A GUIDE to switching your college major - By professor
About the author
Hi there. I am the prolific professor with 15 years of experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. Thanks for visiting.
Frequently asked questions
-
Yes. In most situations, you can switch college majors whenever you would like. But there could be some consequences to switching your major and you should carefully consider your options. Make sure you understand your college’s policies because you might have to be admitted into the other degree program first and have a good academic record. Make sure that there aren’t any financial consequences such as losing a scholarship.
-
Yes. In most situations, you can switch majors at a community college and this would be the ideal time to make the move since you are typically in your first or second year of college.
-
Yes. In most situations, you can change your major after acceptance, but you need to understand your college’s policies. You might have to be admitted into a different degree program first with an entirely new acceptance. This depends on how selective your college and the degree programs are.
-
Most colleges will give you some time to select a major, while others will require you to select a major when you apply to their college. Some states have legislation that says students must select a major by the time they have a certain number of credit hours.
-
If you have considered the job opportunities, financial impact and your graduation date, and you’ll see better results after changing your major, then it’s a good idea. You also want to consider your overall happiness in your future career.
Should you switch college majors? Pros and cons of changing majors in college
Are you unhappy in your current classes and degree program and realize that you might be interested in an entirely different field?
If so, you might be contemplating changing majors and worried about how this process might go and if it is right for you.
I was a professor for 15 years, and I know a lot about students switching majors during the college years. Some switch majors as a freshman, some before they transfer to another college, and others switch during their senior year!
There can be some serious consequences to changing majors like increasing college credits needed to graduate and financial consequences too.
I have some things you MUST consider before changing your major. While it isn’t really hard to switch majors, you need to think about some things first. You can make the move flawlessly with the proper thought and guidance.
Please note that this article is written primarily for undergraduate students as students in graduate programs were likely admitted into a specific discipline and cannot switch majors as easily.
Is it normal to change college majors?
It is completely normal to change your college major. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, around 30% of students change their major. And some students change it more than once. So, it’s super common and nothing to really worry about unless you make some mistakes along the way.
When I was a professor, I had a lot of students change their major, and some changed it more than once. Your major will likely dictate which jobs you can apply for later so it’s important that you pick the major you want.
Can I switch college majors?
In most situations, undergraduate students can switch their major easily. You can switch majors if you meet the requirements for that degree program and if your college accepts your request to change your major.
However, you really need to understand more about your college’s policies and your acceptance.
Sometimes colleges have very selective degree programs and you might have been admitted into a particular program. Or the program you want to switch to would require an application and new acceptance first.
Let’s say that you are getting your degree in history, but you decided you want to be an engineer. The engineering program might only accept a small number of students each semester. You might need to get accepted into that program first.
The college MAY have to review your request to change your major to make sure you meet the academic requirements and to determine if you could be successful in the new program.
So, it isn’t a guarantee that the college will allow you to change your major.
So, it might not always be something that you can do easily, but in most circumstances, it is possible.
Does changing your college major effect financial aid?
When students change their major, it can effect their financial aid if the student receives specific grants for their degree program. Changing majors could make some students ineligible for grants or scholarships.
There are other financial consequences to changing your major.
MISTAKE # 1
You might lose some funding
If you are getting a scholarship or financial aid, there could be some program specific grants, financial aid, or scholarships that are only given if you are enrolled in specific programs or classes.
For example, I talked to a college music major, and he said he was awarded a $3,000 scholarship from the music department at his university. But it was only available to students in that program. If you changed degree programs, it would make you ineligible to receive that aid.
So, be careful if you are awarded certain financial aid packages because you might lose some funding. This could vary based upon your specific circumstances so it’s very wise to check before you switch majors to minimize the financial impact.
Check with the financial aid department if you think you might be effected before you make any changes.
You might have to take additional classes
Another financial consequence you might endure if you switch majors is having to take additional classes. Let’s say that you already have 45 credits, but because you switched majors, some of those classes don’t apply to the new program.
Why would an engineering program require criminal justice classes? They wouldn’t, unless it counts as an elective. But if you have too many classes from your current major, odds are some of those credit will have nowhere to go in your new degree program.
They won’t count towards anything. And you’ll have to take more credit hours and you’ll end up paying more in the long run. That’s only if you switch too late.
This usually happens when you change majors from a one discipline into a totally different program like molecular biology vs english literature. The classes you took for molecular biology won’t do much for your english literature degree.
Make sure you run a degree audit and figure out what will count towards your new degree program and what won’t. Sometimes students figure out that they actually have enough credits to double major!
You might have to pay higher tuition
The last financial consequence that you could have is increased tuition when you take more credit hours beyond your degree. For example, Texas has legislation called the 30 and 45 hour rules.
This means that if you take more than 30 hours over the minimum hours for your degree plan, you will get charged higher tuition. So if you have a degree plan that says you should complete it after earning 120 credit hours, but you have 150, you will start getting charged a higher tuition rate. The 45 hour rule is for students who enrolled before the fall of 1999 (probably not many people reading this blog).
When you change your major, it is possible that you have to take credit hours BEYOND the normal 120 hours needed to an undergraduate degree because you’ll be behind. So just make sure you don’t make the change too late in your college journey to hit this roadblock and start breaking the 30/45 rule.
Will changing my college major effect my graduation date?
If a college student changes their major, it could definitely effect their graduation date because they might have to take additional classes and this will take longer to complete or some degree programs may require more credit hours for their program.
To avoid having your graduation date changed, try and make any changes to your major before you get too far into your academic journey. As a former professor, I would recommend students change their major before their junior year, at the latest.
Mistake # 2
The most important thing students should do before switching majors is thinking about how the change will impact the credits they already have.
While this impacts you financially, it also increases the time it takes for you to complete your degree, which could hurt your return on investment.
You might not care if it takes you 5 years to complete a degree program, but you should.
Why?
Because you need to think about your return on investment (ROI). Plenty of research suggests that your ROI can be reduced the longer it takes for you to complete your degree.
If you don’t graduate on time, you could lose some of your ROI. However, if you make a smart move to a better degree program, it could help you improve your ROI.
Let’s say you are currently enrolled in a degree program where the starting salary is 62K. And then you decide to switch to a degree program where most entry-level workers start earning 86K, it could make it worth it.
Definitely do some number crunching before you switch your majors to make sure it is financially worth it in the long run. But of course, your happiness is worth something too.
Not only that, but the longer you are in college, the more time it takes away from other opportunities. You could be backpacking across Europe, starting a new career, or building a family. Any delay in the completion of your degree will delay some of your life choices.
Is it worth changing my major for a different career?
It can definitely be worth changing your major for a different career if you want to get a degree in a field that you are more interested in because your degree will likely determine your career path. Before you settle on a major, you should think about the job opportunities associated with the degree.
Mistake #3
Some college students may want to change their college major because they want to pursue a different career, and that is completely fine as long as you have thought about your options and researched careers. If you are no longer interested in your current major, you should consider changing your major as soon as possible.
If you are switching majors because you aren’t sure you want to pursue a career as an engineer and instead would rather become a musician, you should think about the impact of that decision.
Think about it for a second. If you are wanting to pursue a different career only because it will make you happier, you need to know what the job opportunities are for that field.
As an engineer, you will probably have lots of job prospects. But if you want to become a musician, the likelihood of employment will dwindle. Know that going into the field.
Make sure you know everything about the average starting salary, available opportunities, saturation of the job market, and the likelihood of landing a job.
I don’t want to burst your bubble, but it is highly possible that the job that would make you the happiest isn’t the most realistic position. Maybe you get the degree, but can’t find a job. Or you find a job, but it pays peanuts.
While happiness is important, you shouldn’t sacrifice everything to achieve it. And you probably won’t be too happy if you can’t find a job, or the pay is really low.
On the other hand, switching majors because of pay isn’t the only factor you should consider either. It’s just a piece of the pie. Look at the whole picture before you make the move.
What if I switch my major halfway through college?
If you decide to switch majors halfway through college, you should be prepared to have earned some extra credits. However, it might be best to consider double majoring if your new major is similar to your old major. Or you can find a new major that is closely related and see if your credits can be used for the new program to avoid having too many unused credits.
At this point, many students are still completing all their core classes and haven’t quite started delving into all their major courses for their program yet.
So, if you change your major halfway through college, you might not have earned too many degree specific credits yet and you might not have to take too many additional courses.
Before you switch, make sure you consider the mistakes I mentioned above to ensure that your switch goes as smoothly as possible.
Is it bad to switch majors as a college student?
It is not bad to switch majors as a college student, and it can be totally worth it to switch majors if you aren’t enjoying your degree program, not doing well in your courses, or want to pursue a different career because your degree will likely create your career path later.
If you think about it, changing majors can help you be more fulfilled in a career later. If you hate your job because of the college degree you pursued, it isn’t going to make you happy in the long-term.
And I saw plenty of students drop out of college altogether because they didn’t like their major. Instead of quitting, think about another career you might enjoy and if you need a degree to get the job, pursue it.
You aren’t alone. Lots of students change their major and it’s totally normal. It is recommend that you really try to nail it down well before graduation so you don’t waste any money taking unnecessary classes.
This can be one of the perks of taking classes at a community college so that you can find out what you are most interested in before you transfer to a 4-year college.
What you should do before you switch majors?
Before a college student switches their major, this professor recommends that students audit a class, talk to professors and their advisor, and speak with people in the industry to make sure their new major meets their expectations.
Audit a class
If you are thinking about changing majors, but aren’t quite sure, check with your college about auditing a class in that degree program. You can sit in on a class, usually at no cost, and learn more about the subject.
If you are interested in doing this, make sure you work with the professor to get a class that is best to attend.
You wouldn’t want to sit in on a class where they have some student presentations that day. You really want to learn more about that field and understand the discipline more.
Talk to professors
Find out who the professors are in that field, and reach out to them. See if you could schedule a meeting to go over your questions.
I wouldn’t just talk to one professor, but a couple. You could actually read their faculty bios online (check your college website) and find the ones who are most aligned with career goals.
Ask them about the degree program, careers and opportunities.
Talk to an advisor
Before switching majors, you should meet with an advisor. The advisor may be specific to your discipline or they might be a general advisor.
Talk to them about your thoughts and try to get some feedback.
Be careful though because sometimes advisors may not be all that knowledgeable about every degree program so you should use this information to help you make the decision in conjunction with the other things listed here.
Speak to people in the industry
One the most recommended ways to learn more about a particular field is to reach out to people already working in that industry.
If you are interested in engineering, find an engineering firm or speak with your city and find their engineering department. I am sure there are plenty of people who would be willing to talk with you about job prospects and discuss their careers with you.
You’ll learn some interesting facts and meet some experienced people.
I hate my degree : Signs you’re studying the wrong major
If you hate your degree, this professor wants you to consider these FIVE signs that you are studying the wrong major. These five signs will help you understand if you are at a point in your academic career where you should go ahead and switch majors.
There comes a point in your college journey when there is no denying that you should switch majors. I have a few tips to help you understand when all signs are pointing to changing your major.
You no longer want a job in that field
If you just really hate the idea of working in that career field, and see no opportunities for you, then it’s time to switch majors. Just make sure that there’s no way you would ever want to work in that field.
The job market is grim
If you start to realize that the job market for your field is starting to fizzle, and will never return, it might be time to leave. Sometimes there are cyclical patterns and there may be few opportunities now, but later, it could improve.
However, if the career is getting phased out and won’t return to normal, you might want to look elsewhere.
The pay is too low
If you know that you need a particular salary to live a decent life, and you started to learn that the average starting salary is just too low to ever make ends meet, you might want to make the change to a new major.
You don’t understand the subject
If you are taking classes in your major, and have realized that you just can’t wrap your mind around the content, and you are trying your hardest, it might be time to switch majors.
But don’t make that decision too fast. I have a guide here to help.
Your life changes
I have seen this happen to a few college students where they get have a major life event and they decide on a different career.
Let’s say that you wanted to become a police officer. But you ended up having a baby during college. And you start to realize that you really don’t want a job with shift work and the danger of policing so you switch to a different degree program to have more steady hours and a safer workplace.
At what point is it too late to change your college major?
There is never a point where it is too late to change your college major, but there could be some serious consequences that wouldn’t make it worth it. If you change your major too late, you may have to complete a lot of additional classes to complete your degree and you’ll have additional costs.
Sometimes colleges may require you to be admitted into a new program and you might not get accepted.
I have also seen universities require students to complete their degree in a certain number of credit hours and if you exceed that number of credit hours, you could pay higher tuition.
But if you are sure you want to change your major, you should go ahead and do it now because it is going to be easier to finish your education now that you have started. If you drop out, or think you will go back later, there is a good chance you won’t.
However, before you do this, I recommend you learning more about the job oppoprtunities in the field you want to major in.
Do you actually need a degree in that field to get a job in the career you want?
Sometimes jobs don’t require a specific degree and you could still finish the degree you are working on and get the job you want.
I have just about every angle you could imagine covered in this guide to switching majors in college, so I know you are better prepared to make this decision.
You got this.
This information is meant for entertainment and general informational purposes and should not be construed as professional, legal, financial or academic advice as your situation will vary. Please consult with the appropriate professional regarding your unique situation as there could be financial and personal consequences.
