The Exploratory Studies program at K-State provides a proactive and reflective approach to exploring and deciding on academic majors and career paths. We support students who are:
Deciding on their first major at K-State.
Transitioning out of their current major.
Working on the pre-requisites to join a new major.
Need help with other general questions about majors, degree programs, academic advising, etc.
Our advisors help students:
Choose classes that are safe and strategic, with an emphasis on the K-State Core.
Recognize the individuality and importance of their unique exploration process.
Understand the value of hands-on learning as a vehicle to explore majors and careers.
Engage in experiences and activities to make progress in their decision making.
If Exploratory Studies is already your major and you have an assigned Exploratory Advisor:
Schedule an appointment with your advisor via your Navigate Account
If Exploratory Studies is not your major:
Email ppac@ksu.edu to request an appointment. Include any relevant information about your questions so our advisors can prepare to help you.
OR attend Drop-In Exploratory Advising Hours
Drop-In Exploratory Advising Hours:
11:00 am - 4:00 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
January 21st - May 15th, 2025
Advising availability by appointment only during Spring Break
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).
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.
Thinking about changing your major? Your first step is talk with your academic advisor. Your advisor can provide valuable information to aid in your decision. Some majors have specific GPA requirements or required pre-requisite classes you must fulfill before you can officially change your major.
My current major may not be right for me, what should I do next?
Meet with an Exploratory Advisor to discuss potential next steps.
I do not meet GPA requirements to get into my major of choice, can Exploratory Advisors help me?
Yes. We help these students by discussing the steps and timeline to achieve their program admission goals, while also encouraging parallel plans.
I have earned more than 45 college credit hours. Can I still be in Exploratory Studies?
Yes, and you should meet with an Exploratory Advisor 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.
I have a major but have other questions. Who can I ask?
Exploratory Advisors are happy to help with any advising or program related questions you may have.
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?
See information on this page about the reinstatement process.
Terms to Know
Major
The concentration of courses required to earn a degree. For example, a biology major is pursuing a degree in biology and will take courses oriented to that area of interest. Your major typically requires 120+ credit hours to complete.
Secondary Major
A complementary major completed along with a primary major. It is similar to a minor but requires more hours to complete.
Minor
A concentration of courses a student chooses to complete in addition to their major. Minors are at least 15 credit hours.
Certificate
A specialty area of study a student chooses to complete in addition to their major. Certificates are at least 12 credit hours.
Credit Hour
The number of hours assigned to a course, which often reflects the approximate time spent in class per week. Many classes are three credit hours, which means they meet three times a week for 50 minutes, or two times a week for 75 minutes, in addition to approximately 6 hours of assignment and study time outside of class each week.
Bachelor of Arts
A type of degree that includes modern language courses.
Bachelor of Science
Most common type of bachelor’s degree. In some programs that offer B.A. and B.S. options, it is a degree that does not include the same modern language course requirements. Instead, the Bachelor of Science degree will include more courses in the natural sciences and quantitative & abstract formal reasoning.
The concentration of courses required to earn a degree. For example, a biology major is pursuing a degree in biology and will take courses oriented to that area of interest. Your major typically requires 120+ credit hours to complete.
Meet with an Exploratory Advisor to discuss potential next steps.
The links below will direct you to resources to help you navigate each stage of the Career Decision-Making Cycle (Sampson et al., 2004). You may identify with different stages at various points of your college experience, and digging in to each stage can help you identify ways to move forward in your decision-making process.
Visit the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center homepage/academic-success-student-affairs/advising/pre-professional-advising-center/index.htmlY
Amanda Reichenberger
Olivia Miller
Stephanie Rose
Beth Stuewe
