Declaring Majors and Minors

Declaration of a Major

A student declares a major upon entrance to the university by filling out the “Academic Interest” section on the admission application. If students wish to change their majors, they must complete a Major/Minor Declaration form found on the myCanisius portal under the Forms heading. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure the record reflects their correct major, concentration or minor data. It is extremely important that students declare the correct major, because academic advisors are assigned based on the major on file with the Student Records and Financial Services Center.

For Pathfinder (undecided) students, the Griff Center for Student Success provides advisement as they explore potential fields of study that best match their interests and goals. By working collaboratively with the Pathfinders Program Director and their career coach, Pathfinder students have exposure to academic major exploration and career development tools. Before officially declaring a major using the Major/Minor Declaration form, Pathfinders should seek the advice of the department chair or faculty for the major.

• Undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor’s degree must declare a major within 30 days of the beginning of the first semester after they have achieved junior class status (60 hours or more).
• Undergraduate students pursuing an associate’s degree must declare a major within 30 days of the beginning of the first semester after they have achieved sophomore class status (30 hours or more).

It is extremely important that students declare the correct major, because academic advisors are assigned based on the major on file with the Student Records and Financial Services Center.

Double Majors

Students who wish to expand their educational opportunities may decide to declare a double major. This decision may be based on career goals, planned graduate studies, and/or other student interests. Before a student declares a double major, it is important to meet with the appropriate academic departments for advisement.  In order to declare a double major, the student must complete the Major/Minor Declaration form. This form will be submitted electronically and reviewed and approved by each department chairperson as well as the appropriate associate dean. 

Per university policy, each additional major requires a minimum of 15 credits that do not apply to the student's first or subsequent major.  Some double major combinations can be completed within the minimum 120 credit hour degree requirement, but in other cases additional course work may be required. Please note that students will receive only one degree unless completing the dual degree requirement including at least 150 undergraduate credit hours, regardless of the number of majors they complete. Both (all) majors appear on a student’s transcript.

Minors

Minors are another option available to students to explore an area of interest.  Minors generally have fewer requirements than a major - usually 5 to 7 courses.  Some minors are open to all students, while others may be restricted to students in specific majors. The requirements for each minor are outlined in the appropriate departmental sections. Per university policy, to receive a minor a student must complete at least 9 credit hours of coursework distinct from their major(s) and from other minors, and students must complete more than 50% of the coursework required for the minor at Canisius. The complete list of minors provides links to each minor page. 

To declare a minor, students must complete the minor request form on the myCanisius portal which must be signed by the department chair and the appropriate associate dean. If students declare a minor by sophomore year, they can usually complete it in a timely manner.  Students should work with their advisor to determine if it is possible that the minor can be completed by graduation. Canisius cannot guarantee that all minor courses are offered every semester or year. If a student does not complete a minor, it will be removed from the student’s record and the student will still graduate if all major requirements have been completed.

concentrations

A concentration is a structured plan of study within a major. Concentrations can be optional or required depending on the academic major selected. Declared concentrations will show on the official transcript, and must be completed to fulfill graduation requirements.