Exploratory Preference Major
Exploratory Preference Major
Welcome! The Office of the Provost – Undergraduate Education (APUE) is the home of the Exploratory Preference major and we serve all exploring undergraduate students at MSU.
The Exploratory Advisors provide one-on-one academic advising for all exploring students at MSU, as well as hosting interactive workshops and group advising opportunities. In addition to serving as the exploration experts on campus, Exploratory Advisors can help students with questions related to academic performance, socio-emotional engagement, and institutional navigation.
Are you exploring majors? Students can select the Exploratory Preference major at MSU while they are exploring, up until they reach Junior standing (56 credits).
Choosing Exploratory Preference allows you to more intentionally explore your options and make an informed decision on your major. Most students change their majors one or more times, and intentionally exploring puts you ahead of the game.
Most majors have electives built in, so there’s room to take classes from different majors while exploring, and many majors can be completed in about two years since the number of credits for a major is only a fraction of those required for a degree. It’s important to know that for many careers your major is not the most important qualification (passion for the field, well-rounded experience, and good grades often matter more). Many careers require a college degree, but not a specific major, so we encourage you to explore your passions, values, and interests at MSU.
Our Exploring Students page is a great place to start engaging with the exploration process. Our Exploratory Advisors can discuss your interests and options with you, and help you create a plan for exploring. Undergraduate education is designed to be broad (i.e., much more than just a major) to develop transferrable skills that prepare you for the multiple careers you will likely have over your lifetime in today’s modern economy. And it’s designed to foster personal growth (which also makes you a stronger job candidate). So choosing a major to pursue a passion isn’t necessarily in conflict with a future career, even if unrelated to your major, since specific majors are often not relevant to employers. Therefore, take advantage of this amazing opportunity to find a major that’s a good fit for you. Enjoy your journey of exploration, growth and discovery!
How to meet with an Exploratory Advisor
Drop-in advising is available Monday – Friday from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm (EST) over Zoom or phone. We also offer Late Night Advising on Tuesday and Wednesday from 5:30 – 8:30 pm (EST). You can join the drop-in advising queue by filling out our Drop-In Advising form.
Note: You must be logged in to Google with your MSU email address to access the form. You will receive an email or phone call (based on what you listed) when an advisor is available.
During the summer and first two weeks of the Fall semester, students will only be able to access advising by signing up for Drop-In Advising.
Scheduled advising appointments will resume starting on September 12, 2022. Students can use the following instructions to schedule advising appointments starting on Septembet 12, 2022.
- Log into student.msu.edu
- NOTE: You will need to register for multi-factor authentication to access the system. Please read these instructions and register
- Once you are in the system, you will click on the “Academic Progress Tile”
- Select ADVISING/TUTORING APPOINTMENTS on the left hand column. Then click CREATE NEW APPOINTMENT (blue box)
- Use the drop-down menu in “Category” and select ADVISING
- Use the drop-down menu in “Advising or Tutoring Unit”
- Select the College you want to meet with
- NOTE: To meet with an Exploratory Preference advisor, please select NEIGHBORHOOD STUDENT SUCCESS COLLABORATIVE
- Use the drop-down menu in “Appointment Reason”
- Select the Major or Program you want to meet with
- NOTE: To meet with an Exploratory Advisor, please select EXPLORATORY PREFERENCE AND MAJOR EXPLORATION ADVISING.
- You must indicate your reason for the advising appointment in “Additional Information Required”
- Provide a statement for why you want to meet with the advisor – please include any questions or thoughts.
- Use the drop-down menu in “Appointment Type” to select in-person, email, phone of Zoom.
- Click Select Advisor.
- Once you complete the above process, you will see the available advisors, times, URL, and the email and/or phone number of the advisor. You can now select a time and date.
- Select the Major or Program you want to meet with
- Select the College you want to meet with
The University Advising Team
Academic Advisors:
Freddie DeRamus deramusf@msu.edu
Erika Espinoza espin109@msu.edu
Jeff Lent lentjohn@msu.edu
Dr. Kang Li likang1@msu.edu
Shay Sandoval-Flores waressha@msu.edu
Associate Directors:
Charlie Liu charlie7@msu.edu
Debra Thornton-Fitzpatrick thornt28@msu.edu
Directors of University Advising:
Jonelle Golding, Academic Transitions goldingj@msu.edu
Dr. Qiana Green, Leadership Initiatives greenqia@msu.edu
Beth Judge, Academic Engagement judgebe@msu.edu