Declaring a Major

There are two main parts to declaring your major:

1. Choosing your major: That is, deciding where you want to concentrate your studies. Some students know from early on in their college careers what they want to study, either because of strong interests they've developed previously or because of their long-term goals.

Many students come to college not knowing what they will major in, and quite a few change their minds during or after their first year. Considering this decision as a process—weighing your interests, gathering information, talking to people—there are a number of resources designed to assist you in thinking through your "major" decision.

2. Officially declaring the major: That is, applying for acceptance into the major you have chosen and gaining official approval from the appropriate department. You will declare your clusters at the same time as your major. All this involves a series of steps, outlined here.

How to declare your major

  1. Review the requirements for the major you have chosen by going to the department's office or website, or reading the University's Undergraduate Bulletin.
  2. Prepare a tentative plan of the courses that you have completed and intend to take for the major.
  3. Follow any specific advice regarding the major declaration process provided by the academic department. This information will be found on the department website. Often, departments require students to schedule an appointment with a faculty member before submitting the major/minor declaration form.
  4. Complete and submit the online major/minor declaration form.
  5. Check your email to confirm that the form was received and approved. Once processed, you will find your updated program of study information recorded in UR Student.

From this point, procedures vary somewhat for each of the following cases, so we have provided separate links:

If you have questions or need additional assistance, please see our FAQ page or schedule an appointment with an academic advisor in the College Center for Advising Services.