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Declaring Your Major

Undeclared students are required to declare a major by the beginning of their junior year. Each major has its own ICT (intercollegiate transfer) requirements. For comprehensive information on the ICT process, refer to the FAQ below.

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ICT stands for Intercollegiate Transfer. All DGS students declare or change their major through the ICT process. 

First-year students in DGS are eligible to ICT into a declared major after two semesters (one year).

Transfer students, those who transferred to DGS from another institution, must remain in DGS for one semester before being eligible to declare a major.

Students who join DGS as new first-time freshmen are required to ICT into a declared major by the 10th day of their fifth semester. 

Transfer students, those who transferred to DGS from another institution, have less than four semesters in DGS before they must ICT into a declared major. A transfer student’s time in DGS is determined by their transfer credit and varies by individual. For questions, see your academic advisor.

The Computer Science (CS) major in the Grainger College of Engineering is the only major that is unavailable for ICT.  CS+ majors in other colleges are, however, open to ICT applicants.

In addition, transfer students, those who transferred to DGS from another institution, are not eligible to apply to majors in the Gies College of Business nor the Grainger College of Engineering.

Every major has specific requirements that must be met to be eligible for ICT, and all require an ICT application. To learn more about the ICT process for your specific major, we encourage you to visit the major’s ICT page and meet with your DGS Academic Advisor. You can also look at major programs and their admission criteria below.

Many majors provide ICT information sessions, and these meetings are a great resource for learning about the ICT process for your specific major. Check if your major of interest has an ICT info session by consulting the ICT page. The DGS Newsletter also regularly shares this information.

Some majors enforce an application deadline of once per semester or once per year. Others review ICT applications only during set periods at the beginning or midway through each semester. Additionally, every major has specific requirements that must be met to be eligible for ICT, so we recommend that you meet with a DGS Advisor to determine when you will be eligible to apply for ICT to your major(s) of interest.

Students can generally apply to more than one major if the majors are in different colleges. If the majors are in the same college, you will need to talk with a DGS Academic Advisor.

The ICT reapplication policies vary among different programs. Most majors, except those within the Gies College of Business and the Computer Science+X programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, allow for multiple applications. However, it is advisable to consult your DGS Academic Advisor for specific information and to determine whether reapplying is in your best interest.

Some majors require students to submit a resume, essay(s), and/or personal statement as part of their ICT application. For assistance with your personal statement, consider scheduling a consultation with the Writer’s Workshop. After drafting your personal statement, you can request a review through the Career Center for proofreading and polishing. If the application includes a resume, take advantage of Career Center services for support in resume building. 

For any semester, the outcome for ICT applications depends on the volume of applications and the available capacity in each program. Below you will find a list of programs with specific requirements that, when met, ensure admission.

Majors that Guarantee Admission with a Minimum 2.0 Major GPA*

* the above majors are all housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and require at least one course completed towards the major. Please run a degree audit to view your major GPA. 

 

Our DGS advisors are here to support you throughout the ICT process. Schedule an appointment with a DGS Advisor to discuss any concerns you have about the ICT process. Additionally, if you're experiencing stress related to declaring a major, we encourage you to schedule a ”Let’s Talk” consultation appointment with our DGS Embedded Counselor.

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