Approaches to Exploration
Different students find that some approaches to major exploration may suit them better than others. As you engage in this process, think about what approach best suits you given where you are in your exploration journey.
Exploration this Week
Date ,Time, Location | Event | You should go if... |
---|---|---|
Plan Ahead! (February 26 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in the MU Ballroom) | Nonprofit and Community Engagement Fair | you have interest in working, interning, or volunteering for a non-profit organization |
Plan Ahead! (February 26 from 3:00-5:00 pm in Weigand Hall) | Food Science and Technology Career Fair (pizza served at the end of the event) | you are exploring Food Science and Technology and want to interact with reps from companies that employ food scientists |
Every Monday at 2:00 pm in ALS 4000 (Offered Virtually) | Department of Horticulture Seminar Series | you are exploring Ecology, Horticulture, and Plants or just have an interest in learning more about plants in various environments |
Every Wednesday at 4:00pm in LINC 302 | Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Seminar Series | you are exploring majors in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry, Forest Ecosystems and Society, Botany and Plant Pathology, and Integrative Biology |
Every Wednesday at 6:00 pm in Austin 226 | Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting, Finance, Business Information Systems club) Meeting: (see full winter meeting schedule here) | you are exploring Accounting, Finance, or Business Information systems and want to interact with other students who share this interest |
Every Thursday at 4:00 pm in ALS 4001 | Botany and Plant Pathology Seminar Series | you are exploring Botany, Biology, Horticulture, Crop and Soil Science or just have an interest in learning more about plants |
Every Friday at Noon in Milam 33 | Anthropology Winter Lecture Series | you are exploring Anthropology and/or have an interest in learning more about language, culture, archaeology, and society |
Monday, February 17 from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm in Peavy (PFSC) 117 | Our Forests are not Limited by Controversy or Uncertainty | you are exploring Sustainability and Forestry |
Monday, February 17 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Kearney 312 | Associated General Contractors (AGC) Speaker Meeting Series: JE Dunn Construction (free dinner provided) | you are exploring Civil and Construction Management Engineering |
Tuesday, February 18th at 10:00 am (Virtual) | The Invisible Force in Ocean Science: Why Every Role Matters | you are exploring Marine Sciences, Sustainability, and Oceanography |
Tuesday, February 18 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm in Kelley 1007 | Naval Nuclear Lab (NNL) Day | you are exploring Engineering, Business and Science majors |
Tuesday, February 18 from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm in Memorial Union (MU) Ballroom | Careers In Biotech (free food provided) | you are exploring majors in the College of Engineering and College of Science |
Tuesday, February 18 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in Kelley 1005 | Amentum Information Session: Opportunities at the Hanford Vit Plant with partner companies Amentum and Bechtel | you are exploring Engineering and Environmental Sciences majors |
Tuesday, February 18 at 6:00 pm in Kelley 1005 (Virtual Available) | The Association of Computing Machinery-Women’s Chapter (ACM-W) hosts Fast Enterprises @ Webinar Tuesday | you are exploring Computer Science and Engineering majors |
Tuesday, February 18 at 6:00 pm in Kelley 1001 | Micron Technology Information Session (free dinner provided) | you are exploring Engineering majors |
Wednesday, February 19 at various times and locations | 2025 Winter Career Fairs (Civil, Construction, & Architectural Engineering, Stem Industries, All Industries | you want to learn more about the types of employers who recruit OSU students |
Thursday, February 20 from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm in Memorial Union (MU) Ballroom | Careers in Aerospace | you are exploring careers in aircraft, space exploration, or defense |
Thursday, February 20 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in Kelley 1007 (Virtual Available) | HKN Hosts: Reliable Robotics Day | you are exploring Engineering, Science and Business majors |
Approaching Exploration
UESP utilizes a decision-making model that is centered around assessing yourself first, followed by actionable steps - repeated and reflected on consistently.
If you click the decision-making model image, you can access an "Exploration To-Do List" with strategies you can use for major exploration. Below the image are some of our favorite ways to explore!
Ways to Explore
What Academic Environment fits best with you?
Current OSU Students, most of this information can be accessed in a more personal way by completing the Focus2 assessment.
John Holland (1966) developed a theory that organizes people’s interests and work environments into six groups. His assumption is that people can be classified into six different groups: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Conventional, and Enterprising.
Holland believed people who established careers that were congruent with their personal interests and orientations were more likely to be satisfied and successful in their work. The same concept can be applied to majors
Read through the questions for each of Holland's six groups. If the descriptions seem like a potential match for you, read the lists of possible OSU Undergraduate Majors.
You may find that you fall into more than one category, or that some parts of a category don’t describe you.
Spending some time learning about your own interests and orientation can help you make a good decision and set you up for a successful college experience.
Holland, J.L. (1966). The psychology of vocational choice. Waltham; MA :Blaisdell.
*You may notice that some majors are listed under more than one area; majors are often a combination of two or three of the Holland types.
**You may notice that some majors are not listed. Please remember that this is not a comprehensive list but is only to be used as a starting point. Consult with an academic advisor or career counselor for more thorough explorations. Here you can find a complete list of OSU's undergraduate majors.
Type | Snapshot |
---|---|
Realistic |
Are you: practical, athletic, straightforward, mechanically inclined, a nature lover, curious about the physically world? Can you: solve electrical or mechanical problems, play a sport, read a blueprint, plant a garden, operate tools and machinery? Do you like to: tinker with machines, work outdoors, be physically active, use your hands, build things, be with animals, work on cars? If so, check out careers related to the REALISTIC type. |
Investigative |
Are you: investigative, analytical, scientific, or precise? Can you: think abstractly, solve problems, understand physics theories, do complex calculations, use a microscope, interpret formulas? Do you like to: explore ideas, use computers, work independently, perform lab experiments, read scientific magazines, analyze data? If so, check out careers related to the INVESTIGATIVE type. |
Artistic |
Are you: creative, intuitive, imaginative, innovative or an individualist? Can you: sketch, draw, paint, play a musical instrument, write stories, poetry, music, sing, act, dance, design fashions or interiors? Do you like to: attend concerts, theater performances and art exhibits, read fiction, plays and poetry, work on crafts, take photographs, or express yourself creatively? If so, check out careers related to the ARTISTIC type. |
Social |
Are you: friendly, helpful, idealistic, insightful, outgoing, understanding? Can you: teach/train others, express yourself clearly, lead a group discussion, mediate disputes, plan or supervise an activity, cooperate well with others? Do you like to: work in groups, help people with problems, participate in meetings, do volunteer service, work with young people, play team sports? If so, check out careers related to the SOCIAL type. |
Conventional |
Are you: well-organized, accurate, numerically inclined, methodical, conscientious, efficient? Can you: work well within a system, do a lot of paperwork in a short time, keep accurate records, use a computer, write effective business letters? Do you like to: follow clearly defined procedures, use data processing equipment, work with numbers, type or take shorthand, be responsible for details? If so, check out careers related to the CONVENTIONAL type. |
Enterprising |
Are you: self-confidant, assertive, persuasive, enthusiastic or energetic? Can you: initiate projects, convince people to do things your way, sell or promote ideas, give talks or speeches, organize activities and events, or lead a group? Do you like to: make decisions affecting others, be elected to an office, win a leadership or sales award, start your own service or business, participate in a political campaign, or meet important people? If so, check out careers related to the ENTERPRISING type. |
If you are overwhelmed by the number of the options at OSU, it may help you initially to think thematically. OSU Admissions has a great "Find Your Major" site with information about all of OSU's majors. One of the filters you can use on that site is the search by Academic Theme. Here's how you do that.
- Go to the Find Your Major Site (hosted by OSU Admissions)
- Once you are on the site, click the "Filter on Location, Theme, and College" button to bring up the filter tool to allow you to choose these different themes.
Colleges & Majors
For students who are actively exploring all their academic options at OSU, it can be helpful to have a comprehensive listing of all the Colleges and Majors. Please note, that this listing also includes information on OSU's Pre-Medical and Pre-Nursing pathways, the University Honors College, as well as OSU's International Degree.
A good exploration exercise - go through this list and cross off the majors you know you don't want to pursue. Highlight the ones that appeal or note the ones you don't know anything about, so you can research them further.
Additional Resources for this approach:
Online Program Catalog
OSU's Academics Page
Academic - Career Connections
The "What Can I Do With This Major?" tool is produced by a partner university. It includes common career paths, majors, and advice. The tool is meant to serve as a helpful general research tool and will not match all of OSU's majors and programs exactly.
Focus 2 is an online career self-assessment, free for Oregon State students to use. It combines four assessments of your work interests, values, personality and leisure preferences and then matches you with real career options. And it takes less than 30 minutes. The data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and includes specific job tasks, qualifications, salary, job outlook and much more. Though it is a self-guided assessment, students can follow up with their college career advisor or UESP advisor and go over the results. Focus 2 is not exhaustive of all the job titles out there. Students are advised to look for themes in industries and job responsibilities that might appeal to them.
Learn about various aspects of career fields including required education, potential earnings, job prospects, similar occupations, and type of training to anticipate.
O*NET OnLine has detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, developers, researchers, and more!
Find, search, or browse across 900+ occupations based on your goals and needs. Then use comprehensive reports to learn about requirements, characteristics, and available opportunities for your selected occupation.
Classes offered to Support Exploration
UESP Transitions
ALS 191
ALS 191 is offered in fall term to help incoming first-year UESP students with their transition to the university.
Students in the class learn about foundational experiences and resources to support academic and personal exploration at OSU, and they will get introduced to tools to identify personal strengths, values, interests and preferences, and resources to reflect on how these elements correspond to the various academic pathways at the university.
More details on ALS 191
Academic Learning Services (ALS) 191 UESP First-Year Transitions is a two-credit letter graded class we offer in fall term to help incoming first-year UESP students with their transition to the university. Students in the class learn about foundational experiences and resources to support academic and personal exploration at OSU, and they will get introduced to tools to identify personal strengths, values, interests and preferences, and resources to reflect on how these elements correspond to the various academic pathways at the university.
By the end of ALS 191, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate strategies, problem solving skills and knowledge of resources required to be successful at OSU and beyond.
- Articulate values, interests, and personality traits and use this information to consider college majors and careers.
- Describe how and where to gather information in the present and future, about college majors, careers, and the job market to assist in well informed decision-making.
Career Decision Making
ALS 114
ALS 114 is designed to help students gain a better understanding of their interests, values, and abilities as they relate to the world of work.
Through guest speakers, content presentation, group discussion and personal reflection, students have the opportunity to practice the decision making model in small and large ways to support professional exploration.
More details on ALS 114
Academic Learning Services (ALS) 114 Career Decision Making is a two-credit letter-graded class designed to help students gain a better understanding of their interests, values, and abilities as they relate to the world of work. This course, offered winter, and spring provides OSU first-and-second year students guided career exploration in a classroom setting. We also have an online version of the class that is typically offered in fall, winter, and spring and is available to undergraduate students of all class levels.
ALS 114 meets twice a week and follows a discussion format, which means that a small group of students (around 20) meet twice a week to work have conversations and work through activities related to career-decision making. Students who take ALS 114 can look forward to a variety of activities to help them understand their major and career options, including:
- Learning a decision making model, which incorporates self-assessment (weeks 1-4), the exploration of academic & career options (weeks 5-8), and intentional decision making & action (weeks 9-10).
- Hearing guest speakers who visit our lecture to talk about a variety of topics related to the career decision making process.
- Taking self-assessment tests using Focus 2 to help clarify personal interests and preferences.
- Research careers using both web and print resources.
- Leaning about the Career Development Center and its various resources.
- Conducting an informational interview with a professional in a specific field of interest.