Choosing a major

Choosing a major (or program or minor) is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make during your degree. Here are a few tips to help:

• Research majors you might be interested in. Your handbook is a good place to start as it contains an overview of each major.
• Reflect on your strengths and interests, for example the subjects you enjoyed or did well at in high school.
• Research industry trends and the job market.
• Think about the kind of job you see yourself doing once you graduate.
• Consider if studying two majors contributes to your end goals or whether you'd prefer a major and minor combination to leave room for other opportunities.

Choosing your units

Once you've decided your majors, minors and programs, your handbook lists the units you must complete and the ones where you have flexible choices.

Consider the following when making your choices.

• Map out your units from day one using the handbook and sample degree plans for your course, scheduling in the units you must complete as the priority. This will give you an idea of how much flexibility you have available.
• Check to see when a unit is running, as it can vary each year. You can do this when on the unit of study page – search for a unit to see the unit outline, and check under 'Unit availability'.
• Read unit outlines to find out what you'll learn, how many hours a week you'll need to attend classes, and how you'll be assessed.
• Decide if you want to specialise in a single area, or whether you'd prefer to explore broad interests.
• Consider leaving electives for later. This will give you more flexiblity if you decide to change the direction of your studies or want to take up an exciting opportunity.
• Research what's on offer during intensive sessions (for example, during semester break). For some students, this may help to ease the study load during the semester.

Studying overseas

If you're looking to study overseas, make sure to plan early. Many opportunities can be undertaken for credit, so you'll need to leave room in your course to complete these.

Through the Sydney Global Mobility program, you can spend a few weeks, one semester, or a full year overseas at one of 250+ partner institutions in more than 40 countries around the world. There are a range of study abroad experiences to choose from, that may be classified as exchange or non-exchange.

There will be certain times in your degree that are better suited to an exchange, and certain periods (such as first year) where it's not possible, depending on your course rules and requirements. It's important to plan your course early so you don't miss any windows of opportunity.

Placements and internships

Many faculties and schools facilitate placements and internships with industry partners. These vary from a few weeks to a few months in duration, with some being credited to your course – make sure to plan early so you can leave room in your course to complete these.

Industry and community projects

In collaboration with an industry, community or government partner, you'll work in a group with other students to research, analyse and present solutions to real world problems set by the external partner organisation.

Honours

Honours is an additional qualification that you can build onto your undergraduate studies by completing a supervised research project and disciplinary or research-focused coursework.

This may be embedded in your undergraduate degree or require an additional year of study.

Note that some honours programs require you to complete different or preparatory units during your undergraduate course.