The simplest answer to this question is that you declare when you’re ready! But how do you know when you’re ready? Here are some general guidelines to keep in mind as you’re thinking about a major:

There is no "deadline" to declare a major. Many students think that you have to declare a major during your sophomore year. While it’s true that most students do, in fact, declare their major during their sophomore year, you don’t ha ve any deadline unless you’re a student-athlete (NCAA rules require student-athletes to declare a major by the end of their sophomore year). But aside from student athletes, you can declare anytime! Some students wait until their junior year, and a few even declare during their freshman year. Of course, you must declare a major before you apply for graduation!

You need to do some exploration. You wouldn’t buy a car without test-driving it, so why would you major in, say, philosophy, without first having taken at least one (or two, or three) courses in philosophy! Some students come to Pitt knowing w hat they want to major in. For them, their "exploration" will be relatively easy -- they take a few courses in the major department to confirm that they have an aptitude for the discipline (i.e., they get good grades) and also that they like the subject matter. If this works well, you’re ready to declare.

Now, if you come to college unsure of a major or possible career direction, the exploration phase takes a little more work. You would want to explore multiple areas by taking courses in a number of disciplines. This is actually the first step in the Pitt Pathway, and there are many offices available to assist you with your exploration, including the Counseling Center and Placement and Career Services.

When can the major department help you more than I can? I'm a "generalist" advisor in that I know a little about a great number of areas. Of course, I am better versed in some areas (psychology, political science) than others (math, computer science). I can get you started by suggesting basic, introductory courses for any major, but once you get beyond those courses, I will often not be able to help you with course selections -- when this happens, it’s time for you to declare becaus e you would get better advice from the "specialist" advisor in the major department. The major advisor will also be more in tune with faculty in the department, as well as have greater knowledge of opportunities available for you (e.g., researc h opportunities, conference, graduate school options, etc.).

How to declare a major. All it takes is for you to complete a short (half-page) form with some basic information (your name, Social Security Number, new major name). You can go to the CAS Advising Cent er (252 Thackeray) and tell someone at the reception desk that you want to declare a major; they’ll help you through it. You can also meet with me and I can help you process the form. You’ll get a copy of the form and a "welcome letter" from t he major department that will give you information about the advising and registration process for the department.

Don’t forget the pre-requisites. Most majors don’t have pre-requisites in order for you to declare, but a few (notably, psychology, biology, and computer science) do. You can find these pre-requisites on the "major sheet" for that de partment.

Remember a few dates. In order to be registered by the major department for the term after the current one, you must have declared by the third week of classes of the term you’re in. Specifically, to be registered for 2001 Spring Term (01-2) classes in a major department, you must declare that major by Friday, September 15, 2000.

Questions? Contact me! I’ll be able to answer them.