Choose an Area of Interest that best aligns with your current goals for a major at JMU.

You'll have the opportunity to explore your interests further with your assigned Exploratory Advisor, who will help you create an academic plan and guide you toward choosing a major.

As a current Exploratory student, you’ll work closely with your Exploratory advisor to navigate your academic journey with confidence and purpose. Your advisor is here to guide you every step of the way as you explore your interests and clarify your goals.

Here’s how we support you:

• Explore Through GenEds: Use JMU’s General Education courses as a way to discover new subjects and identify what excites you.

• Discover Majors & Minors: Learn about all of JMU’s academic programs and what they offer, both in and outside the classroom.

• Understand Major Requirements: Get a basic understanding of what’s required for your prospective major so you can make informed decisions.

• Declare When Ready: You can declare your major at any time, and you’ll be supported throughout the process. Just remember, students must declare by the third Friday of their sophomore year.

• Stay Supported: From your first semester through major declaration, your Exploratory advisor is your dedicated partner in this process.

Whether you're still considering your options or narrowing down your decision, we're here to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Exploratory Advisors are here to support you every step of the way, helping you align your major choice with your values, interests, and goals.

Ready to take the next step? Schedule an appointment with an Exploratory Advisor today, by clicking the graphic below.

If you're a new first-year student, you can choose the Exploratory option through the JMU One Book website - New Student Checklist when signing up for Orientation. Once selected, Exploratory becomes your official path of study on your academic record.

The Exploratory Program is designed for students who are still deciding on their major. Starting your JMU experience as an Exploratory student gives you the time and support to thoughtfully explore all of JMU’s majors and minors.

To help guide your journey, we offer eight Areas of Interest that represent broad academic and career pathways. You can choose the one that best aligns with your current interests.

As part of the program, you’ll be paired with an Exploratory advisor who will support you through this process. Together, you'll use self-guided tools and take the Strong Interest Inventory, a nationally recognized assessment to uncover your strengths, interests, and potential career paths. Your advisor, trained specifically to work with Exploratory students, will help you connect these insights to academic majors that fit you best.

This one credit, seven week block course provides a structured, group format for exploring majors and careers.  The course has four learning goals.

• Articulate personal characteristics, which impact major and career decisions.
• Increase knowledge of academic and occupational resources used to investigate scholastic and career opportunities.
• Learn decision-making strategies that lead to identifying a major and career.
• Learn goal-setting strategies for identifying academic and career goals.

Check MyMadison for course availability.  The course is limited to first year students. Sophomores who are interested in taking the course to further their exploration should contact the University Career Center at career@jmu.edu.