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Vulcan Materials Academic Success Center

What Does it Mean to be Undeclared?


Now that you’re here at UAB you have a chance to explore your interests through co-curricular, research, and experiential learning opportunities. There’s nothing wrong with being undeclared, in fact an estimated 30% of students entering college are undeclared. The Exploratory Academic Advisors in the VMASC are equipped to help you discover where your interests translate into a major and someday a career. Some decide quickly, others take longer, but at the end of the day there’s no right or wrong way to decide your program of study. Just know that we’re dedicated to help you make the choice that’s right for you.

Declaring Your Major

We encourage students to start exploring majors during their first term so they can declare their major within them 3 semesters. All students must declare a degree-awarding major by the time they earn 60 semester hours of coursework, including courses currently in progress, before registering for the next semester. Students who

  1. have been dismissed from a degree-awarding major or professional program,
  2. have over 60 semester hours of coursework, including courses currently in progress, and
  3. are in a non-degree awarding major

must declare a new degree-awarding major before enrolling for a second semester. Students who do not declare a major within the stated time-frame will not be allowed to register for the next term and must contact their academic advisor and change their major before enrolling.

Students enrolling at UAB for the first time and who have previously earned 60 or more hours must declare a degree-awarding major during their first term of enrollment.

Conditions for acceptance of a student into a major vary by department, school, and college. Majors should be declared or changed online at BlazerNET. Some majors are subject to additional admission requirements and enrollment limitations.