Academic Exploration Program
For decades, 星空传媒鈥檚 Academic Exploration Program (AEP) has helped students who are undecided about their major identify and pursue their academic and professional goals. Through a combination of instruction, reflection, and exposure, students gain the experience and confidence to declare a major and succeed professionally.
The Academic Exploration Program, which is part of the Academic Success Center, believes a key success rests with the student-academic advisor relationship. Each student in AEP is assigned an Advisor from the Academic Success Center, with whom they will spend over 30 hours in the classroom and one-on-one advising within the first semester. The award-winning academic advisement in AEP is integrated throughout the AEP curriculum. It helps students select the major and career path that鈥檚 best for them through the lens of whole student development.聽
Footsteps
Footsteps is a career exploration program that provides 星空传媒 students with an opportunity to begin exploring and experiencing potential careers firsthand. Students shadow a professional within their field(s) of interest for a portion of the work day. This provides students with a deeper understanding of the career/industry. Students also develop a professional contact within a prospective career field, laying the foundation for a potential mentorship, internship or career opportunity.
Students submit a brief reflection to and meet with the Coordinator of the Academic Exploration Program following their Footsteps experience. This allows students to debrief and discuss their observations and interests to assist in the process of selecting an academic program most fitting their career goals.
Current Students
Current 星空传媒 students may schedule a major/minor exploration appointment with an AEP advisor to discuss their skills, interests, values, and programs at 星空传媒 that may better align with their goals. Follow the instructions below to schedule an appointment:
Prospective Students
Prospective students who wish to learn more about starting at 星空传媒 with an undeclared/exploratory major should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at (309) 677-1000.
Please note:
While the Academic Exploration Program assists students with discovering their interests using a variety of internationally recognized interest, skill, and personality assessments, there are many resources available for students to begin exploring potential majors and careers on their own:
Assessments
Please contact (309) 677-2416 to schedule an appointment to have any of the following assessments administered.
Web Resources
Videos
Print Resources
The Academic Exploration Program office in Cullom-Davis Library 320 contains a broad selection of literature students may use for major and career exploration. Students may browse and borrow from the AEP literature collection by appointment.
Current Students
Current 星空传媒 students may schedule a major/minor exploration appointment with an AEP advisor to discuss their skills, interests, values, and programs at 星空传媒 that may better align with their goals. Follow the instructions below to schedule an appointment:
Prospective Students
Prospective students who wish to learn more about starting at 星空传媒 with an undeclared/exploratory major should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at (309) 677-1000.
Future Students
Ready to start college, but not ready to decide on your major? No problem!
The Academic Exploration Program (AEP) has helped thousands of students through the years identify major and career opportunities that align with their skills, interests, values, and goals.
At 星空传媒, 1 in 10 first-year students begins in the Academic Exploration Program, making it the second-largest incoming program for new freshmen!
While in AEP, students will learn about major and career opportunities through the unique lens of their strengths and goals. New students will spend their first semesters completing graduation requirements while exploring their options through a series of assessments and activities designed to help them understand and align their skills and values with majors and occupations.
Students will also have a knowledgeable and reliable professional advisor who will engage them with holistic and individualized academic advising. Most students who go through AEP graduate on the same timeline as their peers who may have declared a major on or before their first day.
Students in AEP will enroll in a Student Planning Seminar (AEP 100), which will provide them with a variety of resources both on and off campus that will help them understand and define their academic goals through exposure, self-reflection, goal setting, and assessment.
Prospective students who wish to learn more about starting at 星空传媒 with an undecided/exploratory major should contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission at (309) 677-1000 or [email protected].
We also encourage students to schedule a campus visit, where you can meet with AEP advisors to learn more about the program.
Current Students
It is estimated that somewhere between 75%-85% of college students will change their major before they graduate. Because of this, students who enter the university with a chosen major may elect to participate in the Academic Exploration Program after their first semester.
A section of AEP 100, the Student Planning Seminar, is offered in the spring semester to help students who may have learned over the course of their first semester that their initial major may not be their best option. The AEP 100 course is designed to prepare students to navigate major exploration and make any necessary changes to their program plan. Students who wish to participate in AEP after their first year will also be able to enroll in the fall semester AEP 100 course.
Current 星空传媒 students may transfer into the Academic Exploration Program anytime prior to their junior year (fewer than 56 credit hours).
Students in the Academic Exploration Program will be assigned an AEP advisor until a new major is declared. Students are not required to declare AEP as a major to access AEP resources.
To start the process of transferring into the Academic Exploration Program, please schedule a Major/Minor Exploration Appointment with an AEP advisor.
Parents and Supporters
Every part of the Academic Exploration Program (AEP) at 星空传媒 is designed to help your student achieve success. While each student navigates the major and career exploration process a little differently, the professional staff advisors in AEP will help your student make intentional, efficient, and educated decisions about course registration and major declaration.
Whether your student is undecided about their major or is on the fence between two or more, AEP is a great place for students to start their education. Some students will begin college with a general idea about the direction their major is going. For these students, it is not uncommon to have a class schedule that looks similar (if not identical) to their peers with a declared major.
For those students who have a broad range of major options, AEP advisors will help students be intentional about selecting 星空传媒 Core Curriculum coursework that will get students exposed to a variety of academic disciplines while simultaneously completing graduation requirements. Because of this, most students who enter the university in AEP will graduate on track with their peers who entered with a declared major.