Degree Programs & Catalog – Declaring a Major

October 31, 2019

Declaring a Major, Minor or Certificate

Declaring a major is an important step in your college career. Research various majors, meet with your Academic Success Coach (ASC), and ask questions of people who are majoring in an area that interests you. The average college student changes his/her major 2 to 4 times over the course of their college career before finding the right major to match their interests.

There are two types of majors: open-access and limited-access programs.

NOTE: All majors have tough classes, and some majors have all tough classes. Remember if you find yourself struggling in a class, don’t panic and change your major. Instead, get help from your professor, a teaching assistant, SARC (Student Academic Resource Center), or a classmate. Also be aware that certain courses have specified help in the Math Lab, and the University Writing Center.

Open-Access Programs

Most of the Majors in the College of Sciences are open-access programs, meaning that there are no limitations on students who want to declare. For these programs, the process is simple.

  1. Meet with your current academic success coach. They should be able to gauge how long it would take you to complete your current major in your admitted catalog year with the prospective major. Please review the Timely Academic Progress Policy regarding Degree Progression and Program changes.
  2. If you still wish to pursue the major change, log into my.ucf.edu
  3. In the Student Center, click on Academic Records.
  4. Select Major Change from the left menu.
  5. Choose Change Major in the dropdown menu.
  6. Follow the steps on the screen. Choose “Add” to add a second major or “Change” to declare or change your current major.

For a screenshot guide on how to change your major, please click here.

Limited-Access Programs

If you are applying to a limited access program, the process is a bit more complex. Entrance requirements vary by program, so check with an advisor about how best to proceed. For example, you may need to complete a separate application, have a select set of courses with a specific grade, or have a minimum grade point average. When you initially declare a Limited Access major, the name of your major will be followed by “Pending”. “Pending” means that you are this major until you do or do not apply and get accepted into the program. The Limited-Access Programs in the College of Sciences are:

  • Advertising/Public Relations
  • Film BA and B.F.A.
  • Digital Media
  • Journalism
  • Media Production and Management

Any questions regarding the limited access programs housed in College of Sciences, please email cosas@ucf.edu.