First off, we are so excited to introduce the international student interns at the UVA Office of Undergraduate Admission, Christina Jiang and Mica Vilanova! Read on to learn more about their majors, and keep an eye on our Instagram page (@uva_summer) to watch their takeovers in the coming weeks!
What is a major?
By the end of your second year at UVA, the time comes when you have to declare a major. This can be both an exciting and terrifying experience. However, we are here to provide as much information as possible to help make this transition as easy as possible for you!
A major is the field of concentration that students will focus on during their degree. On the other hand, a minor is a secondary concentration that complements the major that the student selected. A minor will require much fewer credit hours than a major, so you can still focus on a secondary area of study without having to do the work of two majors.
In many cases, in order to declare a major or minor, you have to complete a set of pre-requirements/prerequisites (often called pre-reqs). If you know what major(s) you are interested in, you should look up their specific websites and pages or talk to your advisor to determine what pre-reqs you will need to take! Depending on your school of enrollment and the intensity of your major(s), you can major in up to two subjects and minor in up to two areas.
Many science majors choose to participate in research during their time at UVA.
Applying Undecided
When applying into UVA, you must select one of our five schools - the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the School of Architecture, the School of Nursing, or the Kinesiology major within the Curry School of Education. Kinesiology is the only major that you can apply into directly from high school, so that means that when you apply to UVA, you are essentially applying undecided, even if you have a major in mind already. In all cases, you will have at least a year before you have to declare your major or specific concentration, but in the College of Arts and Sciences, you have two full years before you have to declare your major. You will take general education classes across a variety of subjects and have the opportunity to explore lots of different academic areas before you must declare your major at the end of second year. If you are completely undecided, like so many of us were, your best choice is to apply into the College of Arts and Sciences, as you can always apply for an intra-university transfer (i.e. College to Engineering) once enrolled at UVA!
Sam - Political Philosophy, Policy, & Law
Political Philosophy, Policy, & Law (more commonly known as “PPL”) is an interdisciplinary major that focuses on the moral philosophies that underpin our system of law. I still consider choosing this major to be the best decision I’ve made so far at UVA, because it’s given me an enormous amount of freedom to study what I’m truly interested in. The cohort is designed to be small, just 27 students, so that everyone can get to know each other in class. This has been huge for me as I have been able to form connections with my classmates and teachers on a more personal level while in class. If you’re interested in learning more about my major, feel free to email me at sdn6jp@virginia.edu.
Christina - McIntire School of Commerce and Political Philosophy, Policy & Law
Going into UVA, I knew I wanted to major in commerce. Students can only apply to the School of Commerce during the spring of their second year and are accepted into the school in their third year. So I spent the first two years exploring all the subjects I'm interested in while taking the prerequisite courses. I've taken classes in Psychology, Studio Art, Politics, Economics, Math, Philosophy, etc. One thing that I like about the Comm school is the diversity in student's interests. Almost 2/3 of the people have a second major outside of the Comm school, and everyone is passionate about a cause, much like myself. I double majored in PPL because I love discussing and learning the ethics of law and American politics. It might be hard to balance two majors that both have challenging workloads, but my pursuit of making a positive change in the world drives me to achieve higher. Interests and majors shouldn't define people. Instead, it is how you align your majors with your interests.
If you are interested in either the McIntire School of Commerce or the PPL program, please don’t hesitate to shoot me an email at mj9ud@virginia.edu. I will give you my most honest opinion and share my experience to help you understand the major better!
The central courtyard at the McIntire School of Commerce.
Abby - Media Studies with a Concentration in Policy and Ethics
Media Studies is an interdisciplinary major within the College of Arts and Sciences. What I love about it is that there are so many ways you can structure your learning. I chose to concentrate in Policy and Ethics, which means I take courses focusing on the history of media technology and the pressing policy issues that evolving technology presents. We also talk about representation in television and how popular mediums shape culture. We also have a film concentration where you can study the technicalities and artistry of production. I have really enjoyed everything I’ve studied. One more cool thing is that this is a rising field around the country, and UVa has incredibly accomplished professors. It is easy to research your individual projects because you have fantastic resources in every classroom. If you have any questions about the Media Studies major, you can always send me an email at ars4qj@virginia.edu!
Mica - Media Studies with a Minor in Leadership
One of the best parts of declaring your major during your second year is that it gives you the opportunity to explore the different fields of study that UVA has to offer. As a first year I wasn’t sure what my major was going to be, but by taking different courses I found that my passions resided in the Media Studies Department. I found myself not only loving the different discussions proposed by every class, but also the time that I got to spend with amazing and recognized professors!
Finding what you love to study can be one of the hardest things, but once you do, it is totally worth it. The option of complementing your major through a minor allowed me to explore a different school at UVA. The Leadership minor is a new program offered by the McIntire School of Commerce, which focuses on developing skills to lead people and organizations. I would love to keep on chatting about this! So if you have any questions or just want to talk, reach out to me at mv9xa@virginia.edu.
Leah - Speech Communication Disorders in the Curry School of Education
When I was applying to colleges, I knew I was interested in studying and pursuing the career of speech pathology. At Days on the Lawn, UVA’s admitted students day, I attended an information session at the Curry School of Education. I spoke with the director of the Speech Communication Disorders major, who provided me with information about classes I could take as a first year, extracurricular opportunities related to speech pathology such as volunteering and study abroad, as well as potential job opportunities and placement after graduation. The Curry School has opportunities for students to shadow and volunteer in the Sheila C. Johnson Center, which provides clinical and educational speech pathology services for patients. Like many other majors at UVA, I will apply to and hopefully declare this major in the spring semester of my second year. You can email me at lam2nvz@virginia.edu if you have questions about my major or similar interests!
Bavaro Hall, a central building within the Curry School of Education.
Isaiah - Sociology
When I first came to UVA, I knew I wanted to be a pre-med student. However, I had no idea what I wanted to be my major. I loved history and government classes in high school and figured that a Sociology course would be a great intersection between my two passions. After taking my first sociology course, SOC 2320 Gender and Society, I knew that sociology was my major. The Sociology Department at UVA is home to a fantastic selection of professors and classes that are committed to making sure their students develop the sociological lens for explaining, predicting, and understanding human behavior. Moreover, while in the major I have had the opportunity to engage in cross-disciplinary study, broadening my areas of potential study. If you’re interested in UVA’s Sociology department, visit: https://sociology.as.virginia.edu/. Also, feel free to email me at ihj5jm@virginia.edu.
You-Jin - Sociology and Psychology
Coming into UVA, I definitely felt the pressure of immediately needing to know what path I wanted to take. This was because every college student interaction would start with the following questions: what year are you in, where are you from, and what major do you intend on choosing? One resource that really helped me through honing down my majors was our UVA Career Center’s identifying your interest assessments. There are various types that you can take, but the one that helped me the most was Strong Interest Inventory Assessment. I cannot emphasize this resource enough for the first years to utilize! It is designed to identify your career interests by matching you with six broad basic interest areas and assigning you a 3-letter code for researching careers. It will also provide suggestions for occupations, majors, internships, UVA organizations and activities which seem suited to the type of person you are today. Eventually, I ended up double majoring in sociology and psychology because not only did I already have to take a certain number of credits as a College of Arts & Sciences student, but also I am very fascinated in studying the human mind and its functions to how people interact within society. If you are interested in these two majors feel free to shoot me an email at yy2he@virginia.edu!
The UVA Career Center's branch at 1515 on the Corner.
Jada - English
When I first arrived at UVA, my major was undecided. There were so many options, and the thought of making a decision on what to study for the next four years that could affect the rest of my life terrified me. My first year, I took classes across various departments - even classes that I never thought I would be interested in. After taking my first English class, I knew that I had found my major. The English department is home to some of the most passionate professors and amazing courses. As someone who has always loved reading and writing, I have found my home in the English department. I love enhancing my analytical and writing skills while reading and expanding my knowledge of literature. If you’re interested in learning more about UVA”s English department, please visit: https://english.as.virginia.edu/. You can also email me at jnw3tr@virginia.edu - I would love to talk to you about my major!
Kelley - Spanish and Anthropology
When I first arrived at UVA, I knew I wanted to take a language but I didn’t really have any idea what else I wanted to study. Taking Spanish classes here has been an awesome way to grow in my understanding of Spanish and Latin American culture, as well as improve my ability to speak the language! Anthropology was the major that I wasn’t expecting. I took a large introductory class my first semester and I was hooked. Since then, I have been able to explore areas like archaeology, linguistics, and even focus in on specific cultural phenomena, like how the internet shapes people’s political beliefs. If either of these majors sound like something you might enjoy or be interested in, shoot me an email at kel6at@virginia.edu! I would love to talk to you.
Ben - Music and Political & Social Thought
Coming into UVA, I knew I wanted to study something in the humanities or social sciences, but I wasn’t exactly sure what. I think that this uncertainty was, in part, due to the fact that I am still undecided in what path I want to follow after graduation. While I am broadly interested in public policy, law, and education, I still have yet to hone in on that one “golden” career path. However, a wise professor once told me that your major and your career path are two separate things, and by studying what you love and are passionate about, everything will work out in the long run! So over the course of my first year, I toyed around with the idea of many majors, like Youth and Social Innovation, Public Policy, English, Global Development Studies, American Studies, and Anthropology.
While my lack of a major and clear path towards graduation felt overwhelming at times, in the long run I am so grateful for my indecisiveness, as it encouraged me to take classes across many departments at UVA and led me to discover Political & Social Thought, an interdisciplinary major at the cross-section of departments like politics, anthropology, history, and sociology. I am so excited to have a hand in designing my course of study, which will culminate in a thesis project during my fourth year! As of now, I am interested in studying how historical racial injustices have led to present-day inequities in education, but the beauty of PST is that we have time to tweak our course of study throughout the semesters and can really learn from the fellow students in the program! Music, on the other hand, was a no brainer for me - I’ve been singing my whole life, and am a firm believer that music is the beating heart of the universe. In addition to performing in various ensembles and learning about vocal technique through private lessons, I love taking classes like music theory and music ethnography.
In addition, I was able to add on an Italian minor after choosing to study abroad! Almost all of my credits from a semester in Siena, Italy counted towards my minor. I’ve been studying Italian since middle school, so this was particularly exciting for me and I am so grateful that I am able to continue learning about the language and culture of Italy while at UVA.
Once I realized that I shouldn’t compare myself to others and embraced the ups and downs of my academic journey, I felt much more at ease and have been able to study what I love - so remember to breathe and take it easy, because it will all be okay! If you have any questions about my majors or minor, or just want to talk about applying as an undecided student, feel free to send me an email at bst2zc@virginia.edu.
The UVA Chamber Singers perform alongside members of the Charlottesville Symphony.
We hope you enjoyed reading about our academic experiences! There are so many majors and minors to explore at UVA, and we only scratched the surface. To see a full list of majors, minors, and other academic opportunities, check out https://www.virginia.edu/academics/majors!
