Overall, there are a few general rules you can follow in regards to how flexible a school is with a student changing majors.
Smaller, more liberal arts/core curriculum schools will usually have more flexibility with changing majors
Larger state universities with fewer core classes will make it harder to change majors, especially between different colleges within the university
Changing majors into special programs that are competitive at that particular school can be difficult (Business, engineering, computer science)
Changing majors within your current college is generally quite easy
Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, which is why we’ve listed the specific policies for declaring and changing majors for the top-30 universities and top-10 liberal arts colleges below with links. Notice that the list for liberal arts colleges is short because they generally make it pretty easy to change majors as long as you’re likely to graduate on time.
Try to pay attention to the language used by the school to indicate how many obstacles there may be to changing majors. For some schools, they’ll say unequivocally that “Students may change their majors at any time, provided that they will be able to complete the new program before graduation.” (Amherst), while for others, they state “Please note that submitting these requests does not guarantee approval” (UCLA) in reference to forms to request a change in major. While one is encouraging students to change majors, the other is warning of the possibility of having your request rejected.
“B.S.E. students join their departments at the end of their first year by selecting courses for the next fall with their chosen department and declaring their selection on the registrar’s website in May. A.B. students declare their concentration in mid-April of their sophomore year by selecting their next fall’s courses with their chosen department’s designated adviser or departmental representative and then confirming their selection on the registrar’s website.”
“Changes of departmental concentration are rare, but they are possible. The rule is that you must complete all the requirements for your new major, including independent work requirements.”
As a Columbia College student, you will declare your major online in March of your sophomore year.
If you want to change your major/concentration after the major declaration period, you can work with your advising dean to complete a change-of-major form.
If you are enrolled at either Columbia College or Engineering and you genuinely feel that you should attend the other, you may apply as an internal transfer student. Internal transfers must submit the Internal Transfer Application by March 1. There is no guarantee that you will be able to transfer to a different school.
“About a third of undergraduates change fields after declaring their concentrations, which students do midway through their sophomore year. You would simply change concentrations in consultation with your departmental advisers.”
Most students declare a major in the spring term of their first year at MIT. Those who do not must decide on a major by the end of their sophomore year.
If, in the course of your undergraduate study, you decide to change your major, there are a number of important things to keep in mind. You should consult with the undergraduate academic officer or administrator in the new department to determine what subjects from your current major could be used to satisfy requirements in the new one. We also encourage you to email us with questions about how changing your major would affect your GIR audit.
“First-year students and declaring a major First-year students are not expected to declare a major during their first year on campus. A few may do so in their second term— particularly students intending to major in a STEM field — but doing so isn’t required or expected, even for potential STEM majors.”
How to declare a major
Students declare a major by 1) logging onto the SIS (Student Information Systems) site, 2) clicking the Academic Information menu item, and 3) clicking “Declare a Major/Degree – Yale College Only”.
How to Change a major
Follow the procedures above and insert your new major.
“Some majors have an approval process. Read about those processes here”
Choosing a Major
Each entering student at Stanford has full access to all undergraduate offerings in the Schools of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences, Engineering, and Humanities & Sciences. The curriculum is not strictly divided into upper and lower divisions, so you may enroll in courses for which you are appropriately prepared. Course prerequisites are intended to serve as a guide, rather than as a deterrent.
Because some of the technical majors, such as engineering, have a more structured curriculum, students considering those majors should take some introductory courses in math and/or science during their first year.
You are asked to choose a major by the time you achieve junior status, usually completion of 90 units, including units granted for transfer work or Advanced Placement. Even after this point you may change your major if your interests shift.
Declaring a Major
If you are undeclared and want to declare your major, log on to Axess. You then submit a request to the department in which you want to pursue a major. The department informs you of their decision whether to accept you into the major. You should contact the department directly to determine if any other requirements must be fulfilled to process your major declaration request.
Note that students must declare a major prior to requesting to add a minor.
You may change your major at any time by declaring a new major in Axess.
While for some students, choosing a major serves as a path to a specific career or profession, for others it represents a way to build skills that could apply to many different careers or to dig into a passionate academic interest. You can begin a major at any time, including your first quarter. Unless otherwise specified by the department, the deadline for declaring a major is Spring Quarter of your third year. Most students will change majors at least once during their time on campus.
Application to a major should be made in the second semester of the sophomore year, prior to Advance Registration for the first semester of the junior year. Students who have not declared a major by the end of Advance Registration during the spring semester of their sophomore year will not be able to register for the next semester until they have declared. Athletes must be declared by the beginning of junior year to retain eligibility.
Changing or declaring your engineering major is a simple process. You will need to complete the appropriate form. You should fill out the form following the directions printed on it. You will need to see your current academic advisor as well as the Undergraduate Chair of the program into which you are moving. The completed form is returned to 109 Towne.
Students who wish to apply for an internal transfer between any of the four undergraduate schools should speak with an advisor in the school to which they are applying. Applicants should be prepared to discuss why the curriculum of the target school is a good fit for their academic interests and goals.
“Techers refer to their majors as an “option.” Most students select an option near the end of their first year, begin to specialize during their second year, and concentrate on their chosen field in their third and fourth years.”
“To change your option, simply download the Petition to Change Options form from the Registrar’s website and follow the instructions. The Option Representative of your new option can assist you in selecting a new adviser.”
“In order to major in two options for the Bachelor of Science degree the student must present a rationale for the double option and a plan of study leading to completion of the degree in four years. A similar process is required to add a minor. Consult the Registrar’s Office for appropriate procedures.”
Declaring a Major
You can declare your major any time during your sophomore year but no later than the Friday before mid-semester break during your fourth semester of enrollment.
Changing Majors within your school
Once you have declared your major, you may change, add, or delete a major, minor, or certificate through the Office of the University Registrar. A form is available online. You don’t have to submit another Long Range Plan to make changes to your program of study after your initial declaration.
Changing Majors from Engineering Trinity College
Currently enrolled Duke students can apply to transfer between the Pratt School of Engineering and Trinity College. If you are a Duke student who is taking time away from Duke, you may apply for readmission and transfer to Trinity College via the Office of Student Returns.
Applications to transfer are considered at the end of each semester, once final grades are reported. Deadlines and processes for applying to transfer are described below.
“Students who enter the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences from high school will meet with an academic advisor to declare their major in April of their freshman year. Meanwhile, students who enter the Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) declare a specific engineering major on their application for admission. A student must take direct action to change the major.”
“Students in Arts and Sciences or Engineering may change their major by completing a Change of Major form available from the Office of the Registrar. Note that students may declare the Biomedical Engineering major only as entering freshmen or as one of a limited number of students accepted into the program after the freshman year.”
While you can declare a major at any point, Weinberg does not require you to do so until the end of your sophomore year. This should tell you two things: that we want you to use your early coursework to try out different fields, and that most majors can be completed in about two years, provided you have gotten your feet wet with an introductory class or two.
If you want to have a major in another school, you will need to interschool transfer out of Weinberg. (You may have a Weinberg major even if you are in a different school; you would complete that school’s degree requirements, including a major in that school, in addition to the Weinberg major’s.) If you have changed your mind during the summer prior to your first year, you should contact the admissions office about how to change schools. Once you have begun your studies, you will need to apply to transfer schools. This is generally a simple process, but you can only apply to transfer during the first month of a given quarter—the transfer then goes into effect at the start of the following quarter. For all the details, including how interschool transferring can affect your decisions about your second first-year seminar, consult our rules and policies for interschool transfer.
“Students may declare their initial major after the beginning of their fifth term in residence. For most students it is in winter term of their sophomore year, and the major should be declared officially by no later than the second Thursday of spring term.”
Students may follow a detailed guide to change their majors in their DartWorks portal. It should be noted students can only drop majors if more than one is declared.