Majors & minors
A major is an extended study of one academic area, usually within one department of the University. Your major consists of at least 50 credits and makes up about one-third of your bachelor鈥檚 degree program.
When should I choose a major?
The experience of choosing a major will be different for everyone; it is good to remember, though, that it is a process, one that may take several quarters. For some students, taking an introductory course in the subject will tell them what they need to know, while others will seek additional experiential learning opportunities such as volunteering, being a teacher鈥檚 assistant, doing Undergraduate Research, etc. No matter what your process looks like, advisors can talk to you about your progress every step of the way.
For the first few quarters of your college career, it鈥檚 perfectly okay not to know what your major will be, but you should be taking steps to find out. As early as your first year, one or two of your courses each quarter should be a subject you鈥檙e considering as a major, or a prerequisite of your intended major. Most students run through several potential majors before they find the subject they enjoy most. Give yourself time to do this by starting to investigate potential majors early in your academic career.
How soon can I declare a major?
It depends on your intended major. Please reference the Declaring your major web page for more information.
Although you must complete General Education Requirements (English Composition, Areas of Inquiry, etc.), it is not a good idea to concentrate exclusively on these requirements at first and postpone thinking about a major. Many majors require more than 50 credits and some have extensive prerequisites. Additionally, some majors take four years to complete from the time you begin the prerequisite courses. Your advisor is always here to help so feel free to reach out to them!
Creating a course plan for major admission
We recommend that you develop a four-year plan and modify it frequently. If you prefer digital planning over pen-and-paper, you can use for this.
Four year plans should be considered tentative, as course offerings may change at any time. Although most majors require certain courses for admission, other courses are taken from a broad range of options, and others are totally open electives. Some majors include a lot of flexibility and up to a third of your degree might be electives. Some majors are much more structured.
As you work on your course plan, keep in mind that your plan will probably change a bit quarter-to-quarter as different courses become available, as your interests evolve, as you participate in experiential learning or add a minor, etc. Read through the information in the General Catalog about the majors you are considering and make lists of the courses you鈥檒l need to take. The descriptions of those courses in the online Course Descriptions will help you determine the necessary prerequisites and sequencing of courses.
The 105-credit rule
You must declare a major by the time you have accumulated 105 credits. If you are not able to declare your intended major by that time, you must make another choice or seek a pre-major extension from your advisor.
To request a pre-major extension, you must meet with your Advisor. The conversation is meant to be sure you have a major in mind, you鈥檝e made good plans, and you鈥檙e taking the appropriate steps to prepare for that major. If the major is competitive, part of the conversation will be about developing alternative plans in the event you are not accepted into your desired major.
Double majors & double degrees
If you complete the requirements of two majors, you will earn either a bachelor鈥檚 degree with two majors (鈥渄ouble major鈥�) or two bachelor鈥檚 degrees (鈥渄ouble degree鈥�). Which of these you are awarded depends on the name of the degree(s).
Double major
You will earn a double major when both majors lead to the same degree name (e.g., B.A., B.S., B.F.A.), even if the two majors are in different schools. For example, if you complete the requirements for the B.A. degree with a major in American and Ethnic Studies (School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences) and the B.A. degree with a major in Chemistry (School of STEM), you will earn a single B.A. degree with a double major. You cannot earn a double degree when the two majors lead to the same degree name.
Double degree
You will earn a double degree when the two majors lead to differently named degrees (e.g., B.A. vs. B.S.). For example, if you complete the requirements for the B.A. degree with a major in Global Studies and the B.S. degree with a major in Environmental Science, you will earn a double degree. Another example: if you complete the requirements for the B.A. in Business Administration degree and the B.A. degree with a major in Media and Communication Studies, you will earn a double degree. Although these are both Bachelors of Arts, the Business Administration major is a named degree and so does not have the same degree name as the Media and Communication Studies degree.
Declaring a double major or double degree
Both majors do not have to be declared at the same time, although they may be. See the Declaring your Major web page for more information on this process or contact your advisor.
Credits required
- Double majors require a minimum of 180 credits, which is the minimum number of credits required for a degree at 56吃瓜网 Bothell. It may, however, take you more than 180 credits to complete all of the requirements for the two majors, depending on the requirements themselves and how efficient you are in taking them.
- Double degrees require a minimum of 225 credits (i.e., 180 for the first degree plus 45 for the second degree). Technically, the rule is that you must complete 45 credits more than the number required for the degree that requires the fewer credits. Normally this means that two degrees require 225 credits, because at least one of the degrees almost always requires 180 credits.
Degree names
Both majors of a double major must have the same degree name, and majors in a double degree must have different degree names. The easiest way to discern the degree name is to look for the word 鈥渄egree鈥� in the name. Everything to the left of the word 鈥渄egree鈥� is the degree name. For example:
- In 鈥淏achelor of Arts degree with a major in Culture, Literature and the Arts鈥�, the degree name is 鈥淏achelor of Arts.鈥� This major can be combined with any other 鈥淏achelor of Arts鈥� major to form a double major.
- In 鈥淏achelor of Arts in Business Administration degree鈥�, the degree name is 鈥淏achelor of Arts in Business Administration.鈥� This major cannot be part of a double major, but it could be part of a double degree. Degrees like this, with such specific names, are sometimes called named degrees.
Overlap with General Education/Areas of Knowledge requirements
When both of your majors or degrees are in the same school, you must complete the General Education requirements for that school.
When the majors/degrees are in different schools, you have to complete both sets of requirements. However, in most pairs of general education requirements, one set is a subset of the other. To the extent that the requirements do not overlap, you must complete the requirements for both schools.
Transcripts & diplomas
A double major will read on the transcript, for example: 鈥淏achelor of Arts (Interdisciplinary Arts; Mathematical Thinking and Visualization)鈥� You will receive one diploma that says 鈥淏achelor of Arts.鈥� In general, majors are not posted on diplomas.
A double degree will read on the transcript, for example: 鈥淏achelor of Arts (Law, Economics and Public Policy)鈥� and 鈥淏achelor of Science (Physics).鈥� You will receive two diplomas.