Election of a Major
As indicated under the Requirements for the Degree, students declare a choice of major after the beginning, and must do so by the end of his or her fifth term of residence or, in some cases, immediately thereafter.
Students in residence (R) during the winter term of their second year may start the major declaration process at the start of winter term and must declare it by the second Thursday of spring term, whether or not they will be in residence that term. As a practical matter, most students who will not be enrolled in the spring term must declare their major before leaving at the end of the winter. Students not in residence in their second winter will be required to declare their major by the last day of class in their next term of residence. Since no student is required to declare a major before the end of the fifth term of enrollment (R, O, and X all being included) in a few cases the deadline for declaring is delayed from that indicated above until the end of the fifth term of enrollment is reached.
Early in the appropriate term, every student required to declare a major submits a major plan using DartWorks which requires the approval of the chair of the appropriate department or program (or other authorized faculty member designated by the chair). The student also lists the courses that are prerequisite to the major and the culminating experience. Detailed instructions for major declaration and the use of DartWorks are available on the Registrar's website.
Important Note: In working out your major with the department or program adviser you may find it necessary to modify your enrollment pattern (D-plan). If you do modify your D-plan, be sure to alter your official D-plan accessed from DartHub or by contacting the Office of the Registrar. It is the official enrollment pattern as filed with the Registrar and as displayed in DartHub, not what is listed in DartWorks program planner or any other document, that certifies your actual enrollment pattern (D-plan).
Clearly, it takes a great deal of time and effort to work out a desirable major program, and the more individualized it is, the more thought, consultation, and possible committee action will be required. Be sure to become familiar with the descriptions in this Catalog. Highly structured standard majors, such as Engineering Sciences, and worthwhile individualized ones, although quite opposite in nature, are likely to require the earliest starts and most careful planning and early discussions. Bear in mind that most advanced and many fundamental courses are offered only once a year, and that quite a few are offered only every other year. As indicated earlier, it is to allow the careful planning especially needed for the Dartmouth Plan that this Catalog covers a two-year period.
Frequently students are reluctant to sign up for a major because they do not feel sure enough that they are ready to make a suitable choice. They should not worry unduly in this respect: what is necessary is to make a start. Many students change to another major; there is no penalty of any sort for making a change, but note that students may not change major (or type of major, including the addition of a second major) later than the first week of their last term in residence.
As indicated earlier in this Catalog, there are three main possibilities for majoring, namely, the Standard Major, the Modified Major, and the Special Major. You should be sure to review these descriptions. As suggested by the name, most students pursue a Standard Major as offered by most departments and programs.