<p>How hard really is it to change majors. Ive heard all sorts of anecdotes, ranging from "its really easy" to "its impossible". So how hard is it to change majors...say at a large public school (like a UC)?</p>
<p>Shouldn't be impossible. However it could be impossible to get into another major if you don't meet its requirements of course.</p>
<p>It's very very different at each school. It also depends whether or not you're changing to a major within the same school at your university, as opposed to changing from your school's arts and sciences school to its engineering.</p>
<p>The earlier, the better, though.</p>
<p>I've seen some instances at my university (UMich) where it's very difficult once you get junior standing (55 credit hours) to switch. Also, some majors require you have a certain GPA to declare (which may be an easy 2.0 for freshman, or a very challenging 3.5 for juniors).</p>
<p>squarehead why don't you try asking this in the UC forum? You might get some more responses directed for those schools :cool:</p>
<p>I think a lot of it depends on when you're changing... if you do it within the first year, it shouldn't be so bad... the end of sophomore year on however, are different stories.</p>
<p>Not only that, consider that you have to take a lot of prerequisite courses for some majors before you can even declare it. Even after you complete these courses, it's no guarantee that you can switch into it.</p>
<p>It might mean that you're going to have to do summers or add a 5th year.</p>
<p>At UCLA, there is a units cap at 216. Anything beyond is going to require petitioning.</p>
<p>Generally, at the UCs, they don't want you to stay any longer than you really have to as a result of the large student population.</p>
<p>at a school like a UC it depends on the from/to combination. It is easy to switch out of engineering into Letters and Science, almost impossible to do the reverse. Same with some of the performing-arts majors. </p>
<p>Within L&S it is easy to change majors. Within engineering it is difficult, depends on your GPA.</p>
<p>so basically, if I keep up my GPA and make the switch early (before sophomore year) I'll be fine?</p>
<p>Yes. Universities anticipate many students changing major during the first two years of college. It actually does happen quite a bit. So I imagine it would not be that difficult of a task if your GPA was fine enough.</p>
<p>Yeah, colleges plan for it -- we aren't expected to know what we want right off the bat.</p>
<p>Of course, if you want to switch into a unit-heavy major, or one with a lot of prereqs, that's a bit tough... but possible.</p>