Instructions

At Haverford, students declare a major in their fourth semesters. Please read this message about how to declare a major (as well as, if you like, a minor and/or concentration) by this year’s deadline, Friday, May 1, 2020. International students seeking OPT authorization should declare their major by April 17.

1. If you plan to major at Haverford, please read the section of the Haverford College Catalog regarding departmental major requirements; consult the Bryn Mawr College Catalog if you plan to major at BMC. Information about minors and concentrations can also be found in each college’s catalog.
2. You should plan to attend departmental and concentration advising meetings, where you will learn more about each major, minor, and/or concentration as well as with whom you should work to declare. If you must miss one of these meetings, please contact the appropriate department and/or concentration chair(s) to ask for instructions.
3. After completing steps 1 and 2, make an appointment to meet prior to Friday, May 1, 2020 with the appropriate Haverford or Bryn Mawr department or program advisor (again, such faculty members will be identified at the departmental meetings). Please take to this meeting an unofficial copy of your transcript, which you can access under “other academic” in the menu on the left side of your “student center” in BIONIC.
4. In consultation with the appropriate major, minor, and/or concentration advisor(s), please complete your declarations in the following ways:
   
   1. If you want to major, minor, and/or concentrate at Haverford, please use the declaration form on the Haverford Registrar’s website. Although this component of the major declaration process is online, please note that conversations are critical and you must still attend departmental meetings and/or meet in person with a department or program advisor.
   2. Majoring at Bryn Mawr requires both online (by way of BIONIC) and in-person elements. Please consult the section titled “Deciding and declaring your major: Meeting with a major adviser” on the BMC sophomore page for instructions on filling out their Major Work Plan. After completing the BMC Major Work Plan online, find your major advisor by referring to the list on the sophomore plan page and set up an in-person meeting. At that meeting, the advisor will review and revise the major work plan with you before approving it.
   3. If you want to major at both colleges, you need to (a) follow the processes for both colleges for declaring majors and (b) identify your BMC major on your Haverford declaration form by Friday, April 17, 2020.
   4. If you are majoring at Haverford and want also to declare a minor or concentration at Bryn Mawr, you need to follow the processes for both colleges by April 17, 2020: use the Haverford declaration form for majors, minors, and/or concentrations you want to pursue at Haverford, and for Bryn Mawr minors and/or concentrations you must complete a paper form and submit it to the Haverford Registrar’s Office.

Please Note: Information about how departmental advising meetings will be conducted in spring 2020 will be updated.

Advising Meetings Schedule

Pre-Major to Major Advising

As you move into your major, you will no longer have a pre-major advisor. Once you complete the major declaration process, your major advisor (or, for now, the chair of your new major department) will provide pre-registration approval, discuss the trajectory of your academic planning with you, and help in any process that requires an advisor’s signature. Each department has its own procedures for assigning major advisors: ask the chair of your new major department who your new advisor will be.

Other Major Programs

Double Majoring

To double major at Haverford, you must currently have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average and obtain your Haverford Dean’s approval. This rule will be strictly enforced. Please note that you need your dean's signature only if you are double-majoring.

Independent Majors

To declare an Independent Major, you must submit a proposal to the Committee on Student Standing and Programs (CSSP) by March 20, 2020 via hc-cssp@haverford.edu. Please meet as necessary with your Dean and the faculty member who has agreed to serve as your independent major advisor to discuss the draft of your proposal.

Note: Haverford students interested in pursuing an Independent Major at Bryn Mawr College must apply for such through Haverford’s CSSP and not through Bryn Mawr College. Please note that an independent major is a viable and/or the best option for only a small handful of students in each class, you should consult the document titled “Designing an Independent Major” before considering this option, and a certain percentage of students declare such majors in junior year.

Questions?

If you have any questions about these procedures, please do not hesitate to contact your Haverford Dean or the Registrar's Office (hc-registrar@haverford.edu)—they will be more than happy to help you.