Academic Exploration

With 35 primary majors in Dietrich College to choose from and the ability to add majors, minors, and courses from any of CMU’s six undergraduate colleges, the options are limitless.

Working in partnership with their advisors, Dietrich students develop a personalized and customized academic plan that allows them to acquire a unique combination of skills, knowledge and experience to stand out after graduation.

First-year students are assigned a college advisor to assist with the transition from high school to college. College advisors are experts at supporting students and helping them get the most out of their time at CMU.

A typical schedule for first year students is five academic courses that range between 9-12 units per course. Each semester, a student typically takes between 45-50 units to stay on track for the 360 units they will need to graduate.

Tip: We highly recommend first year students take 66-101: Dietrich Introductory Seminar: College & University Success Strategies (DISCUSS). This 3-unit, once-a-week course will introduce you to resources, techniques and strategies for personal and academic success in school and in life.

College and Department Advisors will work with you to help choose a major.

During the first year, students work with a college advisor to begin discussing potential options for majors. Departmental advisors specialize in their academic departments and are a great resource for learning about the various degree programs and potential career outcomes. When a student declares their major, the relevant departmental advisor becomes their new primary academic advisor who will assist with identifying additional opportunities, facilitating connections with faculty and ensuring graduation requirements are met.

Another important resource that students can use in discussion with their advisors is the Stellic Degree Audit which can be used to explore multiple different academic programs, plan out pathways for future semesters, and track progress towards completion of General Education and major requirements.

The earliest students may declare their primary major is after the add deadline of their second semester, typically in late January or early February. The deadline to declare a major is at the end of the fourth semester, with most students declaring their primary major by the end of their first year.

Students must declare a primary major within Dietrich College, however, students are able to declare additional majors and minors from other CMU programs.

The Major Declaration Process:

• Student requests a major declaration form from their college advisor
• Student completes the major declaration form and schedules a meeting with the appropriate departmental advisor
• Student meets with the departmental advisor, who will officially update their academic record to reflect degree declaration

Once a student declares their major, the relevant departmental advisor becomes their new primary academic advisor who will assist with identifying additional opportunities, facilitating connections with faculty and ensuring graduation requirements are met. The departmental advisor is also an excellent resource for exploring how additional majors and minors can complement a primary major. Double-counting policies vary by academic program, so it is important to discuss plans with the departmental advisor during the major declaration process and use the Stellic audit to track progress.

Dietrich students are free to change their primary major at any time. However, doing so later in the academic career could delay graduation. Students interested in changing their major should discuss their options and implications for their degree timeline with both their current departmental advisor and the relevant departmental advisor for their new major before completing the change of major form.

Students should be proactive in checking their Stellic degree audits and reaching out to their department advisor to ensure that they are on track to graduate.

Students should always discuss making any changes to their course schedules, such as dropping or adding a class, with their advisor, but this is especially important during their senior year.

Students are encouraged to discuss career aspirations with their advisors throughout their time at Carnegie Mellon and to connect with the Career and Professional Development Center. Department advisors are a vital resource for students to better understand career opportunities and pathways for continuing their education, such as law, medical, or graduate school, related to their major(s) and academic interests.