Choosing and Declaring a Major
Completing at least one major is a requirement for a Queens College bachelor’s degree and is one of the most important decisions in your life. The Academic Advising Center assists undeclared and undecided students in a number of different ways, which include individual advising sessions, decision-making exercises in the First-Year Planning Programs, and through the Sophomore Initiative Program.
When should you declare a major?
It is strongly advised that you should begin taking courses toward your major during you freshman year/by your sophomore year and you should decide on a field of study by your sophomore year.
Majors at Queens College range from 30 to 80 credits.
Special note: Financial aid requires that students declare their majors by the completion of the 60th credit. In addition, registered coursework must be applicable to specific QC degree requirements, which include the general education curriculum and major (minors, while optional, are also covered as are electives if they are needed to reach the 120 credits). Students who do not comply may lose their financial support. Please see an academic advisor should you have any questions about this issue or require further explanation.
Are you undecided?
Take the FOCUS 2 Career Assessment
FOCUS 2 is a self-guided career, major and education planning system designed to guide you through the steps of the career planning process. You can use FOCUS 2 at any stage of your education and career planning according to your personal needs. Start with any feature, repeat a feature if desired and use the system as an ongoing resource. All your results are saved and accessible in your FOCUS 2 Portfolio.
Students can explore career paths based on their majors. This will help you connect your major with careers and possible employers. Also, are you career ready? Career readiness is the foundation upon which a successful career is launched.
What Can I Do With This Major? features 100 major profiles with information on common career paths, types of employers that hire in the field, and strategies to maximize opportunities. Scroll to the bottom of each profile for links to professional associations, occupational outlook information, and job search resources.
How do you declare a major?
Declaration/change/addition of most* majors/minors/concentrations is done using the following form.
Complete the fillable Declaration of Major/Minor form and email it to the respective academic department for their “signature.”
Note: You must fill out the same form twice when changing your major. Download the form twice; one form to drop the current major and another form to add a new major.
Submit forms via Fresh Service.
Fresh Service Guide for Students
- The login is the same as your CUNYFIRST login
- The CUNYFIRST ID is the eight-digit EMPLD ID
- Category should be Change of Major / Minor
- Use the Attach a file option to attach the Declaration Form
- Click Place Request on the top right-hand side of the page.
The following majors require an application and/or have special entrance criteria, which means that they cannot be declared in this manner. Please see the respective department’s website for further information:
- Biochemistry
- Business Administration (Actuarial Studies, Corporate Finance, and International Business)
- Chemistry
- Communication Sciences and Disorders (i.e., Speech Pathology)
- Design
- Dance; Drama/Theatre
- Dietetics
- Elementary & Secondary Education
- Music (all programs)
- Neuroscience
- Studio Art BFA
There are also minors that require application/entrance criteria. The Economics Department requests that students interested in Economics also file through its departmental website. The Accounting Department has additional steps to declare. Please see Department representatives for further information and proper procedures.
By declaring a major, you will:
- Be able to meet with a faculty advisor and become eligible for other departmental services, including (if applicable) pre-registration for courses, as well as departmental events. You will also receive mailings, emails, and important information directly from the department(s).
- Become aware of the requirements for a major early in the baccalaureate process, thus allowing you more time to smoothly fulfill (often sequential!) requirements.
- Protect yourself against any future changes in major requirements.
Where can you locate information about major requirements?
- The Queens College Undergraduate Bulletin lists all the departments in alphabetical order, the requirements for each major, and the descriptions of all courses offered.
- Many departments publish extensive departmental handbooks and/or have websites that provide detailed information about majors, career opportunities, faculty research, and special/honors programs.
- Faculty members are wonderful resources. They can give you insight into their disciplines and advice based on personal experiences and expertise. Contact departments to find out about office hours and areas of interest and research. DON’T BE SHY ABOUT YOUR EDUCATION. Make an appointment to visit with a faculty member!
- The Center for Career Engagement and Internships (Frese Hall 213, (718) 997-4465) offers many services designed to help you connect your interests, abilities, goals, and realities to major selection and internship opportunities. You can also use a self-guided, computerized, assessment tool to clarify your interests and values and relate them to majors and careers.
- The Academic Advising Center staff (Kiely 217, (718) 997-5599) is available to discuss how the college’s majors fit into your overall college curriculum and degree progress. The center has many publications and guides that may assist you in this process.
Where will your degree take you?
Where will your degree take you?
Learn about the alumni who graduated with your degree* by clicking on the departmental overviews. These reports showcase how much alumni make, where alumni go for further education, and the types of internships and certificates that our alumni earn.
*Not all programs have records in alumni data sources. In most cases, program data are aggregated.
