Change of Major

Change or Declare a Major

Overview

To change or declare a major within the College of Letters and Science, students will need the consent of the department in charge of the intended major and the approval of Undergraduate Education and Advising in the College of Letters and Science.

Minimum Requirements

To be accepted into a major in the College of Letters and Science, students must meet the following minimum requirements:

Complete at least one course at UC Davis that is required for the major
Have a 2.00 GPA (C average) in all courses completed that are required for the major

Additionally, some major programs may, with the approval of the College's Faculty Executive Committee (FEC), require students to meet additional course and/or GPA requirements before being approved for a major. Check the major information section in the General Catalog for details.

Undeclared Students
Students admitted as Undeclared must formally declare a major by the time they have completed 90 units. If a student has not declared a major by this point, a hold will be placed on their registration. Such a hold would be removed only after a Change of Major petition is approved by Undergraduate Education and Advising in the College of Letters and Science.

Limitations

Approval of a major change or declaration are subject to the following limitations:

Students must be in good academic standing (learn more about academic standing)
Students may not change or declare a major during their first quarter at UC Davis
Except under unusual circumstances, no change of major will be permitted in the quarter in which a student has filed to graduate

Once a student has reached senior standing (135 units) they should consult with an advisor in the relevant college advising office to discuss additional restrictions and requirements.

Change of Major Process

Degree Types

Some majors in the College of Letters and Science offer both a Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) and a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) option. Students choosing to change from one degree type to another within an eligible major are subject to the minimum requirements and limitations listed above.

Important Note: If your performance is unsatisfactory after you have declared a major program, you may be required by Undergraduate Education and Advising in the College of Letters and Science to withdraw from that major, upon written recommendation from the chair of the department or the curriculum committee that administers the major.

Multiple Majors

Students choosing to complete more than one major will need the consent of each major department and the approval of Undergraduate Education and Advising in the College of Letters and Science. If a major is in another college, approval of the appropriate Dean or college advising office will also be required.

Limitations and Requirements

In addition to the eligibility requirements and limitations for changes of major, approval of multiple majors are subject to the following conditions.

Unit Overlap

At least 80 percent of the upper division units used to satisfy requirements in each major must be unique and may not be counted toward the upper division unit requirements of any other major undertaken. Courses with substantial overlap in content will not count as part of the 80 percent.

Important Note: If the major programs differ in the number of upper division units required, the major program requiring the smaller number of units will be used to compute the minimum number of units that must be unique. See examples below.

Examples of Overlap Calculation
Example 1:
Major 1 = 36 upper division units
Major 2 = 44 upper division units
Calculation: 36 x 0.2 = 7.2 units allowed as overlap

Example 2:
Major 1 = 40 upper division units
Major 2 = 44 upper division units
Calculation: 40 x 0.2 = 8 units allowed as overlap

Example 3:
Major 1 = 54 upper division units
Major 2 = 52 upper division units
Calculation: 52 x 0.2 = 10.4 units allowed as overlap

Curriculum Limitations

Students are not permitted to declare combinations of majors offered in the same discipline or by the same department (including majors that offer both an A.B. or B.S. degree type), with the exception of Art History and Art Studio.

Cross-college programs will not be approved if the majors involved are available within a single college as well.

Preparatory Subject Matter

At the time of request, a substantial part of the preparatory subject matter in each major must have been successfully completed.

Unit Cap

All degree requirements must be completed within the 225-unit limitation (excluding units for Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations, International Baccalaureate (IB) Examinations, and other pre-matriculation units)

Multiple Degree Types

A student who completes all requirements for approved multiple majors in which one major normally leads to an A.B. degree and another normally leads to a B.S. degree, will receive a B.A.S. degree. A single degree is granted to students who graduate with multiple majors within the College of Letters and Science.

Change of Major Petition Process

To add, change, or declare a major in the College of Letters and Science, students must submit a Change of Major petition in OASIS. Prior to submitting a petition, we recommend students take the following steps.

Step 1: Consult with an advisor in your intended major department. Advisors can provide detailed information about the major and assist in preparing or reviewing an Academic Plan
Step 2: Review the major information in the General Catalog and complete any required preparatory coursework
Step 3: If you are changing degree types (A.B./B.S.), review the specific College requirements for your degree type

Once you are ready to add, change, or declare a major, you will need to submit a Change of Major petition in your OASIS portal. Click the link below to get started.

Submit a Change of Major Petition

You are accepted into the major when the major department and Undergraduate Education and Advising in the College of Letters and Science have approved the petition.