Declaring Major

Eaglehurst

Eaglehurst

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Nov 14, 2023
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DS has indicated MES as his preferred major but is now leaning more towards Mech Eng. Pretty sure I read somewhere that cadets choose their major at the end of the first year. Is that correct?
 
They choose 2 favorites when they apply, and the academy assigns them to one. They have the ability to request a change at the end of 4/c year but it's at the discretion of the academy if it's granted.
 
In the past couple years, CGA split their majors/studies into 3 schools: The School of Engineering and Cyber Systems; The School of Science, Mathematics, and the Humanities; and The School of Leadership and Management. MES and Mech Eng are not in the same school. That doesn't mean she can't switch, but it might make it harder. Most 4/c cadets take most of the same core classes (unless they have validated out of some or have to take pre-calc or the extra English course), but Engineering students usually will all take Engineering Mech – Stat during 4/c year, while the MES students are usually taking their Chemistry II course during spring semester. That is the main difference for 4/c year. So, if she knows she absolutely wants to switch, she might want to reach out now to her AO and let them know. She could find out if that is something that can be done before she starts or before the end of swab summer so that she can make sure she takes that Statics class 4/c year.

And there is no guarantee they will accept her request to switch. But since she is switching from one STEM major to another, it is more likely.
 
ProudMom7 said:
In the past couple years, CGA split their majors/studies into 3 schools: The School of Engineering and Cyber Systems; The School of Science, Mathematics, and the Humanities; and The School of Leadership and Management. MES and Mech Eng are not in the same school. That doesn't mean she can't switch, but it might make it harder. Most 4/c cadets take most of the same core classes (unless they have validated out of some or have to take pre-calc or the extra English course), but Engineering students usually will all take Engineering Mech – Stat during 4/c year, while the MES students are usually taking their Chemistry II course during spring semester. That is the main difference for 4/c year. So, if she knows she absolutely wants to switch, she might want to reach out now to her AO and let them know. She could find out if that is something that can be done before she starts or before the end of swab summer so that she can make sure she takes that Statics class 4/c year.

And there is no guarantee they will accept her request to switch. But since she is switching from one STEM major to another, it is more likely.
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If you submit the paperwork to switch before the end of your 4/c spring semester, you will not have any issues. After that, during your 3/c year, you might be able to switch, but only within the schools (barring special circumstances). Your academic advisor will work with you to ensure you're making the best choice for your cadet career.

Personally, I finished my 4/c fall as a NavArch, realized I was not meant to be an engineer, and switched to ORDA (a fantastic major that is not properly represented on the website). I do not regret my choice at all, but I spoke with upperclassmen in both majors, my academic advisor, and faculty about the benefits of each major before making my decision.
 
They academy only puts a certain amount of candidates in each major. My son changed majors at the end of his 4th class year but told his advisor in January that he wanted a change. There are certain majors you can’t transfer into. Eg: a cadet can’t transfer into Nav Arc from Management due to not having pre reqs. It’s easier to transfer into Management from an Engineering major.
That should be an early conversation with an academic advisor if it’s being considered.
 
Harbormaster238 said:
They academy only puts a certain amount of candidates in each major. My son changed majors at the end of his 4th class year but told his advisor in January that he wanted a change. There are certain majors you can’t transfer into. Eg: a cadet can’t transfer into Nav Arc from Management due to not having pre reqs. It’s easier to transfer into Management from an Engineering major.
That should be an early conversation with an academic advisor if it’s being considered.
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It is possible to switch into Engineering from Management or Government. It is rare, but it happens. It is significantly easier and more common to switch from Engineering to another major.

One note: if you try to switch into Engineering after your second semester, you might need to attend summer school to catch up on calculus.
 
Since CGA is still filling spots for the class of 2028, that is another reason I suggest your daughter reach out to her AO now and ask to switch (assuming she is sure she wants to switch). If CGA needs to pull applicants from the wait list, they will want to be filling in any gaps in the class. This could be gaps in declared majors, athletics, home states, etc... It seems they would want to have the most accurate count of majors as possible.
 
JAH2002 said:
It is possible to switch into Engineering from Management or Government. It is rare, but it happens. It is significantly easier and more common to switch from Engineering to another major.

One note: if you try to switch into Engineering after your second semester, you might need to attend summer school to catch up on calculus.
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JAH2002 is correct. I would add that there is a path to switch between any major at the end of the 4/c year with summer school (providing the cadet is not too behind). One challenge moving from MES to Engineering after the 4/c year is that they now take different intro to computer type classes. The majors should accept each other's course, but the cadet would be responsible for learning the material on their own. I also agree with ProudMom7, I would inquire now. Last year some shifted prior to swab summer. Otherwise, in the fall, 4/c generally are allowed to request to switch into a STEM major. Availability between schools depend on numbers of 4/c as well as performance in your courses. The majority of the changes happen during the spring as noted above. For some, they apply in the middle of the spring semester but must wait until their spring grades are in. Within Engineering, some request to switch when they return for their 3/c fall.
 
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