Declare Your Major (OT) Hold

It is CLA’s policy that students either declare a major or file a Plan for Major Declaration form once they have reached 45 or more semester credits. This includes both completed and in-progress credits.

The intent of the OT hold is not to force students to declare a major but rather to spur meaningful discussion between student and advisor and to encourage students to actively explore majors and careers.

When viewing your holds online, you will see this hold listed as “OT - CLA Declare Major.” In order to have the hold released, you must EITHER declare your major or file a Plan for Major Declaration form. This hold will prevent you from registering for next semester.

The processes for declaring a major or filing a Plan for Major Declaration form are given below.

Declare a Major within CLA You may declare your major simply by stopping in the CLA Student Affairs & Advising Center (SAAC), 310 Kirby Plaza. At that time, you may also indicate your preference of academic advisor within your major.

Declare a Major within LSBE, CEHSP, SFA or CSE If your major is housed within a UMD collegiate unit other than CLA, you must complete a Change of College form. The form is available at the Campus Center Information Desk or in collegiate student affairs offices. You must submit the Change of College form by the noted deadline. Once CLA SAAC is notified that you have been accepted into another collegiate unit, the OT hold will automatically be removed.

Undecided about Major Choice If you are “undecided” about your major, then it is critical for you take an active role in exploring your interests, your skills, and potential careers. A number of campus resources exist to help you with this process, including the CLA Student Affairs and Advising Center, 310 Kplz, and Career Services, 21 Solon Campus Center. If you are unable to make a major selection prior to next semester’s registration queue, you will be required to submit a Plan for Major Declaration form to CLA SAAC, 310 Kplz. The OT hold will be released for one semester only.

Unable to Declare due to admissibility issue or other reason If for any reason you are unable to declare your major by the noted deadline, you will be required to submit a Plan for Major Declaration form in order to have the “CLA Declare Major” hold released for registration. The form is available from SAAC, 310 Kplz. The OT hold will be released for one semester only.

The Plan for Major Declaration form requires a description of your plan for declaring a major. It also requires that you meet with your academic advisor to discuss your plan. The advisor’s signature must be included on the form when it is submitted to CLA SAAC.

Questions or concerns about your status within the College of Liberal Arts or your degree progress should be directed to Mary Keenan, CLA academic advisor. To contact Mary, e-mail mkeenan@d.umn.edu or schedule an appointment in 310 Kplz.