College: None
Degree: None
Specialized Admission: No
Address: William Johnston Building, Ground Floor
Phone: 850-645-2847
Email: exploratoryadvising@fsu.edu
Address: University Center A, Room 3200
Phone: 850-644-3430
Email: UGS-CAPAdvising@fsu.edu
FSU offers over 170 majors, so deciding on a major can be challenging for many students. Our center offers the Exploratory major to incoming first-year students, as well as comprehensive major-exploration services for first-year students who are currently declared and want to explore their options, gain confidence in their path, and make meaningful academic decisions. We are here to guide students through the major decision process. Whether you have no idea what you are interested in, are torn between two different majors, or have quite a few majors in mind, we can help. Choosing Exploratory as a major at the start of the collegiate academic career can help students eliminate challenges and major decision struggles later on. The goal is for students to confidently declare their major by the end of their first year.
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- Mandatory advising each semester
- SLS1203 (1) Introduction to Exploration for Academic Majors
- SLS3207 (1) Exploring Mindset, Motivation, and Majors
Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. You may view the map for this major at academic-guide.fsu.edu/.
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ACADEMIC MAP (Effective Summer 2026 and after)
This map is a term-by-term sample course schedule. The milestones listed to the right of each term are designed to keep you on course to graduate in four years. To graduate on time, you need to make sure you have achieved or surpassed these milestones by the end of each term. The Sample Schedule serves as a general guideline to help you build a full schedule each term. The FSU Core requirements and elective courses must be selected to satisfy all area requirements, unless your program meets these requirements with major courses.
The Exploratory map is designed for students who are not yet ready to select a specific departmental major. Students in Exploratory will receive additional information, assistance, and support from a staff of experienced academic advisors housed within The Advising First Center for Exploratory Students (http://advisingfirst.fsu.edu/exploratory). This Center offers specialized services to effectively guide students and regulate their progress until a departmental major is selected. Academic advisors working with Exploratory students utilize a set of comprehensive and tangible tools that have been established to help students progress in the major selection process.
Students must attend an introductory New Nole Advising meeting with their assigned advisor (Term 1), and are expected to enroll in SLS1203 "Introduction to Academic Major Exploration" within their first two semesters. In addition, students are required to meet with their assigned advisor each term to develop a course schedule for the next semester that simultaneously meets academic requirements and allows students to sample courses in potential majors. It is expected that students will be active participants in their major selection process and attend the workshops and special events co-sponsored by the FSU Career Center and the Advising First Center for Exploratory Students.
Please note that academic advising for Exploratory students is mandatory. It is our expectation that by fully engaging in the advising process, students will be able to move from Exploratory into a departmental major by the end of Term 2. To contact the Advising First Center for Exploratory Students, please call (850) 645-2847 or or email exploratoryadvising@fsu.edu .
Any student who has not determined a major by the end of term two and returns to FSU for their 2nd year will be advised by our Center for Academic Planning. Please contact (850) 644-3430 or visit Room 3200 University Center Building A.
The Center for Exploratory Students
Email: exploratoryadvising@fsu.edu
Sample Schedule and Required Milestones by Term
| Sample Schedule: Term 1 hrs |
| ENC1101 Freshman Composition or higher English3 |
| 1st GE Mathematics (Appropriate Math determined at advising)3 |
| GE History/Humanities/Ethics3 |
| GE Natural Science with Lab/Social Science3-4 |
| Course for major exploration3 |
| SLS1203 Introduction to Exploration for Academic Majors1 |
| Required Milestones: Term 1 |
| Complete ENC1101 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete 1st GE Mathematics ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete New Nole Advising session |
| Sample Schedule: Term 2 hrs |
| ENC2135 Research, Genre, and Context 3 |
| 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics (Appropriate course determined at advising)3 |
| GE History/Humanities/Ethics3 |
| GE Natural Science with Lab/Social Science3-4 |
| Course for major exploration3 |
| Required Milestones: Term 2 |
| Complete ENC2135 ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete mandatory advising session |
| Recommend change out of Exploratory and into a departmental major |
| Sample Schedule: Term 3 hrs |
| GE History/Humanities/Ethics3 |
| GE Natural Science with Lab/Social Science3-4 |
| Exploring the Human Experience course3 |
| Digital Literacy course3 |
| Pre-requisite course for major3 |
| SLS3207 Exploring Mindset, Motivation, and Majors1 |
| Required Milestones: Term 3 |
| Complete 2nd GE Mathematics or Statistics course ( ≥ C minus ) |
| Complete mandatory advising session |
| Must change out of Exploratory and into a departmental major |
| Sample Schedule: Term 4 hrs |
| Required Milestones: Term 4 |
| Sample Schedule: Term 5 hrs |
| Required Milestones: Term 5 |
| Sample Schedule: Term 6 hrs |
| Required Milestones: Term 6 |
| Sample Schedule: Term 7 hrs |
| Required Milestones: Term 7 |
| Sample Schedule: Term 8 hrs |
| Required Milestones: Term 8 |