<p>I got accepted to cmu hss but I'm still quite undecided about what I really want to major in. My opinion changes everyday. Will I be able to take a broad range of courses in my freshman year, even some from other colleges? When will I have to declare my major? Will it be easy to transfer between colleges?</p>
<p>“Will I be able to take a broad range of courses in my freshman year, even some from other colleges?”</p>
<p>Yes. You can take classes from most any school, if only for gen ed requirements and nothing else. I’m a humanities and art freshman, and I’ve taken two CS courses already (one of which is aimed specifically at CS freshmen and isn’t just a ‘CS for non-CS majors’ course). CMU is very good about allowing you to take whatever classes you want, because they understand the need to experiment with your classes and see what you like. There are, of course, some restrictions (for example, School of Design offers classes ONLY for majors, or ONLY for non-majors, and it’s generally very hard to get into their classes), but on the whole, if you’re a humanities student who wants to take an Intro to Engineering course, it won’t be TOO hard to get in.</p>
<p>“When will I have to declare my major?”
I believe major declaring is end of sophomore year at the very latest, across all schools. You are given opportunities to declare before then, but end of sophomore year is the limit. Although I do know some students who’ve REALLY pushed it back and are undecided juniors, but they probably won’t be completing their degree in four years…</p>
<p>“Will it be easy to transfer between colleges?”
It depends. CMU encourages experimentation, exploring, and switching around as you please, but it’s going to be harder to transfer from H&SS to SCS than transfer from CIT to SCS, if only because you just don’t have as much technical/mathematical experience. There are also some requirements for transferring, such as certain classes you have to complete before requesting a transfer, so be sure to look up if there’s anything you have to do for that school!</p>
<p>Thank you sooo much! That was really helpful!</p>
<p>It really depends what school you’re in for declaring majors. Business majors don’t declare a concentration until end of Sophomore year while CIT students do it end of their freshmen year.</p>
<p>What about HSS?</p>
<p>I believe H&SS students don’t have to declare until the end of sophomore year.</p>
<p>“it’s going to be harder to transfer from H&SS to SCS than transfer from CIT to SCS, if only because you just don’t have as much technical/mathematical experience.”</p>
<p>Can’t you take the necessary classes in SCS in order to transfer from H&SS though if everything is open to everyone?</p>
<p>
Yes, but you also have to do well in them. And doing well in them is really not easy.</p>
<p>But if you do well, then you’ve got the transfer cinched.</p>