The department encourages students to declare the major as soon as possible. Choosing an advisor is easier than it may first appear. Often the advisor is someone the student has had for a course, and it is a good idea to approach an instructor with whom the student feels comfortable for information about the department and the major. That faculty member may end up being the student s advisor or may send the student to another faculty member who is better able to meet the student s needs. If the student does not know any faculty member it is best to begin with the main office.
Staff there can direct the student to an appropriate faculty member.
Declaring a major is a simple process. The student can discuss major requirements with the advisor and may decide on areas of academic emphasis at this time, though the student is not required to so. The student will also complete a declaration of major card, which is then sent to the Registrar s Office. The student is entered in the university s computer system as a major and is cleared to take courses open only to declared majors. The student also receives mailings from the department.