Selecting a Major

Plan to choose a major. Most four-year colleges will ask you to declare a major subject area of study when you apply for transfer admission. Your choice of major should reflect your choice of a career since these two decisions are inseparable.

Visit the Career Planning & Advising Center at NECC. The center staff can assist you in choosing a major and reviewing your career goals.

Be sure that the major you choose will lead to a career in the area you want. Make sure you understand what kind of work a particular degree will lead you to. Before deciding on a major, review college catalogs for the specific courses required for that degree.

A Bachelor’s Degree requires about 120 credit hours distributed among three categories:

General or Distribution Education Requirements — English, Math and Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, or Fine Arts.
General Electives — any approved course that give your education flexibility and variety.
Core Major Requirements — 12 to 15 courses in one academic discipline (your major subject area).

Most four-year colleges prefer that you complete most of your General education Requirements and some of your lower division major courses before you transfer. The majority of courses that you take at the four-year college in your third (junior) and fourth (senior) years will be in your major subject area. Your NECC courses will, in most cases, be transferred as General Education Requirements or as electives. Carefully selecting your courses at NECC will assure you that you will be able to complete your bachelor’s degree in two years if you are a full-time student.