Program Overview

Exploratory Studies Program

The Exploratory Studies Program is designed to assist students with their transition to college, build a strong academic foundation, and create and set academic, career, and personal goals. This program is a good fit for students who are unsure of their major and career focus.

Program Description

The program offers a series of courses focused on academic and career success to help students acclimate to the university and find a clear direction for their studies. With the exploratory studies program, courses are available to help students reflect, evaluate, and identify a major and potential career.

Benefits

The benefits of the academic and career success courses include:

• Saving time and money by finding the right major early in their college career
• Raising awareness of yet-to-be-discovered majors and careers
• Utilizing career research resources to make an informed major/career decision based on their interests
• Selecting a major by the end of the first year at SDSU (on average, 80-90% of exploratory studies students declare a major by the end of their first year)
• Experiencing greater overall satisfaction with their college experience by focusing on a holistic approach to success

Exploratory Studies Course Tracks

SDSU has identified five exploratory studies tracks, which are:

• Education, social sciences, and management (focusing on working with others)
• Humanities, fine arts, and design (developing and creating something meaningful)
• Health sciences (having a career that focuses on helping others)
• Engineering, technology, and math (thinking in numbers and working with concrete resources)
• Agriculture and natural sciences (working in a hands-on environment)

Additional Courses

In addition to the course ACS 102 Exploratory Studies, students are encouraged to enroll in ACS 119 First Year Seminar and ACS 143 Mastering Lifetime Learning Skills. These courses are designed to help students get started on the right track with studying, managing time, and utilizing resources to be successful.