Using One-Unit Courses to Explore a Major
There are times that the usual approach to exploring a potential major – taking classes in that field – seems impossible.
- Maybe the major requires a year or more of prerequisite courses before you actually start doing work in your area of possible interest. The prospect of investing that time and effort without knowing if you will like the ultimate goal can be daunting.
- Maybe you are already actively pursuing one field of interest and are taking classes for that, but your eye has suddenly been drawn to another area of study entirely. It could be that you want to continue making progress in what you think will be your major while at the same time exploring other options.
- Maybe you are intrigued by multiple majors.
- Maybe you are simply enrolled in too many units to make full curricular exploration possible at this present time.
Take a One-Unit Wonder!
Many departments have 1-unit satisfactory/no credit classes, often symposia, colloquia, or lecture series with few or no prerequisites, that can give you some insight into the topics, methods, and materials important to that field. They can also offer you the opportunity to get to know faculty, graduate students, and fellow undergrads working in the field. These courses can be a great place to meet potential future research mentors or major advisors.
Some selected examples:
You can find more 1- and 2-unit courses on Cardinal Compass. For other ways to explore a major, talk to your friendly neighborhood Academic Advising Director!
