As you fill out the Common App, you are asked by most colleges what major you intend to study at their school; some even have a whole essay asking about your planned course of study. This, of course, impacts your chances of admission, and you should choose the major you apply as strategically.
Of course, once you get to college and actually begin work on your major, your mind can change. Maybe some other topic catches your eye, or you fall in love with some esoteric field. Are you then stuck with the major you applied as?
In most cases the answer is no, though what is actually involved in changing your major varies greatly between colleges. In this article, we’ll examine what it entails at each of the top 20 colleges in the US (these change every year, so more than 20 schools are listed, just to be safe), and whether this may be something you can take advantage of. Let’s get started!
When and Why this Matters
Some schools, like UT Austin, separate majors into different colleges (McCombs School of Business contains the Finance and Management majors, Cockrell School of Engineering contains the Mechanical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering majors, etc). These separate colleges have separate admissions criteria and rates. Applications to universities with multiple undergraduate colleges are generally first read by the university’s general admissions committee, then by the college’s subcommittee. For example, applications to the University of Michigan are first read by the general admissions office, then by the Ross School of Business Committee. The committees for the most popular programs (pre-med, computer science, engineering, business/economics) tend to be far more selective than general committees.
Other schools, like Harvard, contain all majors within one college. All applications are read by the same group, not divided up by major. However, even at schools like Harvard that contain all majors within one college, some majors have higher admit rates than others.
For the first group – schools that separate majors into different colleges – students must apply to the college which contains the major they want. For the second group – schools that contain all majors within the same college – students can take the more strategically-optimized approach of applying to a less desirable, “undersubscribed” major and then transferring later.
Pre-vocational programs like business and engineering will always be oversubscribed and among the most competitive majors. General Admission and Liberal Arts Schools, while still quite competitive, allow students to pick any major they want and then transfer majors freely once in college.
How to Change your Major at Brown
Brown doesn’t even require students to declare a major in the first place if they don’t want to. They have a number of concentrations you may choose to take; choosing to end one and embark on another may be done using the same process as declaring a concentration normally, requiring a meeting with an advisor and the submission of an online form.
Brown’s main concern when declaring or switching a concentration is that you will still be able to graduate on time. Some classes may be limited in the number of seats available, but this won’t impact declaring a concentration.
How to Change your Major at Caltech
You won’t declare a major at all until the third quarter of your freshman year; before that all students take the same core curriculum. Changing a major within your academic division requires a meeting with your advisor. Changing majors between divisions at Caltech requires filing a petition, but this is usually approved. The primary concern when switching majors is whether you will be able to graduate on time. We recommend taking time during your core classes to decide firmly what you want to major in.
How to Change your Major at Carnegie-Mellon University
Changing majors within your college at CMU is generally quite easy, requiring a meeting with your advisor. Changing majors to Computer Science specifically requires an application. Changing majors between colleges has different procedures for each school, but generally requires an application. Spaces are not guaranteed for internal transfer students, and most schools have GPA minimums for prospective internal transfers.
It is possible to add an additional major in a school you are not part of, though your selection of majors is limited in some circumstances, and requires the permission of the department you are trying to add a major in. Additional majors are available in engineering; the school of computer science only offers an additional major in robotics.
How to Change your Major at Columbia
It is easy to change your major within your school at Columbia, either within Columbia College or Engineering. For both schools, you declare your major in your sophomore year. This is all done online, except for Comparative Literature, Medical Humanities, and the Special Concentration in Business Management, all of which require a separate application. To change majors within either school, you fill out the required form, and bring it to the Center for Student Advising.
Changing majors between the College and Engineering requires applying for an internal transfer between these schools. This is less common, and follows the same application process as an external transfer (though there is no application fee). It is easier to transfer from Engineering into the College than the reverse. Generally, only a few students do this each year.
How to Change your Major at Cornell
It is generally straightforward to change your major within a college at Cornell, requiring you submit a form with your advisor. Each school handles internal change of majors on its own. The main concern when changing a major within a school is that you will still be able to graduate within four years. You can generally only add a second major in the college you are in.
Changing majors between schools requires an application for internal transfer. Each college within Cornell has their own requirements for these transfer applicants. Some specific majors have additional requirements on top of this, to make sure you are sufficiently prepared for the coursework they require.
How to Change your Major at Dartmouth
You are not able to declare a major at Dartmouth until your second year, regardless of what you applied as. This may be done online, the major concert the college has is that you have a plan to graduate on time. You may add a second major this way as well. Changing or dropping a major may also be done online; your request will be processed by the department you are trying to change into. Again, the primary concern is whether you have a plan to graduate on time; if you already have most of the prerequisite courses needed for a major, switching is not difficult.
How to Change your Major at Duke
Changing your major within your current college at Duke is remarkably easy. It may be done online by submitting a form to the university registrar. While you must submit a plan when you originally declare a major, you do not need to do so when changing your major.
Declaring a major in the college you are not currently part of requires applying for an internal transfer. You must meet with an academic dean and then apply online in order to do so; these applications are competitive, and space is limited. Note that it is equally difficult to transfer into and out of Engineering.
How to Change your Major at Emory
You cannot declare a major until the end of your freshman year, and must declare one by the end of your sophomore year. You may change your major within your college quite easily, this only requires meeting with your advisor. Emory’s unique design as a university also makes it easy to change majors between colleges.
All students at Oxford college transfer to another school within Emory after their sophomore year, and Goizueta only accepts students after their second year; they have an 80% acceptance rate for these internal transfer students. There is an application required, but it is not a difficult one. Note that transferring after this second year shift period is generally impossible, as you would be unable to finish your degree in four years.
How to Change your Major at Georgetown
Declaring or changing a major within your college is quite simple, requiring a meeting with an advisor and an online form. The goal is to ensure that you will be able to graduate on time. You may also add a second major in the school you are in without hassle.
Changing between schools at Georgetown requires an application for internal transfer; the requirements for this vary by school (Arts and Sciences, Foreign Service, Business). In each case, you must have a full year of school completed at Georgetown already, applying in Spring of your freshman year or during your sophomore year. The application is accessible online.
How to Change Your Major at Harvard
First, Harvard calls them concentrations, rather than majors, though they function the same. You declare your concentration in your second year, and may change it quite easily. This requires meeting with the departmental advisors of the concentration you are attempting to join. Their main concern is whether you will be able to graduate on time.
How to Change your Major at Johns Hopkins
It is easy to change majors within your school at Johns Hopkins, requiring a meeting with your departmental advisor. Arts and sciences students are not able to declare a major at all until the end of their freshman year; engineering students enter with a declared major, and must meet with an advisor to change it. You are never able to change your major into biomedical engineering.
You are able to declare a second major in a college you are not part of after a meeting with your advisor. Some majors are space dependent, and you may not add biomedical engineering as a second major. There are limits to prevent your second major being too close to your existing major.
How to Change your Major at MIT
Changing your major at MIT is quite simple, requiring a meeting with an advisor to go over what courses from your previous major may be applied to your new major. You also need to meet with the departmental advisor for the new major. Their goal is to ensure you will be able to graduate on time.
How to Change your Major at New York University
It is generally quite easy to change your major within your school at NYU; indeed, you are not required to declare a major until the end of your freshman year. This requires filling out a form, and meeting with a departmental advisor. Note that computer science specifically is more difficult to declare a major in.
Internal transfers may be applied for after your first year, and require a full application, though there is no application fee. Students in the core program in liberal studies may only transfer after they complete that program. Artistic programs require a portfolio or audition. You may alternatively add a major in Arts & Sciences even if you aren’t a member of the school. This includes computer science, though spaces are limited.
How to Change your Major at Northwestern
It is easy to change your major within your school at Northwestern, requiring filing a form online. If you are in one of the specialized schools, you may add a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences, but the reverse is not true. While you can take classes at another school, you may not add a specialized major.
Interschool transfers require you to be in good academic standing. The procedure is slightly different for each school you are trying to transfer into, but always requires a meeting with an advisor from the school. Entering specialized schools is often space dependent, as there are so many open seats in courses available. A request for inter school transfer resolves at the end of your current term.
How to Change your Major at Notre Dame
Changing majors at most schools at Notre Dame, and between most schools, is quite easy, requiring a meeting with your advisor. Some majors require you to have sufficient academic preparation in order to enter them, to ensure you will be able to graduate on time.
Mendoza college of business is generally only entered by incoming freshmen. A small number of internal transfer students are accepted each year. You may apply as an internal transfer as an enrolled first year student. This requires a meeting with your advisor, an online form, and a short essay response.
How to Change your Major at Princeton
While Princeton used to refer to these as concentrations, they recently changed that (and added minors). You must first decide whether you are completing a BSE or AB degree; AB students declare majors in their second year, while BSE students declare majors in their first year. Once you have declared a major, it is very difficult to switch. You may also declare an independent major, but doing so requires demonstrating that no existing options will allow you to undertake the course of study you want, and that you have a coherent plan for what you will study.
How to Change your Major at Rice
You must declare a major by the end of your second year at Rice, this requires filling out a form online, and meeting with an advisor. You may add a second major in the same way, and follow the same procedures to drop a major. After your third year, you must always have at least one major declared (which means you must add a new one before dropping your current one).
How to Change your Major at Stanford
Declaring a major may be done online, but requires approval of the department you are declaring the major in. You must declare and be approved for a major before adding a second major or a minor. You may change majors by adding a new major, and then dropping your original; make sure you add the new major before dropping the previous, to ensure a continual access to university resources.
How to Change your Major at Tufts
Declaring a major within Tufts is quite simple. You may transfer between the schools of Arts and Sciences and Engineering, so long as certain requirements are met. You may not transfer into the BFA program. Transferring is relatively straightforward so long as students meet the course prerequisites. Changing majors within a school is relatively easy.
How to Change your Major at UC Berkeley
You apply as a specific major at UC Berkeley, and are admitted as that major. Changing afterwards may be done within your college, but is difficult for high demand majors; these vary by college. Changing to a non-high demand major is a simple GPA check, while a high demand major requires a comprehensive review.
Changing colleges is another process, and requires an internal transfer application. This is separate for each college at Berkeley, and each has its own requirements. Trying to transfer in to apply to a high demand major is even harder. All internal transfers are space dependent.
How to Change your Major at UCLA
You can apply to UCLA as a specific major, or undecided, but always apply to a school within UCLA. If you are undecided, you must select a major during your freshman year. You may petition to change your major within your school with the registrar’s office. Some majors which are highly popular are restricted for this; you should contact the departmental advisors for your major of interest to learn about any additional requirements to transfer into a major.
Changing majors between colleges requires transferring to the school where the major is offered. This is difficult, and requires an internal transfer application. This is based on availability.
How to Change your Major at UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara admits students by major, but you can petition to change this major before you enroll in the school. Some majors are open to be changed into, while others, such as the entire college of engineering, require spaces to be available, which they usually are not.
It is relatively easy to change your major within a college. Changing majors between colleges requires a petition for arts and sciences, and a full application for engineering. They caution that not everyone who wants to will be able to change majors, because it is space-dependent. Transfer students are unable to change colleges into engineering.
How to Change your Major at UChicago
The deadline for declaring a major is the spring quarter of your third year, but students are encouraged to declare a major by the end of their second year. You should consult with the department head before declaring a major, to make sure you will be able to fulfill all of the requirements in time to graduate. Changing your major once you have declared one requires the same procedure. Some courses are capped, which may limit the availability of certain majors.
How to Change your Major at the University of Florida
You may choose a major with a consultation with your advisor. Changing majors requires meeting with the dean of the college you are attempting to declare a major in, as well as your current advisor. Some majors may have limited space, and they want to be sure you will be able to graduate on time.
How to Change your Major at the University of Michigan
Changing majors within a college at UMich is quite easy, requiring meeting with the departmental advisor of the major you want to join. Depending on your college, you may come in with a major declared, or declare a major by the end of your second year at Michigan. CS students specifically are encouraged to apply specifically as interested in the CS major, due to its popularity.
Adding a major in another college requires completing a cross campus transfer application. The requirements and difficulty of this application vary by your intended school and major. It is much harder to transfer into Engineering or Business than Liberal Arts and Sciences (though transferring into computer science is also particularly competitive).
How to Change your Major at UNC Chapel Hill
It is generally straightforward to declare or change a major, you must do so by the end of your sophomore year. If you want to declare a major in a professional school (including business), you must do so earlier. You must also apply to the school in question after having declared your intent to major there.
Computer science requires a separate application in order to major in. You must have taken the necessary prereq courses to apply, and spaces in the program are limited. Students must be admitted to the program in order to take upper level courses in computer science.
How to Change your Major at UPenn
Changing your major within a college, like engineering or arts and sciences, is quite easy. Generally you do not declare a major until your second year, and can change it by filing a form online. There are some majors you cannot change into, notably Digital Media Design and Networks and Social Systems Engineering. These are limited enrollment, and must be applied to.
Changing your college at Penn requires an internal transfer. This must be applied for, and spaces are limited. Students in Arts and Sciences and Engineering may add a second major in the other school, this requires permission from an advisor. You may also do this with a second major in Wharton, but this requires an application. Note that a second major in engineering will not qualify you to take the certification exam required for engineers.
How to Change your Major at USC
The University of Southern California has both open and competitive majors. You may add an open major in your college at any time, while a competitive one must be applied to, and in some cases has caps on the number of students who can enroll. You can switch majors within your school using the same process.
Changing schools at USC is more difficult. Some, like the business school, require you to apply for an internal transfer. USC’s Viterbi School of engineering has no set path for students to transfer into it from other schools at USC. If you want to major in engineering, you must apply to Viterbi as an incoming freshman.
How to Change your Major at the University of Virginia
It is quite easy to declare a major within your school at UVA, and to change one once you have declared. In each case, you will need to have completed prerequisite courses, and have a clear plan to graduate on time, but advising exists to help you with this. Some majors, especially competitive ones, have minimum GPAs required to apply for them.
Adding a major in another school requires applying for an internal transfer. This process is competitive, and depends on your academic standing and the room available in your desired new school and major. Each school at UVA has their own requirements for an internal transfer.
How to Change your Major at Vanderbilt
You may declare your major at Vanderbilt during your second year, and it is the same process to declare a new major or change your major. You must have a major by the end of your sophomore year. This requires filing an online form, and may require speaking with an advisor. This only applies to changing majors within your school at Vanderbilt.
You may apply to transfer between colleges at Vanderbilt. You must be in at least your sophomore year and in good academic standing to do this, must complete an application, and must meet with the dean of your intended school. This is the only way to take a major not in your college.
How to Change your Major at Wake Forest
Students generally declare their major during their second year at Wake Forest. If you wish to major in anything related to business, you will need to apply to the School of Business. Changing majors after you declare is difficult but possible, and requires meeting with the departmental advisor from the new major. You need to be in good academic standing, and have a plan to graduate on time. They do note that some majors are more popular than others, and space is not guaranteed in the most popular majors, including computer science, though they do not mention hard caps.
How to Change Your Major at Washington University in St. Louis
It is relatively easy to change your major within your school at WUSTL, requiring approval from your departmental advisor (who will sometimes want a meeting with you). Their goal is to ensure that your plan is sound, and that you will graduate on time. Changing schools at WUSTL requires meeting with the dean, and receiving permission from both schools. You will also need permission from the departmental advisor of the major you are entering. You must be in good academic standing to change schools.
You may add a second major in some schools without an internal transfer. Computer science and data science both offer this as a route to pursue these majors. These are intended for students in Arts & Sciences with an interest in these fields who want to complement their existing major.
How to Change your Major at Yale
Generally, students at Yale declare their major during their second year. You may do this by logging into the student portal and declaring your major; you may change your major later in your time at Yale in the same way. A small number of majors require an application or have other requirements to undertake them, find these all here. Most majors only require the initial process.
Final Thoughts
Each college has their own policies for declaring and changing majors, based on their internal organization and priorities. This can be confusing for students trying to compare different colleges; we hope that this article has given you an overview of some of the different methods colleges use, though it is by no means exhaustive.
Your major is a big choice, but you don’t need to know for sure what you need to study in high school, especially if you apply to colleges which allow you to have the freedom to change your major as your interests change. This is something to keep in mind when you are building your college list.
If you are looking for help choosing your major, or building a college list that will work well for you, schedule a free consultation to learn how Ivy Scholars can help. We have a long experience advising students on every aspect of college admissions, and we’re always happy to hear from you.
