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Looking to change your major? Recent updates to academic policy have changed the process to change or add a major or minor. This page aims to explain how to go about changing or adding a major or minor.

Finding and Submitting Paperwork to Declare or Change Your Major or Minor

Undergraduate students who wish to apply to change their degree major objectives should obtain a change of major form at the Registrar's Form webpage. The form requires the approval of the appropriate university official(s). The completed form is returned to the Registrar's Office.

The change of major is not official until the completed form is on file with the Registrar's Office. This form may also be used to move from undeclared to a major; declare a second major, or change a minor. For graduate change of major, see http://www.sjsu.edu/gape/current_students/forms/.

Change of major is not guaranteed.

Changing a Major and the Presidential Directive

Highlights from PD 2009-05 Guideline 3 - Declaring a Major

• Newly admitted transfer students and students returning from disqualification who are “admitted undeclared” must apply for and be accepted into a major before completing 30 new or additional units at SJSU.
• Students who have been disqualified from a major and assigned to undeclared generally must be reinstated to the original major or apply to a new major by the end of the semester following the disqualification.
• A student wishing to declare an impacted major must submit to the appropriate department an application to change a major no later than November 1 or April 1 (unless the department sets a different deadline), to be considered for the following semester.
• Students applying to an impacted major must meet the eligibility criteria set by the department for admission to the impacted major. Departments will decide admissions into impacted majors.
• Students who apply to an impacted major but are not admitted should find an alternative major in the semester subsequent to being denied admission. 
• Students who apply a second time to an impacted major will face the enrollment restrictions for high unit seniors if their second application is unsuccessful.

Highlights from PD 2009-05 Guideline 4 - Changing a Major

• Students who have earned 90 units or more at the end of Fall 2009, and who request to change a major, add a major or minor, or change a minor, must have their application for such changes reviewed by the Associate Dean of the college of the new requested major and/or minor program.
• Students with more than 120 units have further guidelines to follow when applying to change or add a major and/or minor.
• A student wishing to apply to an impacted major must check with the advisors in that major to learn what impaction criteria are to be met; this may include a time frame and/or deadline for application. 
• Students must meet the department's eligibility criteria and follow the department's admission procedures.  
• Students who apply to an impacted major but are not admitted should find an alternative major in the semester subsequent to being denied admission. 
• Students who apply a second time to an impacted major will face the enrollment restrictions on high unit seniors if their second application is unsuccessful.
• Students may choose to appeal a denial.