The textile industry is one of the largest in America, producing everything from the fabric used in the clothes you wear to the plastic in IV tubes. As you can imagine, an industry so vital and important to our society needs well trained engineers to help carry the field forward. As a textile engineer that someone can be you. From research and development to management issues, Textile Engineering majors have a wide array of options into which they can plug themselves. The engineering behind the textile industry is cutting edge, so be prepared for some intense and exciting research opportunities ahead of you. In addition to research, many schools also offer you the opportunity to combine engineering and business courses to give you an added edge as you prepare to enter the job market.

Preparation

Math, baby, especially algebra, trigonometry, calculus. Physics and chemistry are important secondary subjects you should strive to master.

“Theology,” writes theologian Patrick Granfield in the introduction to his book, Theologians at Work, “is the questing, probing, and searching of the Word of God; it is a rational effort, guided by faith, that attempts to penetrate the message of God.” You might think that Theology is the study of the Christian faith alone. Not so. Although liguisitically “Theology” is Western-rooted (the Greek theos means “god”), the term can be applied to the study of all world religions. As a Theology major, you’ll explore how, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “the believer understands his faith” or how “a religion’s practitioners understand their religion.” You’ll examine the ways in which these believers and practitioners define, defend, and verify various elements of their religious doctrine. You’ll attempt to find a place for religious beliefs among the realms of science, history, and logic. “Theology deals with great words,” writes Granfield, words like “love,” “fatherhood,” “motherhood,” “justice,” and others that describe issues of universal importance no matter what one’s religion is. Your Theology major will involve you in an array of other disciplines, including history, philosophy, literature, international studies, anthropology, cosmology, ethics, science, and languages. This field of study is so variegated, in fact, that the Encyclopedia Britannica considers it “a microcosmic image of the university.”

Preparation

If you go to a parochial high school, you’re in luck—chances are, some sort of Theology or religion courses will be part of the curriculum. But since Theology involves such a wide variety of disciplines, you’d be wise to explore courses in history, philosophy, literature, ethics, science, and languages.

A skull and crossbones might be a suitable symbol for this major. (That’s one way to explain that tattoo . . . .) Toxicology basically tackles issues involved with various types of poisons. According to the University of Arizona, toxicology is “the study of how chemical and physical agents adversely affect living organisms.” If you choose to major in toxicology, you’ll learn about these chemical and physical agents—where they lurk in the environment, how humans are exposed to them, and the problems they create in different arenas, like the clinical, industrial, and legal fields. This includes the study of how these agents enter the body, what happens to them once they’re inside, and how they can damage cells, tissues, and organs. You’ll also learn how toxicants pose a threat to our animal friends, along with examining poisons found in plants and foods, such as pesticides, food additives, and waste from industry. You’ll learn how to test food and water for unhealthy or dangerous levels of toxicants, and you’ll gain the skills necessary to counteract their effects or eliminate them altogether. Toxicology is an important field for obvious reasons, and advancements can be rapid. Your course work might involve studying what sorts of environmental agents lead to cancer, or the effects these agents have on the neurosystem. You might engage in a study of chemical genomics and examine how toxicants affect gene expression—a hot topic these days. Or you might immerse yourself in drug research and development. Your studies will go beyond the toxic agents themselves, of course. You’ll study safety procedures necessary to implement and adhere to during research, and you’ll learn how to collect and analyze data from the experiments you perform. Legal aspects of chemical use by industries and individuals will also be hashed out. And you’ll gain experience with research through laboratory work and, perhaps, an internship.

Preparation

Toxicology is a science-intensive field, so your focus in high school should be on taking as many challenging science courses as possible. Biology, chemistry, and physics are all invaluable, especially if they have laboratory components. And since all scientists must be able to pass their ideas along to others clearly and effectively, you should take humanities courses that will improve your communication skills.

In New York it’s knowing how to cram three people into a one-bedroom apartment that costs $2,500 a month and still be able to tell yourself, “it’s worth it.” In Chicago it’s knowing how to actually get from your house to your car in the winter without the loss of any extremities. Every city in America has it’s own feel, style, and culture. The point of the Urban Planning major is to get beyond all of that by looking at the way our cities are designed, constructed, and planned. Urban Planning majors study the socio-economic factors and conditions behind housing projects in the city while also studying the effect of public transportation in suburban areas. It’s both an analytical and quantitative approach, one that combines policy, statistics, a sense of history, and a lot more. Urban planners help us look at the ways we can improve our neighborhoods, preserving some of the past while keeping an eye open for future improvements. So whether you want to help plan the next Central Park in Peoria, Illinois, or design a way to unclog freeway congestion in Los Angeles, the Urban Planning major will give you the tools you need to literally change the face of the American landscape.

Preparation

Although years of playing Sim City may be helpful, the best possible preparation you can have is a strong background in math (trigonometry could come into play here) and the humanities. After all, before you can plan an entire city, you’ll have to make your ideas understood.

Visual Communication is a multi-disciplinary field encompassing graphic design, illustration, fine arts (like drawing and painting), multi-media, and photography. Visual Communication, according to Towson University, applies the fundamentals of major art forms to “professional problem solving.” In other words, you’ll be using art to convey specific ideas and messages.
There are many practical applications for Visual Communication. Advertising is one field that relies heavily on images to convey ideas. Other fields include interior design, industrial design, and publication design—among many others. Visual Communication, whether it be print-based (such as for books or magazines), or based on new computer technology, is growing increasingly important in our fast-paced, image-reliant society. Many programs require you to choose a concentration such as graphic design, illustration, or photography; others will give you a taste of many different fields. Whatever the case, an eye for detail, an ability to think creatively, and good problem-solving skills will be integral to your success.

Preparation

Exposing yourself to various art courses will be your best preparation for a major in Visual Communication. Art history, history, English, religion, and philosophy courses will start you thinking about the Really Big Ideas that inspire people to action. And explore the world of art in your area—go to museums and galleries, look at art books, and delve into your own artistic experiments.

It’s not unusual to find a fifth-grade kid who can design his own website these days. The Internet has transformed so many things about our world: how we conduct business, how we communicate, even how we shop. And what would the Internet be without its Web pages? Not the fifth-grade kind, but the award-winning pages and sites that rethink the medium and exploit its features to the fullest extent. If you have an eye for design and a knack for computers, you might be a prime candidate for a major in Web design. You’ll compound the interest and knowledge you already have by starting from the beginning—designing and building a Web page—and working your way up to incorporating the latest ideas, technology, and features into the sites you create. Your course work will go over everything from identifying an intended audience to selecting graphics that best portray your message. You’ll learn about different Web browsers and plug-ins and their varying capabilities. And since the Web has an artistic element too, you’ll explore aesthetic design, color relationships, and the application of font styles. You’ll learn how to create animated elements for your sites, and how to incorporate a range of motions. Websites are often interactive, and you’ll learn how to engage and guide the visitors to your site so that they get the best information possible. You’ll learn how to build chat rooms and discussion boards, and why you might choose to include them in your site’s design. You’ll learn all about links—when to use them, where they should lead your audience, and how to determine what other sites will best supplement yours. Although much of Web design lies in learning the basics of Internet technology, you’ll also learn how to deal with clients and see a project through from beginning to end. And you’ll be equipped to gather information for your site, choose an appropriate style, and test your site’s effectiveness. Though Internet jobs in general are very much on the wane, more and more companies and individuals are taking their products and businesses to the Web, and will need your expertise and creative vision to bring their own ideas to life.

Preparation

It goes without saying that the more you know about computers and the Web, the more prepared you’ll be for your major in Web design. Take any computer courses your school offers, as well as courses in art, English, and other humanities. However, some of the best preparation is probably what you do at home, experimenting with your own computer and learning design and programming skills. A basic familiarity with Web design and some of the language and skills that go along with it will give you a great head start on your major.

Welding Engineering is a bond that holds this country together. Without it, we’d be falling apart at the seams, or to be a little more accurate, at the joints. Welding Engineering is the science of holding things together. Instead of crazy glue you have ceramics, metals, plastics, titanium, steel, and dozens of other different materials. Beyond just holding materials together, Welding Engineering also encompasses almost every aspect of construction: from the actual development and shaping of the material, to the creation of new methods of keeping things from falling apart. As a Welding Engineering major you will find yourself in constant and high demand, since Welding engineers are employed in a wide array of fields. You can go off and help develop the newest space shuttle, or a dent-resistant car.

Preparation

In addition to your superior blowtorch skills, you should have very strong math and science skills, particularly advanced mathematics (calculus, trigonometry) and physics as solid preparation for the intense differential math you’ll be doing later.

Borrowing from the skills and information found in related fields, such as English, history, and sociology, Women’s Studies examines the ways in which women have helped to shape and define the world. At the core of Women’s Studies are the contributions women have made to politics, culture, history, arts and sciences, and society. These contributions are combined with a set of critical and theoretical approaches that allow you the freedom to examine how race, gender, sexuality, and nationality have influenced the way women have lived and worked in both the past and present. Women’s Studies majors explore some of the most difficult and troubling questions of our society. If you major in women’s studies, you will have the opportunity to think and write critically about the experiences women have had throughout history, and how these experiences have shaped our understanding of our society (that includes men). By considering various controversial issues through multiple perspectives, the Women’s Studies major encourages debate and critical thinking, while at the same time developing your skills and ability to think and argue effectively.

Preparation

A major in Women’s Studies requires that you know how to read, think, and write critically. To this end, a strong background in the liberal arts will help prepare you for the level of intellectual engagement you will encounter at the college level. A lot of English, history, and a psychology class or two will serve you well. Community service experiences that deal with issues related to women are great opportunities to see how this major can be applied.

Zoology has almost nothing to do with zoos, so put away your ideas of lion cages and monkey houses. We’re talking about some serious science here. Zoology is the study of animals, that is, every animal you can think of, from the sponge to the elephant. It doesn’t stop there, though, because not only do zoologists study everything from the single cell to the entire organism and population of any given animal, they also take into consideration the larger environmental conditions in which animals live. From the desert to the rain forest and ocean, zoologists study the interplay between life elements. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about animals but couldn’t find on the Discovery Channel. Here you can study the genetic evolution of the chimpanzee, or the conditions necessary to sustain the cheetah in its natural environment. Prepare yourself for a lot science, because—just like biology or chemistry—Zoology is dependant upon understanding the basic nuts and bolts of how life functions. The usual science courses are all here, so when you’re all done, you will find yourself prepared to enter a number of scientific fields, from medicine to environmental science.

Preparation

Frequent trips to the zoo, while fun and the source of some great trivia, probably aren’t going to help too much here. Take chemistry, biology, and advanced math courses. If your high school offers more advanced courses (like biology II and chemistry II), take these as well. Volunteer at a veterinary hospital or animal shelter, and, of course, love animals.