Declaring Your Major

Deadlines to Declare Your Major

Students who enter UCSC as First Years  - End of 6th Quarter of enrollment at UCSC

Students who enter UCSC as Upper Division Transfers - 2nd Quarter of enrollment at UCSC

You can declare your major as soon as you have completed all the qualification requirements for your major! Each major will have different courses students need to take in order to “qualify” for the major, and many majors also have a certain GPA requirements that students need to earn in those courses in order to qualify. You should go to the website for your major to learn about what the specific qualification requirements are for the major you want to declare.

How to Declare

• Download the Petition for Major/Minor Declaration

• Each major department has a different procedure for declaring the major. You could be required to:

  • attend a workshop,

  • meet with a faculty member,

  • develop a quarter by quarter plan, or
    

  • something completely different!

• Make sure to identify the procedures for declaring your major by reviewing the department website or speaking with your major adviser. Some programs will ask that you attend an orientation, meet with an adviser, or bring some information or documents with you. Review the online information about the major and its requirements prior to meeting with your adviser or attending the orientation, so you can prepare questions and make informed decisions.

What if you want to declare a major and you do not meet the qualification requirements?

• You should talk to the major adviser to determine if there is an appeal process. Something to keep in mind is that if you have to appeal to get into a major, there is no guarantee that you will eventually be able to declare that major.

• You should also have a plan for an alternate major (known as a parallel plan) that you are ready to declare in the event that your appeal is denied.

• You should come in and meet with your Cowell Advisers as well, so we can provide you with more details and support through this process.

What if you have passed the deadline to declare a major and you still have not declared your major?