Exploring Majors
At Nazareth, you do not have to select a major until the end of your sophomore year. Some majors require a decision earlier than that, but generally the first two years can be a time of exploration, reflection, and self-evaluation. We encourage undeclared students to use this time to think about their interests and goals. During this time, you can also take courses that fulfill core requirements and expose you to a wide variety of areas of study.
Changing Majors or Declaring a New Major/Minor
Students: Send an email to the department chairperson or program director of the program you want, and request approval to declare that major or minor. Forward the approval to advisement@naz.edu, and your request will be processed. Here is a list of chairs and program directors: Undergraduate Department Chairs and Program Directors.
Alternatively, you may submit a Declaration or Change of Major form signed by the appropriate department chair or program director. You may email the completed form to advisement@naz.edu, or drop the form off to Academic Advisement in Smyth Hall 02. To complete/print/save the form electronically, you must download and save the form on your computer and use Adobe Acrobat (free software) to open and fill it out. Otherwise you can print and fill out the form on paper.
Questions? Call 585-389-2871 or email advisement@naz.edu
Helpful Resources
- Our Undeclared: Open Path Program helps first year and second year students who have not yet declared a major.
- The Majors page has great general information about each program. To learn more about the exact required classes and curriculum for any major, look at the Academic Programs section of the Undergraduate Catalog.
- Each semester, Academic Advisement offers a one-credit course open to freshmen and sophomores called CDL 101: Exploring Self, Majors, and Careers.
- The Center for Life's Work (Career Services) offers resources for students, including computer software programs that help you pinpoint possible careers and majors that match your interests.
- You can make an individual appointment with your academic advisor (a professor in your major) or with an academic counselor in the Academic Advisement office to discuss major and/or career choices.
