Making Major Choices
The decision about your major is an important one. It is a decision that will affect the way you look at the world around you, but it will not determine once and for all who you are and how you will live your life. When you think about choosing a department, you should consider your skills, interests, aspirations, and values, as well each department's special strengths and weaknesses, its requirements, its opportunities for interdisciplinary study, the accessibility of its faculty members, whether or not you will be supported in your choice of independent work projects, and more. The links, resources, and events you will find on this page have been compiled by the directors of studies in the residential colleges in collaboration with peer advisers and departmental representatives to assist you in making informed choices about which major to select by the end of your sophomore year at Princeton. We encourage you to draw on these resources as you explore potential majors (and certificates), get guidance from your peers and academic advisers, and ultimately pick a path that is right for you.
Upcoming Events
An Insider's Guide to the Department of Economics
Whitman Rectangular Private Dining Room
Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Over lunch Professor Harvey Rosen will discuss various aspects of life as an economics major at Princeton. Swipe in, grab a tray of food, and join us in the private dining room to the left of the fireplace.
COM Holiday Global Tea
Forbes College
Thursday, December 3, 2009, 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm
Interested in languages and literature? Curious about how to explore your creative interests in a variety of cultures? Join Comp Lit faculty and students and learn about an interdisciplinary and supportive department that allows you to go global, the Department of Comparative Literature.
Slavic Department Holiday Party and Concert
Maclean House
Thursday, December 3, 2009, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Come meet faculty and students in the department, enjoy great food and drink, and listen to the incomparable Georgian Choir. Remarks about the department's offerings and mini-concert at 6:30 p.m.
Dinner with the Classics Department
Mathey Private Dining ROom
Monday, December 7, 2009, 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Join Classics Professor Marc Domingo Gygax and other members of the department for a discussion of the discipline and major, including the flexible and interdisciplinary Classical Studies track. Bring down your dinner trays. Come when you can, leave when you must.
Word of Mouth: An Evening of Literary Translation
Rockefeller College
Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Join faculty and students from the Department of Comparative literature for a dinner celebration featuring original translations of literature and poetry.
Student Testimonials
Laura K.O. Smith '05
"The people are what made geology so special to me. No other major allows one to spend so much time outside of a classroom with peers and professors.
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Mittie Kelleher Doyle '86, MD
"Modern medicine is desperately in need of humanists in the midst of the rapidly growing technological advances of modern medicine; I cannot imagine better preparation for this pursuit than a Princeton liberal arts degree."
Lindsey Olson '08
"Graduating in the spring is still daunting to me...but daunting because I have too many amazing choices, daunting in a way that allows me to do anything I want to do. I know that having majored in Sociology allowed me the freedom to really consider my options and grow organically into a future I know I will love instead of picking the destination from the start."
