of which many can be completed remotely
• Internship, co-op, or summer jobs websites
• Advisor recommended resources for specific industries, career fields and more
• Turn your internship/co-op into a full-time position

If you are having difficulty finding an appropriate person to shadow, consider asking family, friends, faculty, or your Career Center Advisor for suggestions. Try to shadow someone who has a position you would someday like to hold in a similar type of organization to those you are considering. When contacting a professional to inquire about shadowing opportunities, be sure to mention that you are not seeking a job, but instead are seeking information about their career field. If you have been referred to that person by a friend or colleague, mention that person’s name so that your contact is aware of who sent you. When you're ready to start exploring opportunities, you can schedule an appointment with an advisor at the Career Center. They offer drop in (no appointment needed) or you can schedule an appointment through Handshake. You can read more about scheduling an appointment on their website.

How can I find out if there will be job opportunities in a given field in the future? The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a great tool for anticipating job growth for industries in the US. You can search for any career of interest and see the job growth anticipated over the next decade. Here's an example https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physical-therapists.htm.

Program Updates and Reinstatement Policies

What happened to the Open Option program on campus? Is this the same? Exploratory Studies serves the same students that the Open Option program did previously. The new name aligns with how these programs are recognized commonly at other universities and moves the program from the College of Arts & Sciences to the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center.

How can I be reinstated to the university through the Exploratory Studies program? Read about our reinstatement process and policies.