Considering a major change

Explore your options

• Find out more about CALS majors by visiting the CALS Program Finder. Remember that you can search by interests and/or careers, which may help you understand how different CALS majors intersect and how various majors can prepare you for different professional opportunities.
• Consider which Cornell courses you’ve taken have been most interesting and compelling for you. For a major to be a good fit, you should feel both excited by the content and prepared academically to continue on in more advanced coursework.
• Students cannot change their major after week six of their final semester.

Understand the policy for changing your major

Before changing your major, confirm that you can complete all CALS graduation requirements within the timeline of your current expected graduation date. Requests to delay graduation for the purpose of changing a major will not be approved. 

Start the conversation

Discuss your evolving interests with your current major advisors. They can help you understand how your current major may continue to serve you, by integrating your new interests into your current degree pathway (perhaps through a concentration/focus area, a minor, or other elective coursework). Or, they can help you determine how to remain in good standing in your current major (as your alternate plan) while preparing to change your major. 

• Schedule an appointment with the CALS Career Development team. The advisors can provide personal assessments and career exploration relevant to various majors.
• Contact the advising coordinator in the major (or majors) you are interested in. These advisors can answer questions about the major and explain the change of major process. Some majors have requirements such as specific coursework or GPA. See below to better understand specific major requirements.

If you decide to pursue changing your major

• Contact the advising coordinator in your current major. Keep the lines of communication open and let them know that you are pursuing a change of major.
• Schedule an appointment with an Inclusive Academic Advising team member in CALS Student Services. Review your plans and ensure you can complete your CALS graduation requirements within the timeline of your current graduation date. Requests to delay graduation to change a major will not be approved.
• Complete the major change requirements and remain in communication with the advising coordinator in the major you are pursuing. Upon approval, your new major will notify CALS Student Services of your major change, and your official record will be updated.

New first-year students

Because CALS students apply to a particular major and applications are reviewed in the context of fit and academic preparation for that major, most students start in the major they were admitted into. The first thing to consider if you are interested in a possible change of major is whether you would have met the first-year requirements for that major (which are listed under each CALS Degree Program). Prior to arriving on campus, for all major-related questions, including change of major, please contact cals_admissions [at] cornell.edu (CALS Admissions). If you have not met the requirements, you need to start in the major that you were admitted into and once on campus, explore changing your major as a current student (detailed above).

New transfer students

You need to start in the major that you were admitted into and once on campus, explore changing your major as a current student (detailed above).