Changing Your Major

If you are thinking about changing your major, there are a few important things to know. The procedure differs depending on whether you want to:

• Change your major within Teaching & Learning

• Change your major within Steinhardt but outside of Teaching & Learning

• Change your major outside of Steinhardt but within NYU

**NOTE: Students are not permitted to change their major or transfer out of Steinhardt until they have completed two semesters of study in the program they accepted their offer of admission to NYU. 

IMPORTANT: Your teaching and learning advisor is only able to advise you on courses required for your major within our department. We do not know the requirements of other programs at NYU or their transfer requirements. It is your responsibility to research the requirements of the program you are interested in. This may include having meetings with advisors or faculty in the department that offers the major you want to apply to, or researching and reading detailed information available for the program you want online (most programs have a lot of information available through a simple Google search). We highly recommend that you carefully read the information below to answer many common questions about transferring. Please exhaust all other resources shared on this page before contacting your advisor for further assistance with the transfer process.  

Changing your major within Teaching & Learning

To change your major within the Teaching & Learning department, you can contact your advisor and complete our Teaching & Learning Change of Major Form. 

Leaving Teaching & Learning

To change your major by leaving the department, we suggest you follow our Change of Major Checklist.  The earliest students can change their major outside of the department is during the second semester/term of consecutive full-time study. 

Staying in Steinhardt

To change your major within Steinhardt but outside of the Department of Teaching & Learning,  you should start by researching your intended program's requirements. Review their Program of Study and then schedule a meeting with a departmental advisor to learn more about their program and process for transferring into their major. Note that each department in Steinhardt has their own change of major requirements. Some may allow you to simply complete a change of major form, while others have formal deadlines and specific prerequisite and application requirements. Do your homework and speak with your advisor if you have questions about the next steps or who to contact for more information. 

• For more information about transferring to MCC, see here.

• For more information about transferring to Applied Psychology, see here. 

Leaving Steinhardt

To change your major within NYU but outside of Steinhardt,  you will need to apply for an Internal Transfer through Admissions. 

Before you determine if you want to apply for a specific major/school, you should make sure to complete the following steps: 

• Research new program requirements

• Visit Cross-School Advising hours

  • Visit the Academic Resource Center’s Cross-school Advising hours to meet with a representative of the school you are interested in transferring to. Each NYU school has an advising representative available for walk-in appointments to discuss transfer policies, and requirements, and answer questions. 

• Meet with an advisor or faculty member in the department. 

  • They can help you learn about the requirements of their program, determine the courses you have taken that will transfer to their program, and make a recommendation on general courses/prerequisites you should take for their program. You can find contact information on the individual department’s page through the NYU website.

• Know which courses will transfer to another major and what your requirements are

  • Not all of our courses will transfer to other programs; however, since you have accepted admission to our program, you must take our required classes. 

  • Speak with your advisor in the Teaching & Learning Department to find out if taking courses outside of your current program of study is a viable option. 

• Visit the Wasserman Center & schedule a coaching appointment

  • Some fields require schooling beyond the undergraduate degree. This can also mean that there are certain prerequisites you must have before you can attend graduate school (i.e. medical school). Make sure you are going to be able to complete specific requirements you may need in your new major. 

Finally, if you decide you want to complete the internal transfer application process, log into Albert and go to "Other Resources," click the "Application Center" link, and follow the instructions for the internal transfer application. Review the Admissions website for more information about this process. 

Deadlines for Internal Transfer are:

• Spring Start: November 1

• Summer or Fall** Start: March 1

**First-year students in traditional undergraduate programs who started their studies in the spring semester must submit the internal transfer application by July 1st. Spring start students applying to Dance and Film & TV must apply by April 1st. For other artistic programs, you must submit your internal transfer application and portfolio by June 1.