Students are encouraged to declare a major as soon as possible and should begin thinking about possible majors in their first year at UC Merced. Some major requirements demand a full four years to complete. Since students are expected to declare a major by the time they have completed 60 units, the lower division major requirements should be planned in the student's program for the first two years.
In order to declare or change a major a student must submit a major change form. Except under unusual circumstances, no change of major will be permitted after a student has attained senior standing (90 units). It is not possible to change or declare a major in the semester in which a student has filed to graduate.
NOTE: Admission into a major program may be denied or deferred if the student is in academic difficulty or has a grade point average (GPA) of less than 2.0 in courses required for the selected major. Certain Schools and majors have criteria a student must meet in order to qualify for that major, more stringent than academic standing and a minimum of 2.0 grade point average (GPA).
Please check the following school's websites for more information:
- School of Engineering: engr-advising.ucmerced.edu
- School of Natural Sciences: ns-advising.ucmerced.edu
- School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts: ssha-advising.ucmerced.edu
CATALOG YEAR: Your catalog year is determined by the year you entered UC Merced, provided there is no break in enrollment for more than 3 consecutive terms (e.g., 2 semesters and 1 summer). You must choose major, concentration, and minor requirements from the same catalog year. You may elect to adhere to a different catalog year if you wish to follow major, concentration, and minor requirements listed in a catalog published after your time of initial enrollment. To do this, please attach a statement to this form outlining the reason for your request and submit this to your School.
MULTIPLE MAJORS: A student who wishes to pursue multiple majors should meet with his/her advisor to request and complete a Multiple Major Application Packet, available from your School.
REMOVING A MINOR: Removal of a declared minor does not take signature approval. Students are encouraged to email the Office of the Registrar at registrar@ucmerced.edu from their @ucmerced.edu email account notifying the office about the change.
