Exploring Majors 

One of the biggest decisions students will make during their four years at Carnegie Mellon for their bachelor's degree is what they will declare as a major. All Dietrich College students enter into the university undeclared, with the exception of Information Systems majors. One of the benefits of Dietrich College is the opportunity to have academic advisors who will help students explore potential areas of interests.

The earliest a student can declare a major is mid-semester of their second semester. Since most majors in Dietrich College are designed to be completed within two years, students will have until mid-semester of their 4th semester to declare.

Academic Audit

When students are deciding what courses to take, your Academic Audit is the first place to start. 

Our academic audit system, known as Stellic, has information about the student: name, major (if declared), class level, school (Dietrich College), Andrew ID, cumulative QPA, degree progress, Advisor, and options to search for any CMU major or minor audit and create long term course plans.

Once you declare a major, your academic audit will track your progress in that major and allow you to plan out your remaining courses.

Stellic has many helpful tools built in that can help you explore options for courses and programs, and ensure you are staying on track. Talk to your advisor(s) about how to make the most of Stellic.

How To Declare Your Major

AAC Advisor

Your Academic Advisory Center (AAC) Advisor is the first step in declaring your major. They can help you think about your interests and values and relate them to the majors that we offer in the Dietrich College. Your AAC Advisor can also help you select courses that enable you to explore and identify what majors are best for you. The earliest a major can be declared during the second semester of Year 1. Primary majors should be declared no later than mid-semester of the last semester of Year 2.

When you decide on a major, you should meet with your AAC Advisor who will give you a Declaration of Major form and explain the next steps in the process.

Who Advises About What

When you declare your major, your AAC Advisor becomes your secondary advisor. Your AAC Advisor will be your main point of contact for questions regarding the General Education Program and will continue to support you in exploring opportunities available to you.

Your major advisor will become your primary advisor. Your primary academic advisor will assist you with all the questions you have regarding the major curriculum, internships, life after graduation, and more. Your primary advisor will then be the one who needs to sign off on all your paperwork and will certify you for graduation!