All College students are required to complete a major in the School of Arts and Sciences. This requirement ensures that all graduates of the College develop a thorough understanding in at least one field of knowledge through concentrated study over several years in at least 12 c.u.

Students are subject to the specific policies and requirements of a given major in effect at the time they declare that major, and they remain so even if the major requirements are subsequently changed. With the approval of the department or program, however, one may be permitted to abide by the new requirement structure.

Credits Needed for Graduation by Major

Admission to and Declaring a Major

Qualifications for Admission to the Major

• Students must have a g.p.a. of 2.0 in major and major-related courses already taken. Some majors may require a higher g.p.a.
• Some departments and programs require specific coursework or other prerequisites before application to the major.

Declaring a Major

All College students are expected to declare a major by the spring of sophomore year.

When students are ready to declare their major, they should:

• Check the major department or program website in which they wish to declare for information about the process.
• Students should note that some departments and programs may require a meeting in order to complete the major declaration process.
• Complete the Declare/Update Field of Study form in Path@Penn.

School of Engineering Second Majors

• SEAS students who would like to declare a second major in the College of Arts and Sciences should contact the relevant SAS department and follow the department's procedure for declaring a major.
• Students in the College who would like to declare a second major in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences should read the policies linked below further.

Policies Governing the Engineering Major

Courses and Credit Toward the Major

Grade Type for Courses in the Major

All courses taken for a major must be taken for a letter grade, not pass/fail. Some departments have a minimum grade requirement for all courses within the major.

Transfer Credit to the Major

• Only the department or program advisors determine which credits transferred from another institution can count toward the major.
• At least half the course units in the major must be taken at Penn. Some departments require more.

Double Counting and Auto-Completion between Sectors and Majors

Special Majors

Policies Governing Individualized Majors

Before contemplating an individualized major, students are advised to choose one of the available departmental or interdisciplinary majors in the College.  Because the individualized major is grounded in arts and sciences, most of the courses used in the major must be within the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS). Highly qualified students are welcome to apply for an individualized major if they have first declared a standard major by the end of their sophomore year. In order for students to submit the proposal for the individualized major to the Committee on the Individualized Study (CIS) by the beginning of their junior year as required, it is necessary for students  to obtain the recommendation of the undergraduate chair of their major department and the strong support of two faculty members who recognize merit in the student’s proposed individualized study and accept responsibility of acting as advisors. Please also know that designing a proposal for an individualized major requires a considerable effort and time as well as a high degree of creativity. Students should understand that their proposal may not be approved.

As part of the application process, students must:

• Meet with Dr. Hocine Fetni in the College office no later than their fourth semester to discuss details of the major and the application process.
• Provide a concise rationale for their proposed major.
• Plan a tentative coherent course of study for the major, with at least 14 CUs, to culminate in a major research project which, upon completion, will be presented to the University community in a public lecture.
• Find at least one standing faculty member in the School of Arts and Sciences who recognizes merit in the proposed individualized study and accepts the responsibility of acting as the student's main advisor for the individualized major and for sponsoring and overseeing the thesis.
• Find another faculty member whose specialty is in some way related to the major but is different from the first advisor's and who is willing to serve as a second advisor.

Policies Governing Honors in the Major

• Students with a minimum g.p.a. of 3.0 may apply to their department or program to become candidates for honors in the major. Some majors will require a higher g.p.a.
• Applications for honors in the major are usually taken in the first semester of the junior year.
• The requirements for honors in the major vary from program to program and may include special courses and individual research on specialized subjects under the guidance of a faculty advisor. In some departments, additional credit is authorized for work done by honors candidates.
• Students who complete honors in the major will have this designation entered on their transcripts.

Policies Governing Double Majors

• Students who wish to double major may do so by applying for, and completing the requirements for, each major.
• Students interested in double majoring should consult with their pre-major advisor.
• Major departments may have rules limiting double counting.
• Students who are completing more than one major must use their largest major to calculate the number of overall c.u. and the minimum Arts & Sciences c.u. required for graduation. The largest major will be designated as the primary major by the College Office when the second major is declared.
• If a student declares a second major that auto-completes the same Sector as their first major, a major advisor will make an exception to auto-complete a different Sector.
• See specific information for College students wishing to declare a second major in one of several Engineering departments. The Engineering second major will not auto-complete a sector.

Transfer Students

Transfer Sophomores

Transfer students who come to Penn with sophomore standing will have one full semester before they are asked to declare their major. It is expected that most will be able to declare the major at the standard time (March of sophomore year). In the first semester, exploration should be the top priority. Students should browse the websites of prospective major departments for more detailed information of requirements and prerequisites.

Transfer students who come to Penn with junior standing should declare their major as soon as they are reasonably able to do so. Junior transfer students who are athletes must declare their major as soon as possible after arriving on campus in order to be eligible for athletic competition.

At least half of the courses satisfying the major requirement must be taken at Penn.

Transfer Juniors

Transfer students who come to Penn with junior status are expected to have a fairly specific idea of their likely major. They should carefully read about any prospective majors on the department’s website and speak with the undergraduate major advisor or coordinator as soon as possible in the fall. Courses taken in the major should cover material which is new to the student and for which the prerequisites have been taken. The exact time frame of major declaration will depend on the major and the courses the student has previously taken.

Junior transfer students who are athletes must declare their major as soon as possible after arriving on campus in order to be eligible for athletic competition.

At least half of the courses satisfying the major requirement must be taken at Penn.