Change of Major Requests
Welcome to the Change of Major Liberal Studies Webpage!
This is a one-stop-shop for information on changing majors - whether it be to join the Liberal Studies major or to leave it for another major at CSULB. We receive questions from students year-round about major changes and wanted to provide a resource to refer to. It's very common and normal to question the major or program one is following or is considering to follow, as we discover more about ourselves in our academic journey. It's important to ask questions, explore your options, and do some research. And no matter the choice you fall upon, just remember - any program or major can lead to a career in teaching or education, if that's your interest.
Change of Major Information
See below for information on how to submit a request to change majors.
We highly recommend browsing information about our program on our Liberal Studies Program Overview Webpage in order to better understand the program and make sure this is the program you want to join, before you submit a request. Most students who pursue the Liberal Studies undergraduate major are interested in Elementary and/or Special Education Careers in K-12 settings; however, students do not have to major in this program to pursue those career options - you can major in anything to become a K-12 teacher, so make sure this is the right fit for you!
If you are interested in declaring into the Liberal Studies undergraduate major, submit a request below.
Note: This link is only for students already at CSULB. If you are a new student, please check our section for new students for how to proceed with changes of major.
CSULB has an amazing number of undergraduate programs to choose from, depending on your interests, future goals, and competencies. If you know the major or program you are interested in declaring, we recommend to reach out to the appropriate College Advising Center and/or Faculty Advisors, depending.
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Health and Human Services
- College of the Arts or School of Art at soa-advising@csulb.edu
- College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
- College of Engineering (*)
- College of Business
(*) For College of Engineering major interests, students are referred to the University Center for Undergraduate Advising(UCUA) to determine eligibility and planning, prior to working directly with the College.
Still Exploring Majors? If you are considering exploring your options further for potential majors, the University Center for Undergraduate Advising (UCUA) is a very helpful and resourceful center students can connect with for major exploration at the university as a whole. They can also refer you to an advising center or faculty advising, as appropriate.
Students are not required to receive any type of permission to leave the Liberal Studies major from our Department; only approval for the new major is required, from the new college/program.
Timely Graduation Policy & Major-Change Requests
CSULB’s Timely Graduation for Undergraduate Students policy was established to provide access to the University’s undergraduate major and minor programs for as many qualified students as possible and to ensure timely graduation for current students. Under this policy, students may earn up to 120% of the number of units required for the degree in their declared primary major in order to complete the degree. However, the policy does not entitle students to add or change degree objectives (e.g. majors, minors, certificates) simply because the objectives can be completed within 120% of the number of units required for the degree. In addition, the policy requires that a student must apply to graduate online by the time the student has completed 100% of the units required for the declared primary major
Keep in mind that all colleges and programs at the university will keep the Timely Graduation Policy in mind when evaluating a student's record for major change requests. Other factors that can influence a major-change decision is also based on Major-Specific Declaration Requirements as well as impaction / seat availability in courses for a given term.