So I’m in high school and I’m in my senior year and I’m looking at courses to take for college and I don’t know really anything about college and google hasn’t helped me that much to be honest.
I need to know these questions below.
Thank you so much to anyone who replies!
Go to the website of a college you are interested in. The information is all there.
A major means that you take a cluster of classes in one subject-- for example, history. Each college will specify its requirements for each major. Most colleges require students to choose a major, most often by the end of their second year at college, but sometimes earlier. Completing a major ensures that your education gives you a depth of expertise in one particular subject area, in addition to a breadth of learning in many other subjects.
Sometimes people “double major” if they like two different subjects equally much-- such as art history and math.
Not everyone completes a minor and it is very seldom required anywhere. It consists of a smaller number of classes in a subject other than your major. Let’s say you love history but have a secondary interest in political science; major in history, taking about 12 classes, and minor in political science, taking about 6 classes.
In addition, some colleges have course or distribution requirements-- for example, take three courses in lab sciences or math, three in social sciences, and three in humanities-- before graduation.
The requirements for each major, minor, course, and distribution will differ from school to school, so you will need to consult their brochures or websites.
At college you also will have an advisor who can help you sort all this out.
You may not need to worry about majors now, in high school, unless you have a very specific interest in majoring in something that not every school has (like forensic science or criminal justice), or that is available in a specific type of school you have to apply to (like an engineering or nursing school or program).
Talk to your guidance counselor about your interests, and look at a list of majors in any college you have heard of. That should begin to give you an idea of the types of major that are available.
Thank you so much for your help. I was looking at becoming a profiler for the FBI and one of the classes I want to major in is Forensic Science but i also want to major in something else related to that field such as psychology or criminal justice.
Becoming a profiler for the FBI (job title is behavioral analyst) is a difficult journey, and you will need some law enforcement and/or research experience in the area. Mary Ellen Toole, a senior behavioral analyst for the FBI, writes about the requirements on her page:
And the FBI’s website has an interview with some members of the BAU, in which they say this:
So first you have to get into the FBI as an agent. Although you can major in anything, the FBI definitely has a need and preference for certain majors, which you can see by checking out the website.
Generally speaking, if you do psychology or criminal justice you will need a graduate degree and/or some years of law enforcement experience to be a competitive candidate. Or you need to have a special skill in one of the other areas, like military experience, a law degree, or a critical foreign language.
Look up John Jay College of Criminal Justice in NYC
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Also, to be an FBI employee, you will first be subjected to an extensive background investigation (which can take almost a year) and you will have to pass a polygraph test.