Updated November 10, 2025
This is a very natural question to ask. After all, your college major is only the beginning of your career path.
Majors Matter vs. Major Misconceptions
Students are anxious to know what can be done with a specific major. In some cases, majors are directly linked to specific careers.
For example, if you want to be a nurse, you usually don't major in history, you major in nursing. However, majoring in nursing doesn't prevent you from entering a variety of different occupations other than nursing.
Many majors really don't have specific careers to which they are directly linked.
Instead, it is helpful to think of a major as a place to gain knowledge and skills that are transferable and can be used in many different occupations.
A major in history, for example, teaches an individual good writing and critical thinking skills that many employers will find valuable. For most situations, the completion of a certain major is only the beginning of a process of personal development that will extend well into a career.
Students would be wise to use their time in college to augment the training they receive in their majors with other skills and experiences.