In general, colleges want students to declare a major prior to their junior year. Declaring early, experts say, can help students plan out their coursework and have a general sense of direction about their degree path. But about a third of undergraduate students who declare a major within three years of initial enrollment end up changing it at least once, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Students change majors for a number of reasons. Certain courses, internships or job experiences may change a student’s mind about pursuing a certain degree path. Some might decide they prefer a major with a higher starting salary. Others may experience a change of heart and discover a new interest or passion while in college.
“In truth, very few students have all the information they need to choose a major when they finish high school,” Joanna Brooks, associate vice president for faculty advancement and student success at San Diego State University in California, wrote in an email. “Their initial major choice may reflect the influence of their friends and family, or general impressions or assumptions about what majors are most likely to lead to employment.”
Experts say changing majors is a big decision. Depending on when students make the change, or how many times they do so, it can mean more time spent at college, which means more money spent on tuition.
[READ: Choosing a Major in College: What to Know.]
Some schools aim to help students avoid that. At Harvard University in Massachusetts, for example, students don’t officially declare a major until the fall semester of their sophomore year. “This structure, the freedom that came with not having to know, right out the gate, what I wanted to dedicate all four of my college years to, gave me time to pause,” wrote Juliana Lamy, a Harvard class of 2020 graduate, on the school’s website.
Experts differ on if and when students should change majors, but here are three questions to ask when considering making a switch.
When Is the Best Time to Change Majors?
While many schools offer some leeway on major declarations, students do eventually have to make a choice. Murray State University in Kentucky, for example, requires students to declare by the time they reach 45 credit hours, which is roughly midway through their sophomore year.
There is generally no limit to how many times a student may change their major, but Brooks says San Diego State recommends students “be settled into” their major by their junior year. Experts also discourage changing majors during junior or senior years, though it’s technically possible for students to do so.
Experts say the earlier students can make that change, the better. That way, they won’t be so far along in a certain degree path that they have to take extra courses.
“A change of major can happen at any time, but students will be advised about the pros and cons of doing so if they are thinking about it later in their college career,” Peggy Whaley, director of student engagement and success at Murray State University, wrote in an email. “It’s possible, it just may extend their time and cost to degree.”
Is It Worth It to Change My Major?
The answer to this question often depends on the students and their long-term goals, experts say. There will be cases in which changing a major, even if it prolongs the degree, is the best option for students, Brooks says.
[What a College Minor Is and Why It Matters]
“Helping students graduate within four years is a priority for SDSU,” she says. “We recognize the tremendous investment an undergraduate education requires of students and their families, and so we aim to make this the goal for every student from the outset. But at the same time, we recognize that the primary desire for many of our students is to have their degree mean something.”
Whaley notes that if a student is not enjoying the classes in their major, it could result in poor grades and poor attendance. Students may also decide to transfer colleges, either for personal or academic reasons, and their initial program of study might not be available at that college or their credits might not transfer. In those cases, students may be better off exploring a change in majors, she says.
For the majority of students, however, finishing the degree — regardless of the major — is most important, says David Moldoff, founder and CEO of AcademyOne, a higher education software and technology company that focuses on college transfers.
“Don’t make the major the focus or the concentration of your effort,” he says. “It’s the common experiences of you learning what you like and what you don’t like. What you end up doing after college really isn’t impacted so much by the major, unless you’re going into professional studies like medical or law.”
This is especially true for students majoring in a liberal arts discipline, he says, noting that a student can major in journalism but end up becoming a lawyer or marketing professional because many of the skills they learned in their coursework will translate. Hiring managers are more focused on the skills a candidate possesses than their college major, he says.
Christopher Rim, founder and CEO of Command Education, an education and admissions consulting company, says he advises his students the same way.
“It’s just not worth it to redo it and pay all that tuition,” he says. Rim says he entered college at Yale University in Connecticut as a political science major, then switched to art history before finally settling on psychology. “Your major is not necessarily the one and only thing you can do. I think people put too much pressure and too much weight on that.”
How Do I Change My Major?
The logistical process for changing a major may vary by school, but generally students meet directly with an academic adviser to officially make the change.
Academic advisers can help students decide if changing majors makes sense for them. They can also determine which courses a student has already completed that would fit into their next potential major and how much extra time, if any, would be required for a switch.
Students should talk to as many faculty members and academic advisers as possible before making their decision, Brooks says.
“Professional advisers, faculty mentors and career centers have insights and data-informed tools that can be really useful,” she says. “And when you gather data and perspectives, trust your instincts. Make a bold choice. A great education and career are less about which major you choose than about how deeply you engage and cultivate your capacity to think, write and innovate.”
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Should You Change Majors in College? originally appeared on usnews.com
