General Information
Instructions
Step 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.
Step 2
You should plan to attend departmental and concentration advising meetings (academic information sessions), 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.
Step 3
After completing steps 1 and 2, make an appointment to meet prior to Friday, April 15th, 2022 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.
Step 4
In consultation with the appropriate major, minor, and/or concentration advisor(s), please complete your declarations in the following ways:
Completing Your Declaration
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.
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.
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 15, 2022.
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 15th, 2022: 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 separate online form and submit it to the Haverford Registrar’s Office.
Things to Consider
No Pressure, Please!
If it helps remove the pressure, know that your major does not determine your career prospects. Any major will provide you with a set of skills that can translate into a variety of different industries.
There is no pressure or expectation to double major or to have a certain number of minors or concentrations. Keep in mind that you can list classes taken in a certain field as “relevant coursework” on your resume or c.v., even if you don’t have a major or minor in it.
It is possible to add a second major in your junior year (as long as you meet the requirements). A small number of students also switch their majors early in their Junior year. As a reminder, you just need one major to graduate from Haverford. As a note, over 40% of students who initially declare a double major will decide to focus on a single major by their senior year.
Pathways and Connections
As a reminder, a liberal arts education allows you to develop a variety of transferable skills and competencies that you can offer potential employers.
Curious to learn about the various pathways taken by Haverford alums? The CCPA provides an in depth database of potential pathways, sorted by majors.
Many alumni in Haverford Connect (sign up on the CCPA website) have offered to provide guidance for current students looking to choose a major.
Find Joy!
Don’t underestimate the importance of truly enjoying your intended major. You will be committing a good deal of energy and time to your major in your final two years. The more you genuinely enjoy it, the more engaged you will be.
Transitioning from a Pre-Major Advisor to a Major Advisor
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 Majors
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 29, 2024 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. Please 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.
For F-1 Students
Things to Consider
F-1 students interested in engaging in off-campus work are eligible for one year of Optional Practical Training (OPT) for every educational level. STEM majors are eligible for an extension of an additional 24 months of work authorization post-graduation (OPT STEM Extension.) OPT STEM extension eligible majors available to you at Haverford College and Bryn Mawr College include Astronomy, Astrophysics, Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive Science, Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Geology, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Physics, and Psychology. SEVP's complete list of all OPT STEM Eligible majors can be found here.
Did you apply for OPT for this summer?
Please note that as any OPT work must be related to your major, your summer internship or job must be directly and unambiguously related to the major that you are declaring during this process.
Next Steps
Once you have completed the Declaration Form and your major(s) are reflected in your unofficial transcript, please complete the ISSO Major Declaration form. Submitting this form will allow the Designated School Official to update your SEVIS record to reflect your new major. and you will be issued a new Form I-20.