Undecided about a Major?

About 10% of the incoming class will enter Biola University "Undeclared" There are many benefits to being "Undeclared," but there are also some other factors to consider before deciding to be Undeclared.

Benefits to being "Undeclared"

• Freedom to explore different major options and interests.
• Focus on completing General Education requirements.
• Work ahead of the pace toward completion of 30 units of Bible courses.
• First Year Seminar Class for Undeclared students exploring career planning and major selection.
• Meet with general Academic Advisor for course registration.

To learn more about majors offered at Biola University
View overviews of the majors at Biola

Who Should Not be "Undeclared”?
The Undeclared Major is not recommended for Torrey Honors Students, transfer students, or new freshmen bringing in more than 12 units of AP, CLEP or IB credits. Undeclared students focus primarily on completing their General Education and Bible requirements while exploring their options for majors. If you are one of the above mentioned students you will exhaust your General Education requirements more quickly than other students and be forced to select a major by the end of your first semester—in time for course selection for the Spring Semester. In this case, it will work to your benefit to have a major selected prior to enrolling.

Due to the heavy demands of the major coursework for Pre-Med, Biological Science & Biochemistry, Nursing, Art, and Business and the prescribed sequence of courses in these majors it is strongly recommended that students considering these majors enroll directly in the major the first semester. Delaying enrollment in any of these majors may extend the number of semesters needed to graduate. If a student decides to be Undeclared after taking one or two semesters of the coursework for the major, an Advising staff member will assist the student at that time.

Career Counseling for Undeclared Students
Career Counselors are available to all undeclared students. Students may set an appointment with a trained career counselor by contacting Career
Services at X4875. View Career Services webpage for more information about available
services (see Exploring Careers Online section- Four Year Model and Career Assessments).

Advising for Undeclared Students
Students who declare a specific major are assigned a faculty advisor in their department. This advisor helps them as they progress through the major toward their degree to make sure they are on track and to offer support to the student. Students who enter "undeclared" do not have faculty advisors, but still benefit from this support through the Academic Advising office. The Advising staff advises students who are "Undeclared" in their course selection and academic progress until the student is ready to declare his or her major. We encourage all students to declare a major by the end of the first semester of the sophomore year to ensure graduation in a reasonable amount of time.