College of Letters & Science students must complete a Change of Major form to change majors from one department to another or upon completion of prerequisites for a major (pre-major) to the full major. The petition should be filed no later than the end of the junior year. It requires the approval of the chair of the prospective department as well as, in some circumstances, the Dean of Undergraduate Education. 

Students planning to pursue a new major or add a double major within the College of Creative Students or the College of Engineering must complete an Undergraduate Change of College/Dual College form. This petition must also be completed by a College of Creative Studies or a College of Engineering student who is planning to pursue a major within the College of Letters and Science.

 

Expand the petition link for detailed instructions.

Change of Major Petition

Purpose: This petition is used by Letters & Science students to:

  1. Change majors within the College of Letters & Science
  2. Add/drop a double major in the College of Letters & Science.

Petition Instructions:

Once you have determined the major you want to declare:

  1. Contact the department advisor for the intended major to discuss the department's change of major process. You can find the department advisor by going to the department's website; check under Staff or Undergraduate Advising for the advisor's drop-in hours or email contact information.
  2. Obtain a copy of the major requirements sheet. You can find this on the major department's website or in the UCSB Catalog.
  3. Complete the Change of Major petition.
  4. Send the completed form along with a copy of the major requirements sheet to your new major's department advisor for approval to join the major. The department advisor will gather the required signatures for the petition on your behalf. Please do not contact the department chair or the Dean.

In most cases, the department's approval is all you need. However, the approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Education is also needed if:

  • You are attempting to change your major after you have completed 135 units or more (i.e., Senior Standing)
  • You are changing to or from the College of Engineering or College of Creative Studies. 
  • You are proposing a double major (see Double Major Petition below).

Note: Students who request a change of major late in their academic careers may not be approved if they need to complete more than 200 units to fulfill all degree requirements. Departmental undergraduate advisors can assist students in understanding the parameters impacting admission to the majors of their choice.

Petition Processing & Notification: After the appropriate department(s) have signed, allow 4-6 weeks for College of Letters & Science approval. Once approved, it will take approximately another 2 weeks to see the update on your GOLD account.

Change of College Petition

Purpose:  This petition should be completed by:

  1. College of Letters & Science students planning to change to a major within the College of Creative Studies or the College of Engineering.
  2. A College of Creative Studies or the College of Engineering student planning to change to a major within the College of Letters & Science.

Petition Instructions:

  1. Contact the intended major's department advisor to understand their change of major process.
  2. Complete the Undergraduate Petition for Change of College or Dual College. You do not need to complete the Memo of Understanding for Dual College Majors or the Proposed Study Plan for Dual College Majors sections.
  3. Submit the petition to the intended major department advisor for approval. The department advisor will handle the gathering of the remaining signatures needed. Approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Education is required. You do not need to personally contact the Dean for approval. Your major and/or College advisors will coordinate to complete this on your behalf.

Petition Processing & Notification: After the appropriate department(s) have signed, allow 4-6 weeks for College of Letters & Science approval. Once approved, it will take approximately another 2 weeks to see the update on your GOLD account.

Dual College Petition

Purpose:  This petition should be completed by:

  1. College of Letters & Science students planning to add or drop a double major within the College of Creative Studies or the College of Engineering.
  2. College of Creative Studies or the College of Engineering students planning to add or drop a major within the College of Letters & Science.

Petition Instructions:

  1. Contact the intended major's department advisor to understand their change of major process.
  2. Complete all sections of the Undergraduate Petition for Change of College or Dual College, including the Memo of Understanding for Dual College Majors and the Proposed Study Plan for Dual College Majors.
  3. Submit the petition to the intended major department’s advisor for approval. The department advisor will handle the gathering of the remaining signatures needed. Approval of the Dean of Undergraduate Education is required. You do not need to personally contact the Dean for approval. Your major and/or College advisors will coordinate to complete this on your behalf.

Petition Processing & Notification: After the appropriate department(s) have signed, allow 4-6 weeks for College of Letters & Science approval. Once approved, it will take approximately another 2 weeks to see the update on your GOLD account.

Double Major Petition

Purpose: This petition is used for Letters & Science students who want to pursue more than one major within the College of Letters & Science. 

Note: Students proposing to complete one major in the College of Letters & Science and another in a different college (Engineering or Creative Studies), should refer to the Dual College Petition instructions above.

Petitions Instructions:

  1. Contact the department advisor for the new major to discuss the department's change of major process.
  2. Obtain a copy of the major requirements sheet. You can find this on the major department's website or in the UCSB Catalog.
  3. Complete the Change of Major petition, along with the Memo of Understanding for Double Majors. The form includes the Double Major Worksheet, where you must estimate the quarter you will complete your major requirements and provide the total number of units you will have earned. 
  4. Send both forms to your proposed major department's advisor for approval. If approved, the department will send the form to the College for final approval.

Note: If you are completing the double major forms and updating your current major at the same time (for example, going from pre-major to full major) you will need to submit the Change of Major form and Memo of Understanding for Double Majors to your current major's department advisor for approval. If approved, your major department will send the form to the second major department for a signature and submit it to the College for final approval.

Petition Processing & Notification: After the appropriate department(s) have signed, allow 4-6 weeks for College of Letters & Science approval. Once approved, it will take approximately another 2 weeks to see the update on your GOLD account.

Dropping a Double Major

Purpose: This petition is completed by Letters & Science students who plan to drop a double major within the College of Letters & Science. 

Petitions Instructions:

  1. Complete the Change of Major petition to reflect which major you wish to keep.
  2. Send the petition directly to the Office of the Registrar at GraduationMatters@sa.ucsb.edu. 

To drop a double major in a different college:

  1. Complete the Undergraduate Petition for Change of College or Dual College.
  2. Send the completed petition to the college of the major you intend to drop.

Petition Processing: Allow 4-6 weeks for College of Letters & Science approval. Once approved, it will take approximately another 2 weeks to see the update on your GOLD account.