Policies & Procedures

Student Academic Standards and Performance

Declaration of a Major or Minor

Once a student has been accepted into a major, that student shall be called a declared major. A student who has not been accepted into a major shall be called an undeclared student. [EFFECTIVE FALL 1997 THIS PROVISION IS ADDED: "An undergraduate student in undeclared status must declare a major by the time the student has completed sixty (60) earned hours."]

1. Transfer Student:
   

   A student who has an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science Degree, and who has met the established prerequisites for the intended major shall, subject to provisions of point 3 below, be accepted to a major program of study upon admission to the University. The student shall be advised by the school/college or department appropriate for the intended major. Other transfer students will be admitted to the University as undeclared students and will be initially advised by the Office of Academic Counseling and Advising.

2. Undeclared Student:

   1. A student who wishes to apply for a major shall make an appointment with an adviser in the Office of Academic Counseling and Advising. The adviser shall inform the student when he or she becomes eligible to apply for a major and shall assist the student in completing the "Application for Major/Minor" form when appropriate.
   2. A student who has not completed high school course deficiencies, or who has academic development requirements to complete based on the results of standardized tests, or who has not met the established prerequisites for the intended major as specified in the University undergraduate catalog, does not qualify for submitting an application for a proposed major or minor. The student shall be permitted to complete an "Application for Major/Minor Form" only when all such requirements are fulfilled.

3. Subsequent Review: The academic school/college or department, upon subsequent review, may deny a student's "Application for a Major/Minor," if the student has not fulfilled the established prerequisites for the major or if space is not available in the program. If there is a lack of space in the program, a mutually acceptable procedural framework for dealing with applications for the major must be developed by the unit involved and Academic Counseling and Advising.

4. Change of Major: Once a student has been accepted into a major program, subsequent requests for a change of major shall be processed by the school/ college or department in which the newly requested major is located.

5. Second Major or Minor: Once a student has been accepted into a major program, subsequent requests for a second major or a minor shall be processed by the school/college or department in which the student's current major is located.

6. Request for Minor or Change in Minor: A student may apply for a minor when initially applying for a major through the Office of Academic Counseling and Advising, but will not be accepted to the minor until he or she has been approved for a major. After a student has applied for an has been accepted by a major program, the school/college or department of that major is responsible for approving and processing a student's request for a minor or change in minor.

7. Progress in Major: A student who has been accepted into a major program and who subsequently fails to meet the school/college's or department's retention standards may be dropped from that major program and returned to undeclared status. The student shall subsequently be advised by the Office of Academic Counseling and Advising.

Approved by Chancellor effective 4/11/96
This policy was issued on July 1, 1996, replacing the February 1, 1996 version.
Document Reference: 1I5
Origin: CC 14-78/79; OP 2/2/87; CC 18-88/89; CC 20-88/89; CC 7-93/94; CC 15-95/96