Petition for Department Review to Change Major

In order to request a change of major within Smeal, students must be enrolled in a Smeal College of Business major and currently taking coursework towards that major. 

Within Entrance to Major (ETM) Credit Window:

Students who are still within the entrance-to-major credit window (40.0 to 59.0 completed Penn State credits) should use the Update Academics module in LionPath to change their major within Smeal, subject to meeting entrance requirements for the requested major. 

Beyond the Entrance to Major (ETM) Credit Window:

Students with 59.1 or more completed Penn State credits desiring to change from one major to another within the Smeal College of Business must complete a Change of Major Request and attach a letter explaining why the change of major is being requested.  Requests are considered on a space available basis without guarantee of approval.  Students must meet the academic entrance requirements of the desired major as established during the entrance to major period.  Academic performance in courses considered relevant to the major will be taken into consideration by the academic department housing the major.

Capacity Limits:

All programs are now at or over capacity, therefore choices are limited.  It is recommended that a student contact his or her assigned academic adviser regarding availability within specific majors.

The following major is NOT accepting new applicants due to overcapacity:

• Finance (FIN) major

Window for Applying for Change of Major Within Smeal: 

Starting with the Spring 2027 semester, the Smeal change of major request system will only be open for new requests during the last three weeks of the semester until the drop/add deadline of the upcoming semester. 

Process:

Students submit a request in the Change of Major Request System and are required to upload three documents in PDF format:  

1. An unofficial transcript (In LionPath:  Academic Background / View Advising Transcript) 

2. A What-if Report for the student in the major being requested (In LionPath:  Degree Planning and Progress / What-If Report) 

3. A letter written by the student detailing the reasons for the requested change. 

The submitted request will first go to the student’s assigned adviser for review, then the Smeal Entrance-to-Major coordinator, and finally the head of the department of the requested major.  Students will receive an email notification if their request is approved or denied, or if further information is needed.  Typically, students will know the outcome within 2 weeks of submission date. 

Students requiring further information should contact the Smeal Advising Center at (814) 863-1947.