If you are a student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, you must declare a degree-granting major by the time you earn 60 semester hours.

The College makes very limited exceptions to this rule. Transfer students entering the College with 60 or more semester hours, students re-entering after dismissal, and students re-entering after more than a year since their last enrollment may be given individual exemptions by the College which are noted at the time of admission or reinstatement.

Keep in mind that advising designations such Pre-Business, Nursing interest, or Pre-Medicine, for example, are not majors but an indication of your interest in a professional field in order for you to receive advising about this area of interest. Students who have declared at least one degree-granting major by the time they have earned 60 semester hours may still keep an "interest" or “pre-” designation in order to receive advising from a professional advisor in this field of study. However, some "pre-" designations have a minimum GPA requirement, as noted below.

Some majors are selective and have limited enrollment, requiring an application and acceptance by the program before you may declare the major. Be sure to talk to your advisor to find out more about the application process so that you have been accepted into a major or declared another major before you have earned 60 semester hours. (See below for a list of these selective programs.)

Some majors have subprograms (tracks, concentrations, emphasis areas, specializations, etc.) available or required. A student may declare or earn only one subprogram for a major. For example, a student in the Sport and Recreation Management major may choose the Business Studies concentration or the Event Management concentration, but not both. However, after declaring a subprogram a student may still take courses in the major even if they are listed under a different subprogram.

In many cases, it is simple to declare or change a major.

• Students advised at the Academic Advising Center (C210 Pomerantz Center) may declare or change majors in that office.
• Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences should use the Major Program of Study Change Request Form to request to add a new CLAS major, drop an existing CLAS major, or make a change to an existing CLAS major (for example, change from BA to BS, or change a subprogram for the major).
• Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences also may email clas-undergrad@uiowa.edu to add, drop, or change a major if the online form does not meet their needs. The email must come from your University of Iowa email account and include your University ID number or Hawk ID.
• Students who are enrolled in another College at the University of Iowa who want to add a CLAS major, or switch to a CLAS major, should complete the Change of College application in MyUI (Student Information, then Change of College Application under Advising).
• Students currently in a Combined Degree Program (with majors in two Colleges) who want to drop a major in one College should complete the Discontinuation of Undergraduate Combined Degree Program form found on the Registrar's website or in MyUI.
• If you are not a current student but have been admitted to the University of Iowa for a future semester or session, you must contact the Office of Admissions to add, change or drop a major program of study, admissions@uiowa.edu or 319-335-3847.

If the requirements for your chosen major or academic program change after you have declared a major or program, you will not be required to complete the new requirements. Your degree audit will reflect the requirements that were in place when you declared your major or program. Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who wish to change a degree audit to reflect new requirements should contact CLAS Undergraduate Programs, clas-undergrad@uiowa.edu. Whenever a major or academic program is revised, the new requirements appear in the next edition of the General Catalog. View graduation requirements.

Students wanting to stay on track for four-year graduation need to work closely with their advisors to make sure they understand the requirements that must be met, as well as the appropriate sequences in which to take courses. Students also should review Sample Plans found in MyUI or in the General Catalog to aid in course planning.

View list of CLAS majors

Specific requirements for majors, minors, and certificates are listed in the General Catalog.

The open major is not an actual major. It is a designation that applies to all students until they declare a major and is used to facilitate discussions between advisors and students about potential majors. All open majors are advised in the Academic Advising Center until declaring a major. Students must declare a specific major by the time they have earned 60 semester hours. (For exceptions, see declaring a major).

If you declare an interest in exploring a course of study in business, dentistry, law, medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant, or a professional program such as chiropractic, mortuary science, optometry, podiatry, or veterinary medicine, you will be given a “pre-” designation in order to help your advisor know your interest. Most advising for these areas occurs in the Academic Advising Center. A “pre-” designation does not imply acceptance into a particular program and is not a degree-granting major itself. Consult the General Catalog or an advisor in the Academic Advising Center for specific program requirements.

The "pre-" designations of Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Physical Therapy and Pre-Physician Assistant have minimum GPA requirements effective at the close of summer session 2019:

Pre-Medicine and Pre-Dentistry

• Pre-Medicine and Pre-Dentistry students who enter the University of Iowa as first-year students must have a minimum 3.00 overall cumulative GPA after their third semester of enrollment in order to continue having the "pre-" designation as a program of study.
• Students who enter as transfer students must have a minimum 3.00 overall cumulative GPA after their first semester of enrollment at the University of Iowa in order to continue having the "pre-" designation as a program of study.

Pre-Physical Therapy and Pre-Physician Assistant

• Pre-Physical Therapy and Pre-Physician Assistant students who enter the University of Iowa as first-year students must have a minimum 2.75 overall cumulative GPA after their third semester of enrollment in order to continue having the "pre-" designation as a program of study.
• Students who enter as transfer students must have a 2.75 overall cumulative GPA after their first semester of enrollment at the University of Iowa in order to continue having the "pre-" designation as a program of study.

If you are interested in one of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences selective or limited admission majors or programs listed below, you may request to be designated as having an “interest” in such a program before actually being admitted to it.  The "interest" designation does not imply that you have been accepted into a particular program or major but merely signals to your academic advisor that you have an interest in it, so that he or she can better prepare to discuss its requirements with you.

 "Interest" designations may no longer be used as a primary program of study after a student has earned 60 semester hours. At that point, the student must choose a degree-granting major.

Please note: Students who declare a Nursing Interest designation must have a 3.00 overall cumulative GPA after the end of their second semester of enrollment to continue with Nursing Interest.

Remember that admission to these majors or programs requires an application (or audition) with possible additional requirements. Advice from an advisor and timely application to the major or program of choice is essential, as these programs are competitive.

Specific requirements for each program may be found in the General Catalog. For more information, contact your advisor.

Students admitted to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences are not guaranteed admission to all programs or majors in the College nor are they guaranteed admission to other colleges at the University of Iowa or to those programs or majors.

The following are selective or limited admission programs within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, requiring a separate application or the fulfillment of admission requirements before acceptance. Students are encouraged to meet frequently with an advisor in order to understand the prerequisites and the admission process for these majors.

• Art, Bachelor of Fine Arts only
• Biomedical Sciences
• Dance, Bachelor of Fine Arts only
• Music
• Therapeutic Recreation (NCTRC Certification track)

The following are selective or limited admission undergraduate programs in other colleges at the University of Iowa:

• Business
• Counseling and Behavioral Health Services
• Elementary and Secondary Education
• Education Studies and Human Relations
• Engineering
• Medical Laboratory Science
• Nuclear Medicine Technology
• Nursing
• Pharmacy
• Public Health
• Radiation Sciences

Please consult the General Catalog and Academic Advising Center for specific requirements for all majors and programs requiring an application.

If you want to declare a major or earn an undergraduate degree in another college at the University (such as the Tippie College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, or the College of Public Health), you must be admitted to that college and to the major or program.

Students who wish to add a secondary education teaching license to their CLAS degree must be admitted the College of Education to complete the appropriate secondary education BA and Teacher Education Program (TEP). However, the Science Studies major itself may be declared by any CLAS student. Interested students should visit with an advisor in the appropriate college or with an advisor at the Academic Advising Center.

You may earn a single bachelor's degree with two or more majors as long as you meet the requirements for each major. For example, you may earn a BA with a double major in history and English. Similarly, you could earn a BS with a double major in psychology and sociology. (Students wishing to earn two different degrees such as a BS and a BA should read Earning multiple undergraduate degrees.)

When a single department offers more than one major (such as the Department of Physics and Astronomy, which offers majors in applied physics, astronomy, and physics), a student may earn more than one major from the department.

Please note that some majors may not be combined, as described in the University of Iowa General Catalog. 

If you have already earned a BA or BS degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and are not currently enrolled in a graduate or professional program, you are permitted to complete the requirements for another major that offers the same degree or to complete the requirements for a second major developed from a previously earned minor. To do this, apply for readmission to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, declare the appropriate major on your application, and register as a senior.

If you would like to earn a new major in a field that offers a degree different from the one you have already earned (e.g., a BS if you already have a BA), you may return for a second degree (see earning multiple undergraduate degrees).

Students who return to the College to complete another major must meet only the requirements of that major; they do not need to satisfy the residence requirements or the General Education requirements for a second time. Please note that any restrictions on earning a second major remain in effect and are based on the original degree audit session of the first major, and any restrictions related to the second major also will be enforced based on the degree audit session for that major.

It is your responsibility to apply to Degree Services upon completion of the requirements for an additional major so that the completion of that major may be placed on the permanent record. Please note that diplomas are issued for completion of a degree, not completion of a major. If you return to CLAS and complete an additional major for a previously earned bachelor's degree will not be awarded a new diploma, nor will your existing diploma be updated to include the additional major. You can request an official transcript or a degree verification showing completion of the additional major.

Returning students may not use graduate credit earned at another institution towards a University of Iowa bachelor's degree.

Students who hold a bachelor's degree from another college or university may not complete a second major at the University of Iowa. Instead, they may apply to earn a second degree (see earning multiple undergraduate degrees).

Students who leave the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences without completing their declared major and the related degree may be eligible to return to complete that major if it is still listed in the current General Catalog at the time of the student’s return. Majors rarely close, but over time there can be closures or other significant changes to majors and their related content and requirements. If a major has been closed and is no longer listed in the Catalog it may not be possible for the student to complete that program of study. In this case the student should discuss their specific situation with CLAS Undergrad Programs, clas-undergrad@uiowa.edu or 319-335-2633. If the major remains open but its requirements have changed significantly, the department offering the major will decide what course work from the student’s past enrollments will still apply to the major and what future course work is required. The acceptance of previously completed requirements for the major by the department is not guaranteed.

If you are interested in returning to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to finish your undergraduate degree after an extended absence, please complete the Graduation Inquiry form. We will prepare and email you a sample degree audit and summary letter outlining your remaining graduation requirements. An appropriate time to schedule an appointment with your academic advisor will be after you receive and review your letter and updated degree audit. If you like, you may begin the re-entry process while your record is being reviewed. You can apply online for admission to CLAS as a returning student. You do not need permission from the College to re-enroll if you were not previously dismissed from the College. To submit an electronic application for re-entry, please visit the Office of Admissions website.

Please note, if you were previously dismissed from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for low scholarship, and wish to return to the College to complete your undergraduate degree, you will need to seek reinstatement to the College. If you were dismissed from CLAS and are directly admitted to another college at the university, you do not need to seek reinstatement to CLAS. If you previously were enrolled in CLAS, have been away from the University of Iowa for four years or more, and return to the university to complete your first bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible for academic forgiveness through Restart.