Some students enter college knowing exactly what they want to major in and exactly what career field they want to enter upon graduation. For many of us, however, things are a little less certain. We want to try different things, find "the right fit" before declaring a major.

At Albright College, it's okay to be undecided about you major. In fact, our Alpha Program is designed specifically for students like you. Through a structured package of academic guidance, peer support, special events and career counseling, the Alpha Program will not only help you choose the appropriate major, it will help you find the right career and a bright future.

Why it's called Alpha…

Alpha is the first letter in the Greek alphabet, and it represents such concepts as "the first step" or "a new beginning." The first step in your academic career (after you've decided which college to attend) is choosing a major. Alpha may be the most important step you take.

Centering on the advisor-student relationship, the Alpha Program is a promise that, if you're undecided, you'll get all the support you need to help you choose the direction that's right for you. First-year Alpha students confer with their advisors at least four times during the first semester. You are also encouraged to see your advisor should you choose to drop or add a course or to discuss any other problems you may encounter.

Your advisor will encourage you to explore different fields and help you select the right courses for maximum flexibility. This will prepare you for whatever major you eventually choose. Your advisor will answer your questions, weigh your interests and help you define your academic and career choices. Above all, they are skilled and sympathetic listeners.

Through special programs designed by the Career Development Center for Alpha students, you'll find help determining your career interests. In addition to workshops on choosing a major and developing life planning skills, you will also be able to take the Campbell Interest & Skill Survey, a comprehensive career assessment inventory that enables you to identify careers for which you might be suited.

Alpha's Ongoing Benefits

The Alpha Program provides additional support in a number of ways.

• You can get help from an upperclass peer advisor who was once an Alpha student, someone who can identify with your special circumstances.
  
  
• You can participate in an array of special events for Alpha students. Recently, some of those events have included:
  
  • A panel discussion led by upperclass students and an alumnus sharing their experiences on choosing a major;
    
  • A day trip to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.;
    
  • A meeting with Albright department chairpersons who detail their offerings and major requirements; and,
    
  • "What Can I Do With A Major In . . . ?", a panel presentation by alumni discussing how their Albright College education prepared them for their current career. The speakers offered insights, advice and suggestions to current students on how to prepare themselves to pursue similar careers.
    
    
• You can take advantage of the new course entitled "Career Decision Making," designed to help you make the right decision about your major.
  
• You can live in suites exclusively for Alpha students in Albright's North Hall residence hall.

Listen to what our graduates have to say…

"When I started at Albright, I was clueless. The Alpha Program really came through for me. With my advisor's help, I put together a diverse academic program that gave me a broad background and pushed me in the right direction. I gained a liberal arts foundation that I depend on every day in my business, and in my life."

Steve Topp
Major: Business Management
President, Marchon Eyewear - On Top Corp.
Bethlehem, Pa.

"I owe a lot to Albright and the Alpha Program. I had a strong interest in political science when I started college, but I also like psychology. The Alpha Program enabled me to thoroughly explore the curriculum to decide which major best suited me. Of course, there's much more to Alpha. My advisor and I had a lengthy discussion about the law and political science which inspired me to go on to law school. Alpha really takes you where you want to go."

Alison Carrigan, J.D.
Summa Cum Laude
Major: Political Science
Judicial Clerk, State of NJ
Passed PA Bar Exam

"I didn't want to pick a major that I might later change, so Alpha was perfect for me. I knew I was interested in art, but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to be only an art major or to add another major. Through Alpha, I hooked up with a professor in communications who told me his field would work well with my art focus. My advisor was fabulous and always there for me."

Andrea Verdone
Major: Art/Communications
Production Coordinator
Soap Opera Digest, New York

"The Alpha Program helped me explore Albright's academic possibilities and let me try a little bit of everything before I picked my major. I ended up taking courses I wouldn't have tried otherwise. One in particular, an interdisciplinary study in the Bahamas in biology and chemistry, shaped my decision to become a biology major. Alpha is something that is unique to Albright, and it certainly weighed in my decision to come here."

Andrew Coviello
Major: Biology/History
Belle Mead, New Jersey

"Alpha is Albright's way of telling students that delaying a choice of major is a wise approach…"

- Professors John R. Pankratz and Mary Jane Androne, Alpha Program Co-Directors

For more information about the Alpha Program contact Professor John Pankratz at 610-921-7823 (johnp@alb.edu) or Professor Mary Jane Androne at 610-921-7808 (maryjanea@alb.edu).