Declaring a Major or Minor

Students matriculating at Case Western Reserve University as first-year students may begin declaring their majors, though they are not required to do so, on November 1 if they matriculate in the fall semester and on April 1 if they matriculate in the spring semester.  Transfer students may begin declaring their majors at the start of their first semester at Case Western Reserve.  A choice or change of major or minor is not recorded for any student until the major or minor declaration form, bearing the signature of the student, the name of the advisor, and the signature of the academic representative for the major or minor, has been completed and submitted to the Office of Undergraduate Studies, 447 Sears Bldg., and recorded in the Student Information System (SIS).

Students who enroll at Case Western Reserve University as first-year students are expected to declare a major before registering for classes for their fifth semester of enrollment.  Transfer students are expected to declare a major before registering for their third semester at Case Western Reserve.  Beyond that point, students who have not declared a major will have a registration hold placed on their accounts until they have done so.  Those who will have earned fewer than 60 credit-hours (including transfer, AP, IB, and proficiency credit) by the end of the fourth semester for students who started as first-year students, or by the end of their second semester for transfer students, may request that their navigator in the Office of Student Advancement allow them to register for the next semester by lifting the registration hold.  Students may later change their majors should their academic interests change.

Double Majors, Secondary Majors, and Dual Undergraduate Degrees

Only one major is required for a student to satisfy degree requirements, and most students complete their degrees having met the requirements for a single major. However, some students wish to complete more than one major in order to address their interests and academic goals. Several opportunities exist for a student to complete more than one major.

Double Majors

A student may double major in two (or more) Arts and Sciences majors for the BA, or two (or more) Engineering majors for the BS in Engineering degree, or two (or more) Management majors for the BS in Management degree. No additional credit-hours beyond those ordinarily required for the specific degree are required, but students may need additional credit-hours to meet all requirements of the two (or more) majors. Students pursuing multiple majors within a single degree will receive one diploma corresponding to the degree earned and each major will be noted on the diploma and the transcript.

Secondary Majors

A student whose interests span majors that fall under two different degree programs (the BA program and a BS program or two different BS programs) may complete one degree program, including its general education requirements, and the requirements for the two (or more) majors. The major for which the student does not complete the associated general education requirements will be designated as a secondary major. If the field chosen as a secondary major has different requirements for the BA and BS, the requirements to complete the secondary major are those associated with the BA. No additional credit-hours beyond those ordinarily required for the degree for which the student completed general education requirements are required, though students may need additional credit-hours to complete all requirements of the two (or more) majors. The student will receive one diploma corresponding to the degree for which the student completed general education requirements, and that degree will be recorded on the transcript. Each major will be noted on the diploma and the transcript, but the secondary major will be designated in that way.

Dual Degrees

To qualify for two (or more) undergraduate degrees (i.e., a BA and a BS, or two BS) as a dual degree student, a student must satisfy all requirements for each degree, including each degree’s associated general education requirements, and complete for each additional degree 30 credit-hours of study beyond the hours required for the first degree. Students who seek a dual degree that involves the Bachelor of Music degree must meet Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve admission requirements, and must seek approval of both the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University.