Pathway Programs

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First Year Advising Center
Unit of Affiliated Programs

Kettler Hall 112 ~ 260-481-0404

Pathway Program

The First Year Advising Center staff care about the futures of all of our students. The Pathway Program was implemented as a more targeted approach to choosing a major for the undecided student. We recognize the importance and often times difficulty in making this decision - you are not alone. We assist students in exploring options, connecting with career counselors, faculty, and staff in academic departments, by promoting analysis and exploration through an individualized Pathway plan.

There are four Pathway options:

Business and Leadership

Students who choose the Business and Leadership Pathway have an interest in solving problems, inspiring others, social justice, and/or engaging in the community. Many who choose this pathway would describe themselves as goal-orientated, innovative, organized, strategic and motivated. Those in Business and Leadership are thoughtful decision makers and may consider themselves to be “balanced people” or have “balanced interests,” meaning they have varied skills and abilities. For example, someone in this Pathway may like working with people in a management, business or political environment, but not in a profession akin to social work or nursing.  Some skills related to majors and careers in this pathway: problem solving, global awareness, communication, ethical reasoning skills, commitment, integrity, courage, straightforwardness, and imagination.

Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences

The humanities and social sciences are academic disciplines that examine human culture and society, as well as relationships among individuals. The humanities are those disciplines that focus on human belief systems, human culture and art, societies, relationships, and in the ways in which humans express themselves and create meaning. The social sciences investigate and analyze human nature and behavior, including human social structures and governments as well as how humans communicate with each other within these social structures. This broad pathway is concerned with understanding human institutions, how the mind works, and how we interact with one another. Students in this pathway are caring, compassionate, able to improvise, and often choose helping professions. Others within this pathway are curious about the world and its people, cultures, societies, relationships, language, and belief systems. Still others are interested in how we construct governing bodies, how the mind works, how we interact in society, and how we express ourselves and create meaning. Some skills and attributes related to majors and careers in this pathway include the following: global awareness, communication, critical thinking and reasoning skills, empathy, compassion, a desire to learn new concepts and theories, and open-mindedness. Students who choose majors in this pathway are often interested in how many different disciplines work together to help paint a broad picture of the world in which we live, and they use this broad understanding of the world in order to solve problems, analyze situations, data, and texts, and communicate clearly within the global marketplace. 

Engineering and Science

Students who choose the Engineering and Science Pathway enjoy solving problems and are generally very analytical, linear, rational, and theoretical. Many seek to understand things on a higher level - why things work the way that they do, not simply how they work. Those who choose this Pathway enjoy complex puzzles and games that involve strategy and love the challenge of applying scientific/logical methods to solve problems. Most within this Pathway excel in math and data analysis and/or have an interest in understanding more about the world in which we live. Research in areas such as the natural world, environment, human body, computer programming, and other technical systems are generally of interest to students who choose this Pathway.

Visual and Performing Arts

Students within the Visual and Performing Arts Pathway seek to understand the non-verbal language of art, are creative, and wish to express themselves using a myriad of methods: visually, vocally, with an instrument, and using design techniques/methods. Most within this Pathway appreciate and value art and artistic expression and wish to become familiar or more familiar with the major achievements in the history of art, including the works and intentions of leading artists past and present. Those within this Pathway value an environment that encourages free and open inquiry, diversity, the cultivation of creativity and artistic collaboration.

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