Juniors: It might not be too late to change your major!

updated: 27 March 2008

Juniors might switch majors if they want to build up a stronger transcript or if they want to avoid an academic disaster--these two things are really two sides of the same coin.

It could also be that juniors switch majors in order to study the subject they love most of all, or to escape from an academic discipline that has turned out to be boring, frustrating, or both--again, two sides of the same coin.

You're supposed to declare a major by the time you have forty-five credits, but you can change majors anytime, provided you are willing to put in the time to make your plan work. Some majors require a lot of credits--Biomedical Engineering, for instance--and a lot of credits can translate into a lot more time, time BEYOND the typical four-college education. (Taking more than four years to get a bachelor's degree is fine, if you are up for the challenge.)

You'll need to check the bulletin to see exactly how much time it would take you to complete a different major.

Apart from getting better grades or having more fun in your studies, changing a major or adding a second major might help you to save money. The tuition for many postbaccalaureate enrichment programs can cost you more than undergraduate tuition at Stony Brook does. Although getting the best education you can should be your top priority, reaching this goal in an economical fashion.

So, give a change of major some thought if you are not entirely satisfied with your education.

Despite any uncertainties you have, one thing is sure.

It will be easier to change in junior year than in senior year.