Majors and Minors Information
To earn an SPU degree, students must be officially admitted and complete all requirements of at least one major. It is your responsibility to apply for a major or minor through Degree Check in Banner, or as part of the application to the University. If you wish to earn an additional major or minor, you must apply and be officially admitted to them as well.
Follow the these Major Application Instructions (PDF) for a step-by-step explanation on how to add a major and/or minor. The school or department will determine whether or not you are officially accepted. Requirements for admittance to the major are department-specific and may include criteria such as your GPA and the completion of specific courses, among other requirements.
Please refer to the Undergraduate Catalog where majors and minors are listed or contact the department for additional information.
APPLYING FOR A MAJOR
Most of SPU’s 70 majors are “open,” which means they are available to any student who is in good academic standing (minimum 2.0 GPA). Students newly-admitted to SPU may directly enter any open major at the time of admission by reconfirming their intended major online at the start of their first quarter at SPU.
A small number of majors have limited capacity, and therefore require a competitive admission process. Additionally, admission to a few of SPU’s art- and design-related majors depends on the quality of the student’s work as demonstrated by submission of a portfolio.
You should formally apply for acceptance to your major by the end of your sophomore year or as soon as you are eligible to apply. If you transferred to SPU with junior or senior standing, please contact your department for information regarding application timelines.
Information on open, limited admission, and portfolio entry majors is located on the "Undergraduate Majors, Minors, and Programs" page in the Undergraduate Catalog.
MAJOR FACULTY ADVISOR
If your current faculty advisor is from a department or school outside your area of interest, you must request a new advisor. Instructions are included in Faculty Advisor Assignments.
You must have an advisor for each major and minor, which can mean having multiple faculty advisors.
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Requirements for majors, minors, and programs are listed in the SPU Undergraduate Catalog.
Major and minor requirements are often revised from year to year. Be aware that you are responsible to meet the major and/or minor requirements listed in the catalog that is current at the time that you formally apply and are accepted to a major or minor (e.g., if you are accepted into a major in Winter 2018, major requirements listed in the 2018–19 Undergraduate Catalog must be fulfilled).