<p>My son is a senior this year. He started with a major in Architecture and after his first year decided to major in Environmental Design and minor in Architecture. Because of this change he will have to attend next year for one semester. After 4 years of college I do not get the impression he is happy with his major. He has worked hard and is doing well but has not wanted to do any type of internship or even try to do anything over the summers having to do with his field of study. We have tried to discuss what his plan will be for after high school and he does not want to even discuss it. He is very into music and spends all his free time (summers, vacations, etc.) doing something involving music. He is also in a band. I feel that he chose his field of study because he felt it would be easier to get a job in the future as opposed to pursuing a music career. I know there are many instances where after college a person ends up in a career that has nothing to do with what they went to college for. My question is if he wanted to change his major now and pursue something with music how does one go about that? DO they have to attend another 4 years of undergraduate? Can he go on to do a maters in something completely different? I'm sure there will be many lost credits but I hate to see him unhappy. He loves music so much ...maybe even a music teacher. Is there anyone out there who had a child change their major at this stage of the game? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Has he been taking music courses as breadth or free electives all along?</p>
<p>If so, he may not be that many courses short of a music major if he chooses to switch to it.</p>
<p>However, if he would need several more semesters to complete the music major, that could be expensive, if it is even allowed (public universities tend to limit the number of credits or semesters of enrollment, so that any one student will not take up more than his/her fair share of the state subsidy).</p>
<p>There may also be administrative limitations on changing major this late, depending on the school.</p>
<p>I don’t have a child who did this, but my brother did. He was almost ready to graduate with a degree in anthropology and decided to change to biology. He was going to the big state U, and it took him a couple more years to graduate. He had all the general education credits, but had taken no biology at all, so it was a big switch. Luckily, my parents took it in stride. He then went on to get a masters in botany, then went to vet school and after practicing veterinary medicine for 3 years he went into politics. He now is the land commissioner for a big western state and sets policy for the usage of all state owned lands. He says that everything he studied is directly applicable to his current job because he’s responsible for the plants, animals and historic sites that are found on state lands. He took a mighty circuitous route, but ended up being happy and successful. </p>
<p>I think it’s really great that you are in-tune with your son and see that his heart isn’t in his major. He wouldn’t be the first person to switch as an undergraduate or go to graduate school for something entirely different than their UG degree. If he does decide to switch, that design background may come in handy for something as yet unforeseen.</p>
<p>Good luck to you both.</p>
<p>His interest and work in music is… performing, managing, marketing, recording, teaching…what? </p>
<p>BTW, if a student doesn’t want to change a major late in the game, he can finish it. Then, if he wants more formal training/education, he can go on to a master’s program (say in music business or audio arts and acoustics) or to a “second BA,” which don’t require the student to repeat all the gen eds. The thing about some masters and second BAs, though, is that they’re not treated to as robust fin aid as undergrad degrees in many cases. So, sometimes, it’s best to take the extended route to the first undergrad degree with a changed major. You have to check with financial aid to see when he runs out. Also, schools cap how many credits a student can earn before they’re cut off. So, check that out too.</p>
<p>I would not say that it is easier to get a job in architecture than music.</p>
<p>Kids have dreams. Sounds like you are willing to finance his, so it’s all good, but you definitely need to have the talk about what happens after graduation. </p>
<p>I’d let him graduate and see what happens, because it sounds like he knows where he’d like to go. Let him get a part time job to pay for his musical ambitions; supplement if you have to. Let him figure out what he really wants to do, and then see whether it really takes more education or not to realize those goals.</p>
<p>People can definitely get masters in areas where they had no coursework at the undergrad level. Work experience or community college classes are easy and common substitutes. Some career doors get closed to the 21 year old college grad, but not very many.</p>
<p>Thank you all for the wonderful replies. To answer some of the questions…he has not been taking any music classes all along so he does not have any music credits at all. I am not really sure yet where his interest lies with music. I need to sit down with him and discuss this. I wanted to be able to approach him with some advice and I did get some good advice from all of you. We really cannot afford to finance his dream (we have another son starting college in the fall) but we can help. I know it is hard to get a job in any field today whether it be architecture or music. His actions just lead me to believe that he is not really sure if he wants to continue on the path he is going or make a change. I am hoping to have this talk before he heads back for his Spring semester.</p>
<p>I suggest that you post this over on the music forum, which is a really excellent resource. I’ll reserve my response for that forum. To get more specific advice, maybe find out what your son likes to so in the area of music.</p>
<p>Music is a fairly intense BA, even more intense BM, and although it is hard to do a double major with it, many schools offer a double degree program. Does his current school offer a BM?</p>
<p>People on the music forum, or here, can suggest schools with good grad programs in music performance, academic music (theory, history, composition), classical/jazz/pop/rock, music production, music business, music education, music and technology, film work, and so on.</p>
<p>Your questions are not uncommon, and parents of musicians on the music forum will be able to help (as well as the folks here of course).</p>
<p>You don’t have to be a music major to play in a band. Get his degree. If his interest is music business or a technical field in music then consider pursuing that after graduation.</p>
<p>There are lots of music majors who don’t have jobs because there aren’t jobs for them–the ones I know teach. The singers, musicians only play part time. And it’s not an easy degree.</p>
<p>My BIL is an engineer who has his own band, composes music and plays frequently. He is still glad to be an engineer to bring in some money. He plays several instruments and is very talented. He probably could do it full time but the hours and travel aren’t fun nor conducive to home life.</p>
<p>A friend of my son OTOH has basically quit school–he was pre-med with a scholarship–because his real dream involves music and playing in a band. But he was ALWAYS that way–bands, performing in HS. A very talented musician. It was difficult for most who knew him to see him doing anything other than music. He’s young–who knows he may go back to school.</p>
<p>It can be looked at this way: gouf78’s BIL could say he’s a musician who works as an engineer. He doesn’t have to define himself as an engineer because that’s his ‘job’. </p>
<p>Does your son want to change his major? Or would he be okay finishing getting the degree in architecture? If so, I’d encourage him to complete that degree. Nothing says he has to veer off course now in a completely different direction when he may not even be sure what other direction might be. He’s very young with many opportunities available to him. He could return to school later if that’s what he decided.</p>