Major Declaration Process
A new major must complete both a Field of Study Declaration and a Department Requirement Checklist (both are available at
http://www.furman.edu/registrar/major_forms.html). The new major should work either with his or her new advisor in the department or with the department chair to develop a scheduling plan for completing major requirements and complete the Department Requirement Checklist. This form should be submitted along with the Field of Study Declaration to the department chair for his/her signature. The department chair must sign the field of study declaration, and should check to make sure the new advisor assignment is appropriate and does not place an overly heavy advising load on any single faculty member. The student should then submit both forms to
Academic Records in the Administration Building, Room 004. Alternatively, some departments collect the forms, scan them, and send copies to Academic Records, student, and academic advisor via email.
Each department establishes its own precise procedures for completing the major declaration forms. Some departments work with the Academic Records office to limit the number of majors in their departments, others establish a limited number of days during which major declarations can be processed, some require the department chair to meet with each new major to complete the Department Requirement Checklist, while others distribute the tasks of major declarations among several department faculty members. The chair should ensure that all department members are familiar with the major declaration procedures and periodically review the process to ensure it is functioning smoothly.
Depending on the size of the department, department faculty may appreciate knowing periodically which and how many students have declared majors in the department.