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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: What should I major in at UTSA?

A: There are three important steps in career decision making:

Learn about Yourself
Learn about Occupations
Make Career Decisions

First, it is important to understand your abilities, interests, and values before deciding on what careers and majors are a good fit. Once you understand your interests and skills, it is important to learn about occupations that match those interests and skills. Finally, after gathering information about your interests and career options, you can begin to make effective career decisions. Where to start? Arrange an appointment with Career Center to start the process.

Q: Can I take a test to learn about what I should major in?

A: Yes.

Career Center administers a variety of different career assessments to determine your interests and abilities and matching careers. Rather than providing one career solution, career assessments provide students with a broad array of matching occupations to explore. To complete an assessment, contact Career Center and arrange an appointment with a career counselor.

Assessments include:

Strong Interest Inventory
DISCOVER
Do What You Are – based upon the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
My Vocational Situation

Q: Is there a charge to take a career assessment?

A: No, there is no charge to take a career assessment. They are available online. You do have to request access through a career counselor. Simply call our front desk at 210-458-4589 (Main Campus) or 210-458-2910 (Downtown Campus) and they will set you up with an appointment.

Q: Why does everyone else but me seem to know what they want to do with the rest of their lives?

A: This is a common belief about career development; however, quite the opposite is true. It is very common for students to change their minds multiple times throughout college, then a few more times throughout their lifetime. It takes time and commitment to learn about our skills and interests and explore career options. But people who invest time in this discovery process find satisfying and meaningful careers.

Q: How do I learn about careers that are projected to grow over the next ten years?

A: Here are several useful websites for research job outlook:

The Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-2007 edition. Click on (U.S. Department of Labor), select an occupation, and click on “Job Outlook”.
Texas Workforce Commission Career Planning and Trends has several reports available to you which discuss trends for the future in Texas. http://www.twc.state.tx.us/customers/jsemp/jsempsub4.html

Q: I know what my interests are, but how do I learn about suitable careers?

A: Take the time to explore careers. Here are some great resources:

OOH
O*NET online
What Can I Do with My Major?

Q: How do I learn about salary expectations for various careers?

A: Salary.com and JobStar – are two of the best resources for salary expectations.

Q: How do I learn about academic majors at UTSA?

A: Browsing through the UTSA Undergraduate Catalog The UTSA Undergraduate Catalog will provide you with the most up-to-date on majors, minors, academic requirements and courses needed to complete a degree. If you’re considering more than one discipline you can compare the requirements and make decisions based upon that. If you would prefer a paper copy of the catalog, Enrollment Services will be able to provide one.