changing majors

xleper17 · 03-10-2008, 05:15 PM

Here is another situation that I hope CC can solve.

A friend that is also a philosophy major (I am one) is transferring to a UC or CSU by the Fall. However, she is not into philosophy (never really was, just wanted to get into a UC easily) and now that she is transferring, she plans on declaring a different major when she gets there.

I imagine that the UC isn't going to be too thrilled about it. I know how you have to complete a certain number of classes in your major, all of the pre-req's.

She wants to change it to "marketing" (I need to mention that she has no idea that UCLA, her #1 choice, has no such thing as a 'marketing' degree, in fact, no UC does...).

The most difficult math she has taken is statistics. She could change to a Business Economics major, but there are thousands of those and she is seriously behind when it comes to pre-req's.

Anyway, what I am trying to ask is what she is trying to do, changing her major after she gets to whatever UC, even possible?

poppin3000 · 03-10-2008, 05:30 PM

A) Switching into, or double majoring in an impacted major like Econ / Busecon (at UCLA) is essentially impossible. You can technically still apply for that major once you've been admitted, but it's a separate review process, and I wouldn't expect a successful result. You MUST match a competitive GPA to even be considered (which for busecon means having a 3.8+)

B) However, with that said, switching into or even double majoring in non-impacted majors shouldn't be as difficult. I'm pretty sure you would need to redo any missing prereqs, but if the prereqs for the major desired line up with those of the current major, I don't see how it would be too difficult.

--Just curious, but why marketing? A major like marketing would seem to be too narrowly focused for the UC's intentions. How about something like Poli Sci or History? I don't think those are impacted majors, plus those subjects cover how people have acted and made decisions in the past--->studying something like that could be useful in a marketing / sales position because you want to understand what drives and motivates people...and then you profit off of it, lol.

xleper17 · 03-10-2008, 05:35 PM

well, i'm not switching majors, lol, i love phil. but my friend wants to go into adveritising, you know, making ads and commericals. revlon and that jazz.

i don't really understand it either.

i think studying psychology will really help you understand people.

my friend went from accounting, to philosophy, to "marketing". she wants to do what seems cool. harsh words, i know, but i've dealt with all of her changes and i've seen this one coming.

poppin3000 · 03-10-2008, 05:52 PM

lol, sorry, I'm so used to giving my responses in the second person format haha--hence all the "You"s.

Another fantastic major for your friend would be communications.

UCSD has a great comm. program and I just checked assist, and there are only TWO MAJOR PREREQS!! ***!!@aasljsdaklsjd that's ridiculous. And neither of those are articulated (at least from de anza)! that means no major prereqs hahaha. ridiculous.

UCLA Communications though is arguably one of the most competitive majors at the school. Average admit gpa last year was a 3.89 and only 15.83% of all applicants were admitted.

xleper17 · 03-10-2008, 05:56 PM

lol, that's my situation with UCB. 3 pre-req's for philosophy and PC doesn't have any of those! (score!)

Malishka31 · 03-12-2008, 05:04 AM

biz econ and communications will NOT let you switch into them if you did not get accepted into them at UCLA. You can try , but they pretty much make it impossible.

It has to be a non impacted major.
Your friend should really decide on her major by now, she is in for a big dissapointment when she has two years of upper divs in a major she doesnt like

Lackofsense · 03-12-2008, 05:41 AM

Malishka31: Crazyyy!

I remember seeing you from the 2006's UC Decision thread.
So did you get into the school that you wanted?

xleper17 · 03-12-2008, 03:40 PM

Malishka: yeah, my friend is a nice person and all, but she is so scatterbrained. I should stop enabling her, but yesterday she asked me to help her create logins... FOR ALL of the schools she applied to. It's not even hard! I just sent her the website and told her to do it herself... apparently she still can't do it.

I just have to say, I wonder if someone that can't be on the ball about applications would be able to survive in a top UC. she wants to go to UCB... let's see.