The term major as defined earlier is the subject or the field that you want to gain an in-depth knowledge on.  Hence when you graduate with a Bachelor’s degree you will have gained knowledge on one particular field such as Computer Engineering or Psychology or Mathematics.

There is a wide range of courses to choose from - Business Management, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine, Humanities and the Social Sciences.  You could gain a Bachelor’s degree in Music or in Physics.  The options are varied.  If you look at any of the schools you will find a long list of the possible career options available to you.

At the graduate level each of these areas can be further subdivided into sub-specialty areas.  In the field of Business for example one could major in Finance, Management Information Systems, Accounting, International Business or Entrepreneurship.  These majors require skills that can be applied to the administrative function of an organization – whether it is managing monetary funds, human resources or marketing a product.  Students with the MBA in Finance and Management Information have stronger career prospects than the other business majors.

In the field of Education one could specialize in Elementary Education, Post – Secondary Education, Education of Mentally Challenged children, education of exceptionally Gifted children, or a Vocational / technical education.  The field of education requires you to interact with students and teach them a particular course in which you should have gained specialized knowledge.  This major will enable you to learn how to make use of various instructional materials and prepare you for a career where you will be responsible for the transmission of knowledge to the class.

Under the broad umbrella of Engineering one can major in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Materials and Metallurgical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering.  Each of these fields focus on a particular area of study.  The engineering major will call for mathematical and scientific skills. 

The field of Computer Engineering deals with the development of computer related hardware – for example innovating newer and quicker models of computers like the Pentium, the Lap Top, or better monitor screens, larger storage and memory space, networking using LAN. 

Electrical Engineers deal with the circuits, signal processing and electrical connections.  Some areas that you can specialize in are Telecommunications, Digital Signal Processing, Power Systems Engineering. 

As a Mechanical Engineer you will focus on study related to the mechanical aspect of various products. The design of automobiles, improvising the machines used in industrial settings, robotics - all come under the scope of mechanical engineering. This field will require you to have the ability for space conceptualization and to mentally visualize an object in the 3^rd dimensions.

Biomedical Engineering deals with the design of medical equipments and other tools required by professionals in the field of medicine. For example the ECG, improvised Dental equipment and other instruments used in surgical treatment fall under the field of Biomedical Engineering. Biomedical Sciences is a separate field in itself and deals with the concepts of genetic engineering, studying a tissue culture and so on.  So while biomedical engineering deals with machines, biomedical sciences deal with live organisms.

Civil Engineering deals with the construction of highways, roads, buildings and other structures.  Structural engineering, Construction engineering and Geological engineering are some of the specializations in the field.

Chemical Engineering deals with understanding the properties, structure and the application of chemicals. Generally chemical engineers work in industries, which manufacture chemicals on a large scale. The use of polymers and dyes are examples of the use of chemical engineering in practical settings.

Environmental Engineering is a recent field that is closely allied to Chemical engineering.  This field deals with the environmental hazards posed by waste chemicals that are released during manufacturing processes. 

Materials and Metallurgical Engineering deal with the properties of various materials and metallurgical ores.  For example the study of thin film ceramic coatings or the use of mica are examples of research conducted in the field.

Students looking at legal careers may pursue a career in Law.  There are various positions that one can explore in the corporate world, as a criminal lawyer or in insurance policy litigation.

Medicine is another broad field.  Other than the role of a general physician a student may develop specialized skills as a neurologist, cardiologist or as a pediatrician.  Other health related professions include nursing, physiotherapists, audiologist and speech therapist, occupational therapists, sports medicine, veterinary medicine or hospital administration.

Pharmacy is another broad area that is related to medicine.  This falls under the paramedical courses.  Pharmacy deals with the research and distribution of drugs and other health care facilities that are used by doctors.  The use of insulin or the research for a drug that can cure AIDS and Cancer falls under the field of pharmacy.  Students can major in Pharmacology, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaco-economics or Pharmacy Administration.

The Humanities and Social Studies encompass the study of a broad range of courses such as Economics, English, History, Political Science, Psychology, Biological Science and Mass Communications.

Architecture is another attractive field.  Students may choose to gain in-depth knowledge on Urban Architecture, Landscape Architecture and so on.

Students interested in a creative field may pursue majors such as Fashion Designing, Fashion Merchandising, Interior Designing, Jewelry Designing, Film Studies, Fine Arts, Ceramic Art and Design, Commercial Arts, Graphic Arts, Illustrations, Jewelry and Metalsmithing, Painting/ Sketching, Photography, Sculpture, Studio Art and Textile Arts.  One can also pursue a major in some of the performing arts majors such as Theatre and Drama, Music and Dance.

Students can also opt to major in Horticulture, Farm and Ranch Management or any other specialized field in Agriculture. 

Foreign Languages are becoming increasingly valuable in today’s international world.  Students have the opportunity to choose to majors in languages such as French, German, Spanish, Hebrew, Chinese or Latin.

What's Hot?

The most popular majors today are that of Business Administration, E-Commerce, Computer Science, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering and Mechatronics

The growth of international relations between various countries has seen the rise of business on a global scale.  Various countries import and export goods to and from each other.  The business world is booming as multinational companies are looking at building partnerships with many business homes in Asia.  The need for professional managers who can apply their knowledge to build business networks has been growing tremendously in the past few years.  Students looking at a business major may develop general administrative and managerial skills or focus on a specialized area of business such as accounting, taxation laws, fiscal policies of countries, marketing and sales, human resource development and so on.

The growth of the information technology industry on the other hand has led to a widespread growth of computer science.  Today, the computer is the most widely used machine across the globe.  It has simplified so many of our manual tasks, made data storage easier and has overall enabled us to gain a very high level of efficiency and accuracy.  The arrival of the Internet has only served to make our lives simpler as one has access to information at the click of a mouse.  One can now visit portals and web sites to access information on by simply logging on to a web page.  One can learn all about films, automobiles, fashion, the stock market all at the click of the mouse. The field of computation has a wide range of career paths and one can become a software developer, or a system analyst. 

The fields of computer science and business administration have the highest job mobility. The knowledge and skills gained through these majors can be applied to any organizational setting, from a small business to a corporate house and across all geographical locations.  One could apply this knowledge in any small to medium sized organization, in a multinational firm or even use it to set up a viable business.

Professionals today, are required to develop multiple skills.  For example, the line that separates the fields of business and computer science has begun to merge.  New majors like the Management of Information Systems and the E-commerce require professionals who are well versed both with business concepts and also have computational skills. 

In the United States the educational system allows a lot of flexibility.  A student may major in a particular subject and minor in a related subject.  Hence one could major in Computer Science and perhaps minor in business or any other subject of your choice.  In an academic year a student must overall complete 30 credit hours of study.  The student must choose any one area that she wants to develop core competency in, for example Computer Science.  the college will assign these core courses a fixed number of credit hours. In addition to these a student is allowed to choose electives in courses which s/he has an interest and wants to gain further knowledge.  A student will hence take most of her core courses defined by the university or college she attends and choose the remaining electives as per choice.

The flexibility of majors is an attractive feature of the United States.  You could be pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering but can also take electives from the school of music or creative writing or any other field that suits your interest.  Some colleges may also allow you to pursue a double major.  A double major or a dual major is the combined study of two majors at a time.  Some colleges also offer a ‘Honors program'.  The Honors program is a much more rigorous program as you will have additional workload as compared to your regular class-work. The Honors program will require you to submit more research papers, work on assignments, attend seminars and make class presentations.  There is no separate admission procedure for the Honors program.  Students who are academically brighter are automatically considered for the honors program if offered by the University they apply to.

There is plenty to choose from and making a decision on your choice of major can be extremely tough.  The two most important things that you need to keep in mind when you choose your major are
 
1. Your area of interest in the subject,  and 
2. The scope of a career in the subject of your choice.

You can ascertain your aptitude for a course by speaking to a guidance counselor.  At the undergraduate level some colleges allow students the opportunity to make up their mind after a semester by opting for a general or undecided major.  The international student advisor will give you guidelines that will help you to decide on a career that is the right choice for you. Talking to professionals in the field and your family will enable you to arrive at the right choice. 

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