Up for discussion: Major changes ahead

“What do you mean you’ve decided not to be a veterinarian? You’ve wanted to do that since you were five.” Sound like a familiar conversation you’ve had with your student? You’re not alone. Many undergraduates look to change their major.

And that’s just fine, according to Jim McClain, associate dean of undergraduate education and advising for the College of Letters and Science and father of two UC Davis students.

“A significant number of students find that whatever their major was — based on experiences in high school and life prior to coming to UC Davis — isn’t the best for them,” McClain said. “Their interest in that field has somehow diminished.”

So what should a student do when he or she realizes that the field he or she thought would provide the best career path is taking a wrong turn?

Test the waters

Students should first take a few upper division classes in the field that generates their interest, said McClain, who is also a professor of geology. They need to test the waters to confirm their new direction. A student also needs to do well in the classes of the newly selected major so that the college will agree to approve the change.

Changing majors within each college is fairly easy. As long as a student is in good standing, the administration will usually approve a change. It gets a little more complicated when a student wants to change to a major in another college. Both colleges must approve, but the final decision usually rests with the college that offers the desired major.

Don’t wait too long

While McClain suggests that students wait it out a few quarters before changing their major, he said they shouldn’t wait too long. Students need to declare a major after sophomore year or the completion of 90 units.

“So many students want to be doctors, then discover they dislike or aren’t good at chemistry or math, and they find a niche within social sciences,” McClain said. “We see a lot of direction that way.”

McClain will also encourage students to consider another major if they are experiencing academic difficulty in the declared major. “We don’t want them to do poorly,” he said.

Students often feel family pressure to pursue medical school or engineering, fields that lead to lucrative careers. That doesn’t work if a student can’t graduate due to a low grade point average. Students can also put pressure on themselves or have difficulty letting go of a dream. That’s hard to reconcile with reality sometimes, McClain said.

“The bottom line is that students should find something they’re good at and that they love — then take that route,” McClain said. “It’s no big deal to change. It’s very important for students to find the right path.”