Marine Option - Change Majors

[mgreen]

DS was recently selected for the NROTC MO Scholarship. In his scholarship application, he listed business as his designated major. He would like to change to another tier 3 major.

I have two questions for the group:

1. Does anyone see this as a problem?
2. What is the process for changing majors?

 

[USMCGrunt]

mgreen: I don't see it as a problem at all. USMC doesn't care about the major and I don't think they even have "tier" groups. I know that once he is at school and underway, the process involves meeting with his MOI (Marine Officer Instructor) and after review filling out a form that indicates that he can still graduate in 4 years. (My DS did this after his 3rd semester but still graduated in 4 years so it was no problem). Its more of an issue after they have a few semesters under their belts. In your son's case, there may not need to be any admin work at all. But since I am not personally aware of a change of major before starting college, he may want to contact the NROTC unit and ask them.

 

[rocatlin]

It shouldn't be an issue at all. The Marine Corps doesn't really care. The Tier 1 to Tier 3 is really for the Navy scholarship.

As USMCGrunt stated, it becomes more of an issue in school to change majors if a student is well underway on a scholarship path. If a student switches majors during sophomore year and later, there is a good chance that he/she may have to take makeup courses for his new majors -- and thus delay graduation time. My son switched from engineering (really for USNA requirements) to political science before he started his sophomore year. Since he received his scholarship notification during the first semester of his freshman year he opted not to pursue the Naval Academy, so he switched to something more interesting to him -- and less time consuming.