While most schools admit students to their university, N.C . State admits students to a particular college, asking them to declare a course of study before their first day. Due to this characteristic, the University is open to students interested in transferring to another course of study.
When incoming freshmen apply to N.C . State, they apply directly to their chosen fields. This strategy is used to introduce students to major-specific courses at an early stage, while also giving them more time to switch majors after test-driving their original choices. Freshmen who don’t select a major have the option to enter either the First Year College or the Transitional Program.
The practice of declaring a major before admission is not a common one, and it’s one that could have serious repercussions for students who aren’t giving their decisions enough thought.
”I think students should think very well before deciding on a major. It’s very serious. But if they decide to change majors, the decision should be made as early as possible.” Sami Ben Rejeb , International Ph.D . student, said.
If a student wishes to switch majors, depending on the college into which they want to transfer, they may or may not be admitted. Many factors could determine why a student may not be accepted into the degree program of their choice. Some students who are denied access to a new major often decide to transfer to another university.
“The system should be more forgiving to younger people, because they have not had as much time to make such important decisions. It should be more flexible, just for younger students.” Ben Rejeb said.
From 2008 to 2009, approximately 1,000 students left N.C . State University while in good academic standing, according to University data. Many of those students were not accepted as transfers into other majors and opted for alternatives.
“I do think in special cases there should be some leniency for students who want to transfer into another major, to avoid them having to transfer to another school.” Erik Rehm , community assistant in the First Year College, said.
Regulations for transferring into majors outside of a student’s current college are department specific, in addition to having campus wide qualifications.
Some general requirements for transferring to another curriculum involve credit hours. For instance, students who have attempted fewer than twelve credit hours at N.C . State may transfer to another program if the student meets the admission requirements of the intended new curriculum.
“I think it should depend on the major, because of the difficulty of some of the classes.” Rehm said.
Most colleges on campus have a fairly straightforward criteria for switching in: students must have a GPA of 3.0 or better and have completed 12 hours at N.C . State for automatic acceptance. Students who fall below the 3.0 mark have to pursue their new curriculum by following the guidelines of that particular department.
”The process was easy for me to change majors, because I was switching within my department. I switched early on, and it reflected in the ease of getting into my desired major. The restrictions didn’t really complicate my changing majors like other students may have experienced.” Andrew Kyriakoulis , senior in design, said.
Many of the University’s academic disciplines require specific coursework, often times not translating to other areas of study. Students who decide to switch into a major outside of their college essentially have to start over building credits for their new major.
“For instance, with design you have to know from the beginning it’s something you want to major in. I don’t think it helps that the GER requirements can be so strict at times due to some of the GER courses being major specific.” Kyriakoulis said.
Academic advising services are offered for students who are interested in switching majors. Walk-in advising as well as scheduled appointments are available to all current or former N.C . State undergraduate students. Students can also receive counseling with Academic Advising through email and call-ins.
”Having good feedback, talking with students and listening to the reasons or concerns they are having are very important to helping them decide on the best major. See if they are badly advised. All of these things can be used to improve advising, and improve the success of students.” Ben Rejeb said.
