All SUNY New Paltz students must formally declare a major before they are officially considered enrolled in that major. It is an important step. It gets you connected with a faculty advisor in that department and starts you on the path to graduation in four years. Each department has its own procedure for major declaration; some have entrance requirements (a certain GPA or array of courses) while others do not. You can review majors and requirements here.
You declare a major by meeting with the Department Chair and receiving a major plan of study. (Office hours and locations can be found in the directory.) The Department will submit a webform to declare this change and assign an advisor. When the changes are processed, you will receive an email acknowledgment and the change will be reflected on your progress report. For more detailed information, see the academic policy for major/minor declaration.
Students must declare a major for which they qualify by the time they reach 60 credits. Failure to do so will result in a registration hold. A pre-major is not valid after 60 credits are completed. New York State residents with 60 or more credits will not be eligible for New York's Tuition Assistance Plan (TAP) until the major is declared. This policy applies to incoming transfer students as well as continuing students at New Paltz.
You may not be able to graduate in four years if you have more than 60 credits earned before choosing a major.
