Understanding the purpose of a college education is an important first step to selecting your course of study.
The purpose of a baccalaureate education is to become an educated person and lifelong learner. A university education provides students the opportunity to develop skills and expand their knowledge in broad foundation areas (such as General Education courses) and more specific subject areas (through their major and minor).
Earning a baccalaureate degree is much more than a “ticket to a better job.” As described by the CSU Academic Senate, undergraduate students “learn to locate, evaluate, analyze, synthesize, and create information. They are able to think critically, understand methods of inquiry, communicate their work effectively, and integrate and apply knowledge from various fields. They appreciate the arts and the importance of imagination and creativity. The educational process prepares them to respect intellectual and cultural perspectives different from their own and to engage in civil and informed discourse over such differences. Graduates are prepared to respond to and participate in change.”
GE involves both the development of skills and the acquisition of knowledge through the study of facts, issues, and ideas. The SJSU GE program is designed to help students to deal with complex issues and problems using disciplined analytic skills and creative techniques, and to develop analytical skills and reasoning powers.
Select GE courses that will help you expand your breadth of knowledge—help make you a well-rounded person. View your GE courses as not just expanding your subject matter knowledge, but providing you with important skills to help you become a lifelong learner. You will need these reasoning and critical thinking skills in your major and minor courses.
Know what you are interested in—what do you have a passion for? What area is supported by your basic skills, interests and personality? Choosing a major is not an easy decision. Review the SJSU catalog to learn about your choices, talk to professors and students in different areas, visit the Career Center, visit Educational Counseling (ADM 201). Find out if your career field requires a specific major (many do not). If you find that you don’t have a passion for what you are studying in your major, change your major. You won’t be alone– the average student changes his/her major at least three times.
Selecting your major is a personal choice and you have many options at SJSU. There are many resources available to help you—take advantage of them.
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