Want to change your major? Here’s how:

As students progress through their college career, their interests may shift, which might result in a change of major. I switched my major from a double major in marine science and physics to marketing, which was a drastic but worthwhile change. 

Changing one’s major is a process, usually occurring within students’ first two years of college. When I changed my major, I first talked to my advisor who provided me the necessary paperwork. Since I was switching from science to business, I needed my academic advisor, the department chairs of both Marine Science and Physics, and the department chair of Marketing to sign off on the change. After that, I returned the forms to my advisor who then processed the paperwork.  

When pursuing a major change, students must meet with their initial academic advisor, all of whom can be found and contacted through Webadvisor. Wall College of Business’ academic advisor, Steven Taylor, gave some insight to the process.

“If the student wants to declare a major in the Wall College of Business, the student meets with a Graduate Assistant (GA), who will provide a brief orientation of the different types of majors, Admission Requirements and assign the student to an Academic Adviser,” Taylor said.

Learning about what each major has to offer is vital to making an informed decision. This step, of contacting the head of a department, can be done before or after a student meets with their advisor about declaring a new major.  

After meeting with one’s advisor (or a GA) and confirming a new major, the current advisor will explain how the process works. Each college will need different signatures, depending on which college one’s major belongs. Unfortunately, none of this process can be completed virtually; all forms must be physically brought to and processed by the advisor.

No matter what year you are, you can always change your major. Taylor also talked about a “What If” which is in Webadvisor. 

“[This] will allow the student to see how many courses remaining in the interested major before declaring it,” Taylor said.

If you are a senior who is still unsure of the path you’re on, consider visiting “What If” in Webadvisor to see if changing your major might be a good move.