Academic Pathways

Explore, tinker, prototype, learn and share in one of our Makerspaces — creative labs with sewing machines, craft supplies, 3D printers, button makers, virtual reality and more.

Because campus is located in a vibrant cultural and artistic hub, with more than 200 theatres and design firms of all sizes, UMN students reap the benefits of proximity via internships, employment, inspiration and community support as they transition from college to career.

• Acting
• Agricultural Communication & Marketing
• Apparel Design
• Architecture
• Art
• Art History
• Arts Education
• Dance
• Graphic Design
• Interior Design
• Landscape Architecture
• Music
• Music Education
• Music Therapy
• Product Design
• Strategic Communication: Advertising & Public Relations
• Studies in Cinema and Media Culture
• Theatre Arts
• User Experience

Find career success as an actor, musician, graphic designer, website developer, architect, product designer and beyond.

Unique learning opportunities abound with more than 160 acres of fields, greenhouses, and labs like the College of Biological Sciences Conservatory. It houses one of the most diverse collections of botanical plants in the country, including a collection of plants that are currently extinct outside of it!

Through our Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, students have an opportunity to partner with a faculty member to research a topic they’re interested in — anything from implementing robotics in precision agriculture to discovering common brain patterns in autism.

• Agricultural & Food Business Management
• Agricultural Communication & Marketing
• Animal Science
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Biology Society and Environment
• Biomedical Engineering
• Bioproducts & Biosystems Engineering
• Cellular & Organismal Physiology
• Developmental Psychology
• Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour
• Environmental Engineering
• Environmental Geosciences
• Environmental Science, Policy & Management
• Fisheries, Wildlife & Conservation Biology
• Food Science
• Forest & Natural Resource Management
• Genetics, Cell Biology & Development
• Health and Wellbeing Sciences
• Human Physiology
• Kinesiology
• Landscape Architecture
• Medical Laboratory Sciences
• Microbiology
• Mortuary Sciences
• Neuroscience
• Nursing
• Nutrition
• Plant and Microbial Biology
• Plant Science
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems
• Sustainable Systems Management

Find career success as an agronomist, microbiologist, park ranger, sustainability specialist, conservation officer and beyond.

Study business in the first UMN building named solely after a female industry leader: The new Marilyn C. Nelson Hall boasts 70,000 square feet of space designed to elevate hands-on learning and promote collaboration and engagement among students.

As one of the only Big Ten schools located in a major metropolitan area, students are immersed in a dynamic business community with more than 16 fortune 500 companies in the metro area, providing opportunities for class projects, internships, mentorship and more.

• Accounting
• Agricultural & Food Business Management
• Agricultural Communication & Marketing
• Applied Economics
• Business Analytics
• Business and Marketing Education
• Computer Science
• Communication Studies
• Construction Management
• Data Science
• Economics
• Entrepreneurial Management
• Finance
• Finance & Risk Management Insurance
• Health Services Management
• Human Resource Development
• Human Resources & Industrial Relations
• Information Technology Infrastructure
• Interdisciplinary Computing
• International Business
• Journalism
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing
• Media and Information
• Political Science
• Product Design
• Public & Nonprofit Management
• Retail and Consumer Studies
• Sport Management
• Strategic Communication: Advertising & Public Relations
• Supply Chain & Operations Management
• Sustainable Systems Management
• Technical Writing and Communications
• User Experience

Find career success as a financial analyst, brand manager, communications specialist, human resources manager, video producer and beyond.

Study the intersection of art and science with our new Interdisciplinary Computing major. Apply computer science principles to a domain such as design, linguistics or geography and pursue a career that bridges disciplines.

The UMN Twin Cities offers one of the nation’s largest and most robust study abroad programs with 180+ opportunities in 50+ countries, giving students a way to gain valuable global perspective and experience.

• African American & African Studies
• American Indian Studies
• American Studies
• Anthropology
• Art
• Art History
• Arts Education
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
• Bachelor of Individualized Studies
• Chicano & Latino Studies
• Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures
• Communication Studies
• Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature
• Dakota Language
• English
• French and Italian Studies
• French Studies
• Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies
• German, Scandinavian, Dutch
• Global Studies
• History
• Individually Designed Interdepartmental
• Interdisciplinary Computing
• Italian Studies
• Jewish Studies
• Linguistics
• Media and Information
• Ojibwe Language
• Religious Studies
• Russian
• Spanish and Portuguese Studies
• Spanish Studies
• Studies in Cinema and Media Culture
• Urban Studies

Find career success as a museum curator, an educator, a non-profit director, digital media coordinator, a lawyer and beyond.

UMN students have access to more than 70,000 square feet of dedicated science and engineering labs that prioritize modern methods of active learning, including our new AI Makerspace for applied AI training, new state-of-the-art chemistry facilities in Fraser Hall and a newly renovated home base for systems and materials engineering in Lind Hall!

Every year, the College of Science and Engineering hosts the largest career fair in Minnesota, inviting more than 450 employers to campus to cultivate networking and career opportunities for students!

• Aerospace Engineering & Mechanics
• Astrophysics
• Biochemistry
• Biomedical Engineering
• Bioproducts & Biosystems Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Chemistry • Civil Engineering
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Data Science
• Earth Sciences
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Engineering
• Environmental Geosciences
• Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management
• Food Science
• Geoengineering
• Geography
• Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Interdisciplinary Computing
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Medical Laboratory Sciences
• Physics
• Product Design
• Statistical Science
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

Find career success as a mechanical engineer, an urban planner, an actuary, a water resources engineer and beyond!

Experiential learning: Through active learning labs, student teaching requirements, practicum placements, capstone projects and community partnerships, all future educators graduate college with real world experience in their field of interest!

The UMN Twin Cities is home to several top ranked programs in education and social sciences including the Department of Psychology — housed in the newly re-imagined Campbell Hall — which ranks 3rd in the country!

• Agriculture Education
• Anthropology
• Arts Education
• Biology, Society & Environment
• Business and Marketing Education
• Developmental Psychology
• Early Childhood
• Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
• Elementary Education Foundations
• English
• Family Social Science
• Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies
• Global Studies
• Health and Wellbeing Sciences
• Human Resource Development
• Human Resources and Industrial Relations
• History
• Music Therapy
• Music Education
• Media and Information
• Nursing
• Nutrition
• Philosophy
• Physical Activity and Health Promotion
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology
• Sociology of Law, Criminology and Justice
• Special Education
• Youth Studies

Find career success as a teacher, a therapist, a social worker, legislative assistant, a youth development extension educator and beyond.

The Health Sciences Education Center is a hub for health-related studies at the UMN. Built to promote inter-professional collaboration and interactive learning, the facilities include high-tech, high-touch simulation labs as shown above, active learning classrooms and more!

Through personalized coaching and advising, the Pre-Health Student Resource Center helps students explore health career options, build effective skills and prepare for admission into health professional programs.

• Anthropology
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Cellular and Organismal Physiology
• Dental Hygiene
• Developmental Psychology
• Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
• Family Social Science
• Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
• Health and Wellbeing Sciences
• Health Services Management
• Human Physiology
• Kinesiology
• Medical Laboratory Sciences
• Microbiology
• Mortuary Sciences
• Music Therapy
• Neuroscience
• Nursing
• Nutrition
• Physical Activity and Health Promotion
• Psychology
• Public Health
• Speech Language Hearing Sciences

Find career success as a nurse, physician, medical laboratory scientist, dietitian, physical therapist and beyond!

Once a student arrives on campus, they will have a dedicated academic advisor to help them navigate their next steps. In addition, each college has its own career & internship services center to assist in exploring potential career paths.

Additionally, our Center for Academic Planning and Exploration team (CAPE) exists to support students as they explore majors, discover their interests and make a plan. 

Thanks to world-class student support services and resources such as CAPE, exploration doesn’t have to delay graduation. Our 4-year graduation rate at the UMN is nearly 71%, exceeding the national average.

We know it can be a big choice to commit to one major area of study. That’s why we encourage students to specialize their degree with a minor. Combine your interests, explore other colleges and embrace interdisciplinary concepts!

Examples of minors at the UMN

• Agronomy
• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
• Behavioral Biology
• Biblical Studies
• Business Law
• Cell Biology
• Climatology
• Creative Writing
• Digital Media Studies
• Ecological Engineering
• Ensemble Music
• Family Therapy
• Fashion Studies
• Finance
• Finnish
• Food Systems
• Genetics
• Greek
• Horticulture
• Insect Science
• Leadership
• Marketing
• Medical Spanish
• Pharmacology
• Sustainability Studies
• Water Science

To explore a full list of majors and minors available at the UMN, please visit majors.umn.edu