Major maps: Your pathway to career and professional success
Major maps and Transfer maps
It’s important for students to understand that the goal of education is not simply to graduate but do so at minimal cost with the greatest degree of success in their field. That kind of success requires strategic planning and VCU's major maps help students to see exactly what steps they should take, and when they should take them as they make their plans.
What are major maps?
Major maps combine academic-planning and strategic career-planning to allow students to create individualized success plans so that they can achieve their professional and academic goals upon graduation. We focus on the student's end goal and work backwards - determining what courses, experiences, connections and skills will best position the student as a competitive, working professional after graduation. Major maps connect students to the people, resources and activities that will maximize their VCU experience.
How do major maps help?
Major maps encourage major and career exploration, inspire professional networking, and engage students in real-world experiences, culminating in a VCU graduate who not only excelled in their area of study, but will also excel in their next professional goal, whether it be a career opportunity, graduate school or entrepreneurial endeavor.
Students who are unsure of their major can use major maps to learn more about the academic requirements for potential majors and related career opportunities. Search the maps by keywords to find related programs of study that lead to similar career outcomes in order to make the best major match.
Once committed to their major, students can use the maps to identify and gain relevant experience in their field while staying on track with key curricular milestones, ultimately graduating on time, with minimal debt, and the greatest professional success!
What are transfer maps?
Transfer maps are major maps for Virginia community college
students who plan on transferring to VCU.
We have partnered with community colleges to provide similar academic
and career-planning guidance to prospective transfer students as we provide to
incoming first year students at VCU.
This guidance includes a four-year degree plan that outlines courses and
requirements to be taken at the community college in the first two years as
well as courses that remain to be taken at VCU for the final two years. By following the recommendations of the
transfer maps, community college students will: prepare for the academic
challenges at VCU; graduate on time, with minimal debt and loss of transfer
credit; and plan for a future after graduation.
Major map key pillars
Watch this video as Dr. Maggie Tolan, Senior Associate Vice Provost for Student Success, introduces new VCU students to Major Maps.
Start a conversation about your future
Major maps are great conversation starters with all those who support you in your success — family, faculty, advisors, counselors, coaches, etc. Here are a just a few ideas to get you started:
- Make an appointment with your academic advisor to review the key curricular steps you’ll need to complete for an on-time graduation.
- Attend the office hours of a faculty member and ask how you can incorporate what you're learning in class with real-world experiences and major map suggestions.
- Join relevant student and professional organizations to start making an impact and build a network of support in your field.
- Show your major map to family and friends and start discussing plans for summer internships, jobs, research, volunteer work or classes that will help you get ahead.
- Ask a career advisor to help you conduct a gap analysis and prepare for informational interviews.