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It is common for undergraduate students to reassess their academic and career interests once they take a few classes. Your student might realize that their original major isn’t a good fit, or they may discover a passion they didn’t expect. Changing majors can help them better align their studies with their goals and strengths.

As a parent or family member, your role can be one of support and guidance: helping your student evaluate their options, understand the constraints, and follow through on the process.

What You and Your Student Should Know:

1. Students may petition to change their major after completing at least one full term of admission and full-time enrollment. 
2. There are specific "Change of Major Application Cycles" during which students may submit their requests. There is typically a cycle in the summer, early fall, and early spring semester. You can find the most up-to-date information about the application cycles in Howdy at: us.tamu.edu/change-of-major. Your student must submit their request during an open cycle to be considered. 
3. There may be limited capacity in certain majors. Some departments have strict GPA, course requirements, or limits on how many students they can admit. If your student already knows which major they would like to change into, they can find the major through the Change of Major Requirements webpage and look at the requirements. Note: The forms available on this website are for personal reference only and do not need to be submitted to Texas A&M. The official change of major process happens virtually though your student's Howdy Portal. 

Typical Process for a Student to Change Their Major: 

1. Review the requirements for the major they are interested in transferring into. You can find the requirements through the Change of Major Requirements webpage. 
2. Meet with an advisor in the intended major. It is strongly recommended (and sometimes required by the receiving department) that students meet with an advisor in the new major/department before applying. If your student does not know who the academic advisor is, check with the Office for Student Success on their Find My Advisor page or contact the main department office for your major and ask. 
3. When the cycle is open, submit a Change of Major Request via the Howdy Portal. 
4. Wait for the decision. Your student can check the status of their application in the Howdy Portal under the "pending" tab where they submitted their Change of Major request. Note: The decision may be delayed until 10 days after final grades are posted. 
5. If accepted, your student's major officially changes. The student should then work closely with the new major’s advisor to optimize their degree plan—identifying which courses already taken apply, which new courses are needed, and any timeline adjustments.

Tips for Families Supporting the Process: 

• Encourage early exploration. Encourage your student to meet with an academic advisor (both within their current major and their intended major) to discuss the process. They can also utilize resources provided by University Health Services or the Career Center to discuss their interest in changing their major as soon as they sense a misalignment with their current major.
• Help gather information and remind them of the deadlines. Work with them to compile the requirements for the prospective major (GPA thresholds, prerequisite courses, credit caps, etc.) and compare how many of these they have already met.
• Plan for contingencies. If the request is denied, your student should have a backup plan—either staying in their current major or considering alternate majors.
• Stay involved (without pressuring). Encourage your student by discussing pros/cons, reviewing their proposed plan, or helping them think through how changing majors might affect time to graduation, cost of tuition, and financial aid. 

For more information about the Change of Major process, go to: us.tamu.edu/change-of-major