What is...a 'Major'?

If you have ever looked at an American University course you have probably seen the term Major and maybe even looked at courses that talk about Majoring in a subject, but what does that actually mean and why do you need to know?

We explain all, so what is a Major?

To earn a bachelor's degree at University or College in the USA, you are required to declare a "Major", which is essentially the main area of focus for your studies. So, for example, if you want to finish a degree in Business Administration, you would declare Business Administration as your major.

The reason for this is that in the USA you are required to take General Education classes as part of any degree, so even though you may decide to study Sports or Maths you will be required to complete at least basic classes in a variety of topics such as History, Psychology for example. This applies to all courses, regardless of Major, as Universities want their students to receive a broad education and not just a specified area of study. Usually, you will spend up to your first 2 years completing these General Education classes, which also gives you the opportunity to experience different subjects and 'shop around' before making a final decision on your Major.

In practical terms this means about 60% of your classes will be General Education and the remainder will be in your specified Major. It is important to have at least an idea of which path you would like to take at University as to complete a degree in your chosen Major you are required to take specific classes in that field, whereas General Education classes can be more flexibly selected. As an International student, you may even have the opportunity to transfer credits from your previous schooling that can count as credits towards your degree, saving you time and money.

We help all our players decide and plan on the best and most efficient Acaemic route for them as part of our assistance through the US Soccer Scholarship process; for more information on Degrees in the USA and how we can help you get there on scholarship just reach out to us here!