Mount St. Joseph University, in the spirit of the liberal arts education upon which the university was founded, is committed to promoting an environment that fosters intellectual curiosity and healthy exploration. We believe that the process through which decisions and discoveries are made is of equal importance to the end result. Some students, upon admission, decide to declare their preferred academic major area of study, and some students need additional time to explore possibilities or meet prerequisite requirements. In accordance with the Academic Advising Mission Statement, any undergraduate student who has not yet declared a major will be designated as University Exploratory Studies (UES). University Exploratory Studies students will receive advising services through the Academic Exploration Program (AEP) Advisor located in the Academic Advising Resource Center. Students with a declared major will receive academic advising services by a faculty member in their chosen area of study. Declaring a major can be a difficult and sometimes frightening experience. But it does not have to be. We believe that taking the time to explore the right major can be a rewarding journey that makes our students better equipped to make ethical and informed decisions in a global market place. A major or undeclared preference is used in planning a course schedule. It is assumed that in many instances an initial declaration is tentative. Before the beginning of the junior year, students normally make a firm decision on a major.
