Although you must declare a major by the end of your sophomore year (or before you complete 55 credits), do not feel rushed or pressured if you do not know what you want to pursue. Declare a major when you are ready. College should be a transformative experience so take a variety of classes, talk to peers and advisors, and allow yourself to figure out what really interests you.

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What is a major?

A major is the field of concentration or ‘specialization’ for your undergraduate degree. To graduate from UHM, you must choose a major and fulfill its requirements, in addition to the university’s core curriculum common to all majors.

UHM offers more than 80 undergraduate majors. You can view the entire major listing in the University Catalog.

Requirements vary from major to major – you can look at the major sections in the catalog to learn about specific requirements.  Please note that in addition to university-wide requirements and specific major requirements, there may be college/school requirements one must meet.*

Another great resource is to check out the program sheets and academic plans for all UHM majors. The program sheets tell you exactly what you need to do and to take to achieve your major of interest.

*All majors are housed in departments, and all departments are housed in different colleges and schools.  The collection of colleges and schools make up the University of Hawaii academic experience.

Some majors can be declared anytime, while others cannot as they have admission requirements (e.g., minimum GPA, total credits, specific pre-major courses, test scores). To declare a major with admissions requirements, you need to meet those requirements first, apply to the major, and officially get accepted by the program.

Oftentimes, you turn your paperwork into the specific college or school that houses your major. For the most up-to-date information always ask your advisor or someone in the college/school office.

It depends on your major. If you are thinking about a natural science or science-related major, language, music, art, or theater, it is most beneficial to decide sooner rather than later. These majors tend to have a lot of prerequisites or foundation courses that must be completed in a highly structured sequence during freshman and sophomore years. It addition, some majors, in particular those majors offered under the specialized degrees (e.g., Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music) tend to require a lot of credits. Therefore, you need to start early if you want to complete all of the requirements in a timely manner.

A resource, which has proved helpful for students planning out their major requirements, is the “GPS Registration” tab in your STAR account. If you’re trying to figure out how long it will take you to graduate if you switch majors, the “What If Journey” tab (also accessible in your STAR account) will be a valuable resource.