With more than 190 undergraduate degrees offered on campus, many BYU students can find their dream major; however, there are still several majors that BYU doesn’t offer.
The university offers a variety of majors across its colleges, including business, engineering, humanities, life sciences and many more. However, there are still several undergraduate majors, such as architecture, marine biology, agriculture and criminal justice, that are not offered.
When students discover that their desired major isn't offered, they may begin to wonder which route to take: Should they continue their education elsewhere? Should they go to BYU and choose a similar major?
Amy Soto, the associate director of career exploration, said she encourages students to ask themselves a couple of questions when figuring out which path to take.
“'What is actually needed to do this career path?’ and then, ‘Am I able to do something similar or related at BYU?’” Soto said.
Soto explained the importance of identifying what matters most to students. She said she has seen many students stay at BYU when their major wasn’t offered because of the culture the university provides. She's also seen students leave for other universities, because ultimately pursuing a major that more explicitly aligned with their career goals was their priority.
Kira Sand, a junior studying applied physics, reflected on what she would do if her major were not offered at BYU.
“If I had an idea of what I wanted to do and it wasn’t at BYU, I probably would have chosen to (go somewhere else),” Sand said.
Keith Proctor, the associate director at the BYU advisement center, is passionate about helping students find the educational path that is right for them.
Proctor said there are many routes students can take at BYU, even when their desired bachelor's degree isn’t offered. He said although BYU doesn’t offer a social work bachelor's degree, many students will major in a related field and then pursue a master's in social work at BYU.
He also shared that many students wanting to pursue a degree in architecture have majored in construction management instead and found that construction management was actually a better fit for them after all.
Although BYU doesn’t provide every degree imaginable, Proctor said he feels very confident that the university can still help students arrive where they’re supposed to be.
“Any career path that somebody wants to pursue, we can find them a degree here at BYU that would prepare them for it,” Proctor said. “It may not be a direct line, but with the right experiences and the right training, they can prepare to do the things they want to do.”
Proctor loves helping students pursue unconventional career paths that are meaningful to them.
“Anybody who creates that false dichotomy between 'you can either provide for yourself or do something you're passionate about,’ is selling something," Proctor said. "So don't believe that."
He encourages students to block out the noise, focus on what makes them feel happy and roll with it.
“The most important thing students can be doing right now is reflecting on their high point experiences in their lives — times in their life where they've felt really alive,” Proctor said.
Proctor acknowledges how stressful choosing a career path can be, but has faith the Lord will lead students where they need to be.
“I believe the Lord has a vested interest in the experience of our students and that He will put desires into our hearts to do good, to lead us to the things he knows are going to make us happiest,” Proctor said.
For more information, visit the University Advisement Center homepage.