Majors and Careers

Changing my major

Generally students are eligible to change their major after successfully completing their first semester at SJSU. However, it often isn't that simple in practice to declare a new major. Advisors are available to help you through this process. 

Does your target major have requirements to complete before you can declare?

Some SJSU majors require you to complete certain classes, or earn a certain GPA, in order to declare the new major. These requirements can take several semesters to finish. A few majors are so competitive that students can't transfer into them at all. Other majors have no requirements for transfer and allow you to declare the new major right away.

It is important to know what your target major will expect of you before declaring so you can effectively work towards your goal.

What credit, if any, will you lose by changing majors?

It is also important to remember that if you are going to change your major, you should do so early in your academic career, so you don't lose time and money by having to re-start and re-take a brand new set of major prerequisite courses. All majors will honor qualifying General Education courses, but particularly for prospective STEM and Business majors, it is important to be mindful of the math track you are selecting. 

Identify your target major as early as possible and work specifically towards that goal so that you take the right classes that will keep you on track for on time graduation in your intended major.

Undeclared Students

Undeclared students are required to declare a "degree-granting" major by the time they earn 60 units. This generally means that students must declare by the end of their second year at SJSU, though some may reach the 60 unit limit more quickly if they brought AP, IB or Community College coursework with them from high school that fulfills General Education requirements.

More questions?

View the video below from our mentor, Polet, detailing some of the first questions you'll want to ask as you think about changing your major.

How do I start thinking about my career?

It is important to remember that your major and your career are not the same thing. Each major will give you a broad range of valuable skills that prepare you for success in a vast number of careers. Even if you start down one career path after college, you always have the opportunity to pursue other job opportunities that interest you in different fields. This is the option that your broad SJSU degree will give you.

Outside of a few very specific career paths, for example accounting and engineering, most employers don't care precisely what major you choose as long as it is broadly applicable to the job they are hiring you to do. Employers care much more about the care, time and energy you put into your academic career, regardless of major, and the professional experience you gain while in college through work experience programs, internships and leadership positions on campus.

Career Center

Your first stop for any career related questions should be the SJSU Career Center!

Our career counselors can help you write and edit a resume and cover letter, as well as practice your interviewing skills and elevator pitch (a short minute-long summary of the value you bring to an organization) before meeting with employers. The Career Center also maintains a fantastc database of part-time and full-time job posting from all sorts of employers! 

See the video from our mentor Charles about how to use the career center's online resources.