Change of Major/Entrance to Major

Definition and Policy

Most first-year students in the College of Health and Human Development (HHD) begin at Penn State in Pre-Major status (HHD_PMAJ). To progress into a specific major, students must meet Entrance to Major (ETM) requirements, which are outlined in the Undergraduate Bulletin and determined by the student’s term of admission.

Pre-Major status gives students the opportunity to explore their options—either to confirm that their intended major is the right fit or to discover another program better aligned with their academic interests and career goals. However, students cannot graduate in Pre-Major status, so officially declaring a major is an essential step toward earning a degree. Declaring also provides benefits such as priority registration for major-specific courses and access to departmental advisers and resources.

For most students, ETM requirements are satisfied after completing at least 29.1 credits and maintaining a 2.0 GPA.

Once students meet these requirements and have clearly shared their professional goals with their academic adviser, they will be encouraged to update their academic record by declaring a major. To stay on track, students should regularly check their Penn State email and Starfish messages for important updates. Delaying this process may result in being assigned to a department adviser and/or facing registration holds.

Procedures

Students meeting the entrance-to-major requirements and wishing to declare a major may request admission to the major by using the Update Academics function in LionPATH.  There is an on-line guide for those who need assistance.

At University Park, students exploring admission to one of the College’s undergraduate majors can meet with an academic adviser in the Center for Student Advising and Engagement.  Upon completion of the exploratory meeting, students can have a more in-depth discussion about the major with an academic adviser in the department that offers the intended major.

Change of College Process 2025

Beginning Summer 2025

First-year students who enroll in a college other than HHD will not be able to change from their initial college of enrollment until the end of the Fall semester/beginning of the Spring semester.

• No program or college changes will be allowed during NSO.
• Students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits by the late-drop deadline of the Fall semester.
• The student's academic adviser in their initial college enrollment will set a referral in Starfish indicating UP NSO Future interest in HHD.
• HHD's Center for Student Advising and Engagement will contact students using hhdstudentservices@psu.edu with next steps and key dates.

Spring Advising and Enrollment

• Group Advising sessions for students who express an early interest in HHD will be held in late September /early October. Additional sessions may be held in the Spring.
• Students are expected to work with their assigned adviser in their initial college of enrollment and use the Suggested Academic Plan of their intended major in HHD to guide Spring course planning.
• Students may submit the Update Academics request to change colleges beginning on the Fall semester’s late drop deadline.
• Approvals will begin the following week.
• After approval, advisers in the Center for Student Advising and Engagement will review Spring schedules. Any recommended changes will be communicated directly to the student.
• Students at any time can submit questions and concerns to hhdstudentservices@psu.edu .