Change of Major/Entrance to Major

Definition and Policy

Most first-year students in the College of Health and Human Development are admitted to Penn State in Pre-Major status (HHD_PMAJ).  Entrance to Major (ETM) requirements are specified in the Undergraduate Bulletin and are based on the term of admission.

Pre-major status allows time for students to explore majors, confirming that the intended major is the appropriate one or learning about others more consistent with their academic and career goals.  Students cannot graduate in pre-major status so declaring a major is a necessary step to graduation. In addition, entering a major will give students registration advantage for their major classes and connect them with department advisers and other resources.

Students will be encouraged to apply for entrance into their major when they meet the ETM requirements and have clearly communicated their professional goals.  Students should consistently check their Penn State emails and messages from Starfish.  Students who delay this process can be assigned to a department adviser and/or face registration holds.

Procedures

Students meeting the entrance-to-major requirements and wishing to declare a major may request admission to the major by using the Update Academics function in Lionpath.  There is an on-line guide for those who need assistance.

At University Park, students exploring admission to one of the College’s undergraduate majors can meet with an academic adviser in the Center for Student Advising and Engagement.  Upon completion of the exploratory meeting, students can have a more in-depth discussion about the major with an academic adviser in the department that offers the intended major.