The Best College Majors That Cover a Wide Variety of Career Choices

It's a new year and a new semester is on the horizon. For many college students, the time to declare a major is fast approaching. No one should expect you to know what you want your future career to be when you are fresh out of high school around 18 years old. So, why should you put the pressure on yourself to decide a specific major that keeps you limited to a couple career options? You shouldn’t, but you don’t necessarily have to enter your college major as “undecided” either.

When you declare you’re “undecided” when asked what you will be majoring in, you tend to put yourself in the same box that you are in when you decide on a major that limits you. If you don’t know what specific field you want to enter, choosing “undecided” will leave your general education requirements too broad and might even confuse you more. Instead, go for a major that covers a wide variety of career choices in your interest so you can keep the pressure off.

1. Business

While it sounds cliché, majoring in Business might be the way to go if you’re not entirely sure what field you want to go into. If you have a knack for numbers, problem-solving, and a sense of accountability and leadership, this might be the field for you. There are plenty of opportunities within the wide field of “Business” to narrow it down after you take a couple semesters of classes.

Business is a large category and is closely related to accounting, finance, managerial work, and customer service. While it might seem like a lot, the courses you take will help you decide which road you want to go down. Even if you choose to graduate just with a Business degree, there will be plenty of doors open to you and finding a job will be pretty simple when you have a degree in Business backing you.

2. Communications

Similar to Business, Communications is a major that covers a wide variety of curriculum. If you’re a people person and enjoy interacting with people, finding solutions to their needs, or enjoy planning and organization, this is the perfect major to choose. And, if you enjoy Business but don’t have a love of numbers or a hands-on approach, Communications also gives you the option to grow experience in social media and marketing or advertisement strategies.

Beginning your higher education with Communications will always give you the opportunity to start in an area that encompasses all of these areas with the possibility for you to narrow your major down to one of these specific studies. Or, if you remain unsure and love everything that communications encompasses, stick with it and you’ll have a broad sense of knowledge that will help you navigate career opportunities post-college.

3. English/Writing

I may be slightly biased with this one since it was my major in college, but majoring in English isn’t as specific as most people think. My university had many majors underneath the “English” umbrella, including Literature, Rhetoric, Creative Writing, Language Composition, Education, Linguistics, and so on. If you are a creative person and enjoy the freedom to create, express yourself, educate others, and/or learn new experiences through the written word, this is probably the perfect major for you.

Many people do not realize the importance of writing and education in the English language to employers. Being able to use proper grammar, format, tone, and prose is not as common as most people think, and having this knowledge gives you a head start in many workplaces. Majoring in English is not just about understanding the language; it’s the more permanent expression that exists long after its creator vanishes. It will allow you access into a field of education, journalism, marketing, media, history, or copywriting, and is of vital importance to just about any career choice you can imagine.

4. Science

While majoring in just Science itself is not usually a choice at most colleges, working with any Science major will give you a head start if you know you want to go into a related field. Beginning with a major in Biology or Chemistry is definitely a great way to start if you’re unsure which one of the hundreds of career choices in Science you want to pursue. If you are interested in scientific research, medicine (human or animal), mathematics, astronomy, the environment, or anatomy, beginning with a broad Science major is an amazing way to find your specific passion through your general education requirements.

If you are a curious or methodical person who enjoys a more logical and practical approach to the world, you should definitely choose a Science major. If you are pondering medical or vet school, it is very important that you begin with a related science field like Biology or Anatomy to make sure you enjoy the course load before you fully decide to stick with your plan. Science is not an easy field of study by any means, and the courses require long hours of work and a lot of effort.

5. History

Another major similar to Science that has a ton of potential is History. Majoring in History is a great idea for people who are interested in politics, legal work, environmental law and policies, archeology, or the study of past civilizations or different cultures. If you are someone who falls asleep to documentaries on historical events or gets super invested in legal shows, this is definitely the field of study that you belong in.

Similar to the idea of pondering medical school, if you are debating on law school, start with a History major. Many universities combine Pre-Law requisites with the History department, and it is a great place to start if you need a couple of tough courses to help you decide whether you want to commit to the idea of practicing law. If legal work is not your cup of tea, but you are interested in other aspects of history or are passionate about current events, majoring in History is a great start to open your opportunities to a bunch of areas of study that are related to history.