Although it may seem that some students have always known what they want to major in, many begin college still unsure of their educational plan. At UNCG, we refer to these students as Exploratory Majors. Exploratory Majors work closely with Exploratory Majors Academic Advisors in the Students First Office to discover their interests and skills and how they can translate to your purpose and passion in life.
THE EXPLORATORY ADVISING MODEL
As an Exploratory Major, your academic advising experience is much more than simply selecting courses. Your Exploratory Majors Academic Advisor is especially interested in getting to know more about you and the goals you have as a UNCG student.
You’ll meet with your Exploratory Majors Academic Advisor twice each semester until you declare your major. Each meeting is 45 minutes in duration to allow ample time to discuss your interests, strengths, and goals.
SCHEDULING EXPLORATORY ADVISING APPOINTMENTS
Exploratory Planning and Registration Advising appointments must be scheduled in advance. You’ll be prompted via your UNCG email account when it’s time to schedule each advising appointment. All Exploratory Advising appointments are scheduled through Starfish. Detailed instructions for scheduling through Starfish can be found here.
The advisors in SFO work very hard to make ourselves as available as possible for our Exploratory Majors. We host drop-ins on a weekly basis for quick or time-sensitive advising needs. Drop-ins are typically held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 1-4pm. Please visit our Drop-In Assistance webpage for additional information on how to connect with an academic advisor. Please note that advising codes cannot be released during drop-in advising sessions.
ADVISING & REGISTRATION TOOLS
Degree Works
Degree Works is the name of UNCG’s degree evaluation tool. It generates customized reports that outline the degree requirements you need to satisfy in order to complete your degree. Degree Works utilizes a color-coded, symbol-based system to help you understand your progress towards degree completion.
As an Exploratory student, because you do not yet have a major declared, your Degree Works report will only include University Requirements and Minerva’s Academic Curriculum (MAC) requirements. You will work with your Exploratory Majors Academic Advisor to strategically make choices about classes that help you explore majors of interest that also fulfill MAC requirements.
The What If Report is a great tool within Degree Works that can be especially helpful to Exploratory students. It allows students to effectively “try on” majors of interest, by showing you how your earned credits and registered courses will apply to any major you’re considering. Instructions for how to run a What If Report can be found in our Advising Tools 101 resource.
University Catalog
The University Catalog is the official reference for all policies, requirements, and expectations the student must adhere to during their time at UNCG. Exploratory students will find the Catalog especially helpful as a means to see all majors, minors, and their requirements while they are exploring.
Schedule Hero
Schedule Hero is UNCG’s tool for course registration. It allows you to quickly and easily search for classes, create a schedule that meets your needs, and (most importantly) register for courses each semester. To register on Schedule Hero, you will first need to meet with your advisor to receive your advising code.
DECLARING YOUR MAJOR
Major Declaration Timeline
Most first-time college students have plenty of time to learn more about themselves, the majors available at UNCG, and career options before needing to declare a major. The table below summarizes important credit hour benchmarks for Exploratory majors to be aware of.
Ideal: 30 credit hours earned
It is ideal for students to declare their major by the time they complete 30 credit hours, which is typically the number of credits earned within one academic year. Generally, declaring your major on this timeline will keep you on a 4-year graduation timeline*.
On track: 45 credit hours earned
Students who declare their major by the 45 credit hour benchmark are also considered to be “on track” for a 4-year graduation*. However, it is possible for students to begin accruing a small amount of elective credit by the time they reach 45 credit hours, depending on their chosen path.
Required: 60 credit hours earned
Per University policy, students must declare their major by the time they have earned 60 credit hours. Students generally reach this benchmark by the end of their second year of college. There are some majors at UNCG that can still be completed on a 4-year timeline when declared at 60 credit hours, but there are many that will result in a delayed graduation timeline.
*There are a small number of majors at UNCG that are an exception to this rule due to extensive course sequencing.
Major Declaration Process
When you’re ready to declare a major, your Exploratory Majors Academic Advisor will be ready to assist you with the process! If your desired major has specific requirements that must be met before declaring, your advisor will make sure you’re aware of those.
While you can declare most majors at any time throughout the semester, it is recommended to declare in September (fall terms) or February (spring terms) to make sure students are connected to a new advisor before the registration advising period begins. You can find detailed instructions for declaring your major on Spartan Central.
Once you declare your major, you’ll be assigned an academic advisor within your new major unit. Your Exploratory Majors Academic Advisor will still be an available resource for you but will no longer be your primary advising contact.
REQUESTING A MAX CREDIT HOUR INCREASE
Undergraduate students are limited to enrollment in 18 credit hours in fall and spring terms and 14 credit hours in the summer. If an Exploratory Major wishes to surpass these limits, they must obtain permission from their assigned academic advisor.
Exploratory students and students with a GPA below 2.0 can request a credit hour increase by completing the Students First Office Maximum Credit Hours Increase Form. You can expect to receive a decision within two business days via your UNCG email account.