There may come a time during your college experience, where you may find you are not happy with your selected major. Surprisingly, changing your major is not as complicated as you may think. With a little research and guidance from your academic advisor, you may be able to change your plan of study seamlessly. There are a few things you may want to think about before changing your major.
Credit Hours Already Earned
If you want to change majors without adding extra semesters to your time at college, then you will need to do so as early in your college years as possible; preferably during your freshman or sophomore year when you are still primarily completing required courses. If you wait until your junior year or senior year, then you are almost guaranteed to add extra time to your degree than you planned. The only way you may get around that is if you change your major to a closely related major. The best way to see how your transcript would fare would be to discuss your plans with an academic advisor.
Research
Before jumping the gun to change your major, be sure that switching is something that you have thought through and is something you are certain you want to do. It is not wise to keep changing your major, as that would not reflect well when trying to obtain a job in the future. Evaluate your reasons and options and be sure to make an informed decision.
Check Out Available Jobs
Check out the job section of your newspaper or online job search websites and see what the job market is like for your potential new major. Be sure that changing your major would work in your favor when you are trying to obtain your first job out of college. The last thing you would want is to spend money on a degree and then not be able to obtain a job later.
Take a Class
If you are on the fence about switching majors, take one class related to your potential new major first to see if it is something you would like. Even if you do not like the class and realize it was not for you, the credits you earned for that class would most likely count as an elective toward your current degree anyway.
Pick up a Minor Degree
If it is too late for you to switch majors without losing money and credits, you can always pick up a minor in your new interest. Minors are relatively easy to add to your degree and usually only require about 18-24 credits or so to complete; you could pick these extra classes up in the summer or winter breaks and still graduate on time.
Paperwork
Of course, every college is different, however usually a form with an original signature has to be filled out and submitted to your registrar’s office. Some colleges require a signature from your academic advisor so it is best to speak to an advisor or counselor prior to submitting your form.
