Major

Majors are areas of academic study in The Sims 2: University and The Sims 3: University Life.

The Sims 2: University
The Sims 2: University requires young adults to declare a major at college before their Junior year (3rd year). Majors can be declared by using the phone or computer (under the college menu), but Sims will not do this autonomously. Sims who have not declared a major before the end of their Sophomore year will automatically be enrolled in the Philosophy major when they become Juniors. Sims cannot have more than one major, but can change their major at any time before the end of their Junior year.

All majors have one class per semester. While classes normally last two hours, each major has one or two classes that last for three. All majors have a mixture of morning, afternoon, and evening/night classes.

Each major requires different skills that complement specific career tracks. Each major is associated with certain specific career tracks. If a Sim who graduated with honors enters a career track related to his or her major, he or she will get a bonus of 1, 2, or 3 levels. (+1 for Cum Laude, +2 for Magna Cum Laude, +3 for Summa Cum Laude).

Sims who have not declared a major may roll a want to declare one. This is a 2500-point want, so while players can ignore it, it is a good way to give a Sim's aspiration bar a quick boost. These Sims may also roll fears of declaring certain majors. Which majors, if any, a Sim wants or fears will usually depend on his or her aspiration, personality, and skills. For example, Fortune Sims are likely to want to declare Economics. A Sim who has a secondary aspiration may also roll a want to declare a major related to it.

The Sims 3: University Life
Majors returned in The Sims 3: University Life. The number of majors available is lower than in The Sims 2: University, with a grand total of six. The six majors are Business, Communications, Fine Arts, Physical Education, Science and Medicine, and Technology.

Each major will help a Sim start jobs at a higher level, earn more pay, get career bonuses more frequently, and earn career experience faster. Each career is associated with a major. For example, the Journalism career will benefit from Communications major. The list of associated career is shown on the table below. It's important to know that a Sim's final grade is what determines his or her success in the career:
 * Earning an A allows Sims to enter a career at level 4 with +150% pay raise and +100% performance boost.
 * Earning a B allows Sims to enter a career at level 3 with +75% pay raise and performance boost.
 * Earning a C allows Sims to enter a career at level 2 with +50% pay raise and performance boost.
 * Earning a D grants Sims with +25% pay raise and performance boost.

Sims can enroll in university through a phone, a computer, or school. Sims can take the Sims University aptitude test from the university welcome kit, dropped off by a university mascot or bought from the Buy mode. Taking an aptitude test may grant scholarships and free credits for Sims based on their skills and career experience. Upon enrolling, an enrollment screen will pop up. In this screen, the players can choose which Sims will attend university. The players can also see the scholarships earned through the aptitude test and select the degree for Sims to work for. After picking a degree, the players can set the number of credits Sims will take. More credits means more classes to take and enables Sims to earn degree faster, but Sims will get less free time. The players can choose to take one or two terms; each term being a week long.

A Sim may take up to 3 classes per term. All classes last 2 hours, start at either 8 AM, noon, or 4 PM, and meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Each major will have a 2-hour class activity and a 2-hour lecture; one of these will be scheduled for Tuesday, and the other for Thursday. Final exams are scheduled each Friday. Not attending the final exam will severely damage the academic performance.