Change Your Major | Office of Undergraduate Education

Often, changing your major doesn't extend your academic journey:

76% of students who change their major once still graduate within four years; compared to 80% of students who never change their major.

Around half of recent Ohio State graduates changed their major at least once. If you are considering a major change, you are not alone! And we have a whole team of advisors with specialized training to assist you. Below you can learn about the process, tools to help you narrow your focus, connect with an advisor in your major of choice, and declare or apply to your ideal major.

Changing Your Major

One thing to remember: majors at Ohio State can be very different from one another. Some are available to any student who is interested. Some only have applications once per year. Take a look at the majors at Ohio State by criteria to enter.

If you know what major you want to change into

You know best what questions are important to you as you consider moving into a new major. They probably include:

“How long would it take me to graduate in my new major?” (Some majors take a long time to complete; others can be completed in about 2 semesters.)
“What kinds of jobs to graduates in this major get, and how long did it take to find one?”
“What classes will I be taking next semester after moving into this major?”
“How do I move into this major officially?"

To answer your most important questions, make an appointment with your potential new advising office to discuss.

In most cases, you can use the “Explore/Declare Major” appointment purpose in OnCourse to schedule an appointment with your potential new major. If the advising unit you want to visit does not offer this type of appointment, try contacting them with the information in this directory.

Still looking at your options?

If you know you want to change your major, but aren’t yet sure what you want to change it to, University Exploration’s “Explore” page is a great place to start your search for an Ohio State major that fits you well.

University Exploration is the advising team at Ohio State for Columbus students who are undecided or redeciding on their major. Their website is something you can use on your own to explore. And you are welcome to make an advising appointment with any University Exploration advisor by using the “Explore/Declare Major” appointment purpose in OnCourse or by calling their front desk at 614-292-0646.

How to change your major

The University Exploration advising team has a webpage describing next steps to change into your next major.

Or – if you want a quick next step delivered to your email inbox, you can complete this brief Qualtrics form and we’ll direct you.

Submit the Major Change Information request form

Things to consider when changing your major

Discover your interests

Take General Education (GE) courses to see what interests you. You can use these required credits to explore different majors and areas of study. The GE offering at Ohio State a lot to choose from.

Some of your interests may not be included in your major. OSU has other learning options and experiences to help you grow academically and meet your career goals.

Search for GE classes using filters Clubs and Student Organizations

Service-Learning Research and Creative Inquiry

Discover majors that fit

The tools below are designed to help you narrow your options, find majors that might be a good fit, and learn how they may impact your time to graduation. If you’re interested in more than one field, talk to your advisor about the possibility of pursuing a second major or dual degree.

Majors by area of focus
Review basic information about major requirements
Majors by GPA criteria to enter
Summary of shortest time to degree majors

Did you know that you can use Buckeye Degree Planner to learn how your completed classes could apply to the requirements for the major you want to learn more about. Explore more

Discover careers that you love

FOCUS 2 Career: This resource is free for all Ohio State students. You can complete self-assessments that can help you connect your interests to majors and careers.
Handshake: This app lets you build a profile and receive notifications when employers are on campus, register for career fairs, search for internships, and more.
Career Services: These offices can help with everything to writing a cover letter to comparing different careers you're considering

Connect an advisor in your new major

Connect with an advisor in the major you want to learn about to better understand the major’s requirements.
Follow the steps provided by your department to officially declare your major.

If you still have requirements to fulfill before you can be admitted to the major, some colleges will enroll you as a pre-major, but it is important to understand that being a pre-major does not guarantee admission to the major.

Search advising contact information for each major

Explore some questions you could ask at an early advising meeting

Getting into the major: What prerequisites, GPA standards, application steps or deadlines do I need to meet?
Testing the fit: Which introductory courses would help me decide whether this major is right for me?
Planning courses: Which courses should I take first, avoid taking together or plan for because they are offered only in certain terms?
Learning experience: How are courses typically taught, and what should I know about key major courses beyond the catalog descriptions?
Time and cost: How could this major affect my graduation timeline, tuition, fees or financial aid?
Experience beyond the classroom: What internships, research or other hands-on opportunities are common, and how can I earn credit for them?
Career and graduate study: What do graduates commonly do, and how does the program prepare students for careers or further study?
Other academic options: How could electives, minors, certificates, a second major or a dual degree support my goals?
Advising checkpoints: When should I meet with an advisor to review degree progress, career goals and graduation planning?
Special circumstances: Where can I get help with transfer credit or pre-law, pre-health or pre-education planning?

After declaring your major

When you declare a new major, an advisor will enter it into your My Buckeye Link account. Expect to see your new major or a pre-major there immediately, but your advising report will display your new major next term.

Your new major or pre-major will be visible Buckeye Degree Planner and in OnCourse the next business day

Your advisor should also be updated the same day you declare the new major.

If you have multiple advisors, such as minor advisors or a Military and Veterans Services advisor, please double check to ensure that those advisors remain assigned to you in your My Buckeye Link account.

If you have questions about your specific situation, please schedule a meeting with your new advisor using "Other (My Advisor)" as the service when you schedule the appointment.