LAS sponsors majors fair in Union

By Leah George-Baskin

Today there will be a Majors Fair at the Illini Union Rooms B and C from 3 to 5 p.m.

The LAS General office, along with the Career Center and the Office of the Provost, is sponsoring the fair.

A variety of offered majors and minors will be featured, as well as departmental advisors and faculty members.

The event is aimed toward helping both undeclared and declared students gather information on what is available to them, said Hollie Heintz, academic advisor for general curriculum students.

“We are finding that even students who have declared a major find the fair useful because they can get information about minors or double majors,” she said.

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At the fair, 68 departments will have information on more than 100 majors. Majors and minors from every department will be represented, including aviation, veterinary medicine and international studies.

Heintz said there will be advisors present with information about how to transfer to a major, what pre-requisites or GPA is required, as well as advice on what courses students can take to see if a certain major will work for them. Some advisors also will have information on existing career opportunities, salaries and post-graduate work.

Jacque Kahn, associate director of Gender and Women’s Studies, said she thinks majors fairs like this one are a good opportunity for students who are not familiar with a certain curriculum to have the chance to meet with faculty and other students and learn from their experiences.

“It’s always good to explore all the options before you make that final decision,” Kahn said. “It is never the same as taking a course; once you’re enrolled in a program you learn a lot more. I think that’s why a lot of student change their major.”

The Gender and Women’s Studies department will be one of the displays at the fair. Kahn said a major with GWS has a lot to offer students because of the interdisciplinary nature of the program.

“Students have the option to take a lot of different courses with smaller class sizes and closer interactions with professors,” she said. “Students love the program; they are our best publicity.”

There also will be a few graduate schools at the fair, such as library and information sciences, social work and veterinary medicine.

“It’s really a great place to start gathering information,” Heintz said. “Really the focus is to give (students) information on what options are out there and contact information.”

Heintz said the fair has a relaxed atmosphere and is free and open to all students. She said she feels there are programs that will appeal to all students, both freshman and seniors alike.

Students on attending the fair do not need to preregister.