NorthStar STEM Direction Guide NorthStar helps students connect interests, strengths, learning style, and STEM major choices. Start by browsing 18 STEM direction profiles, then choose the assessment path that fits your readiness. Assessment paths For early exploration: Top 3 directions with short explanations, clearly labeled as an initial scan. For planning conversations: generates a Lite Report and emails a secure report link. STEM Directions Guide This guide introduces broad exploration directions. Quick Scan groups related directions, and Full Assessment compares specific university majors. These profiles are not final recommendations and should be validated through courses and projects. Turns ideas into working apps, websites, tools, and automations. You enjoy breaking problems into steps, debugging patiently, and improving tools after real people try them.
Software and Computer Science → Computer Science Uses data, models, and algorithms to make predictions or generate useful outputs. You are curious about how models learn and are willing to work through math, data quality, testing, and imperfect results.
AI, Data, and Statistics → AI / ML, Data Science, Statistics Finds meaning in messy information through statistics, visualization, and structured reasoning. You ask whether a pattern is real, what explains it, and how evidence should change a decision.
AI, Data, and Statistics → AI / ML, Data Science, Statistics Protects systems, accounts, networks, and data by thinking carefully about risk and misuse. You like finding edge cases, thinking like both a builder and an attacker, and documenting how systems can fail.
Software and Computer Science / Computing Hardware and Systems → Computer Science; Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering Connects software with sensors, motors, mechanisms, and real-world behavior. You can tolerate repeated testing and enjoy integrating code, electronics, and moving parts into one system.
Robotics and Mechanical Systems / Computing Hardware and Systems → Robotics, Mechanical Engineering; Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering Combines programming, design, storytelling, systems, and user interaction. You care about both how an interactive system works and how it feels when someone uses it.
Software and Computer Science → Computer Science Solves physical-world problems through prototypes, testing, materials, and trade-offs. You enjoy making, measuring, revising, and accepting that every physical design has constraints.
Robotics and Mechanical Systems → Robotics, Mechanical Engineering Works close to hardware, circuits, embedded systems, signals, and computing infrastructure. You want to understand what happens below the app layer and are comfortable connecting software to physical devices.
Computing Hardware and Systems → Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering Applies STEM thinking to health, biology, medical devices, data, and human wellbeing. You care about health problems and want to solve them through devices, data, experiments, or engineering systems.
Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering / Life Science and Medicine → Bioinformatics, Biomedical Engineering; Biology, Medicine / Pre-Med Uses science, data, and engineering to address climate, energy, water, waste, and resources. You want technical work to connect with ecosystems, communities, policy, and measurable public impact.
Chemistry, Materials, and Environment → Chemistry, Environmental Science / Engineering Explores flight, satellites, propulsion, orbital systems, and high-reliability engineering. You like physics-heavy systems and can accept long validation cycles where small errors matter.
Physical Science and Aerospace → Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics Studies abstraction, proofs, algorithms, optimization, and the deep logic behind technology. You can stay interested in abstract structures before their practical use becomes obvious.
Physical Science and Aerospace / AI, Data, and Statistics → Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics; AI / ML, Data Science, Statistics Shapes how people experience technology through research, interface design, and prototyping. You notice friction in products, ask what people need, and enjoy testing several versions of a solution.
Architecture and Built Environment / Software and Computer Science → Architecture; Computer Science Combines technology, market insight, communication, and execution to build useful products or services. You enjoy deciding what should be built, explaining its value, and coordinating people to make it real.
Software and Computer Science / AI, Data, and Statistics → Computer Science; AI / ML, Data Science, Statistics Designs tools, content, and learning experiences that help others understand and practice better. You enjoy explaining difficult ideas and improving how people learn through technology and design.
Software and Computer Science / Architecture and Built Environment → Computer Science; Architecture Builds knowledge by asking careful questions, running experiments, and analyzing evidence. You can tolerate uncertainty, slow progress, failed experiments, and answers that create more questions.
Physical Science and Aerospace / Life Science and Medicine / Chemistry, Materials, and Environment → Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Applied Mathematics; Biology, Medicine / Pre-Med; Chemistry, Environmental Science / Engineering Applies computing, sensors, planning, and systems thinking to transportation, buildings, and communities. You like problems where technology, physical space, public systems, and human behavior interact.
Architecture and Built Environment / Computing Hardware and Systems / Chemistry, Materials, and Environment → Architecture; Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering; Chemistry, Environmental Science / Engineering Guides teams, explains trade-offs, and connects technical decisions with people and goals. You enjoy understanding enough technical detail to coordinate decisions, communicate trade-offs, and help a team move forward.
Software and Computer Science / Robotics and Mechanical Systems → Computer Science; Robotics, Mechanical Engineering Explore the directions before taking the assessment.
Start light, then go deeper when the decision matters.
14-question Quick Scan
42-question Full Assessment
18 direction profiles for self-checking fit
Software & App Development
AI & Machine Learning
Data Science & Analytics
Cybersecurity
Robotics & Automation
Game & Interactive Media
Engineering Design
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Biomedical & Health Technology
Environmental & Sustainability Tech
Space & Aerospace Systems
Math & Theoretical Computing
Product Design & UX
Digital Business & Entrepreneurship
Education Technology
Scientific Research
Smart Cities & Infrastructure
Technology Leadership