CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center

Selecting and/or Changing a Major

Undergraduate students in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences have 17 majors available, with a total of 29 options or tracks. While it is possible to major in a straightforward discipline such as Physics, some options are interdisciplinary in scope -- for example, Environmental Toxicology or Statistical Computing.

Guide to Changing/Selecting a Major

Please note: Advisors will be available to discuss Major Changes during the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 10th week of each quarter via appointment or a change of major workshop.  Review change of major criteria for your major of interest.

CNAS Majors fall into one of three categories:

• Life Science Majors
• Mathematical Sciences Majors
• Physical Sciences Majors

Life Science Majors
	Biochemistry Emphases: Biology, Chemistry, and Medical Sciences. Biochemists study life at the chemical, molecular, and cellular level. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Biological Sciences Tracks: Bioinformatics and Genomics; Biology; Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology; Conservation Biology; Entomology; Environmental Toxicology; Evolution and Ecology; Medical Biology; Microbiology; and Plant Biology. View Brochure ||
	Biology Faculty and students in the Department of Biology are working in many areas of the life sciences, including animal behavior, behavioral endocrinology, bioinformatics, cell biology, and conservation biology. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology   View Flyer || Change of Major Criteria
	Plant Biology The Department of Botany and Plant Sciences is unique in its integration of basic and applied plant sciences. It has particular strengths in plant cell biology, plant responses to environmental stresses, plant ecology, genetics, genomics, and evolution. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Entomology The Department of Entomology at UCR, ranked among the top five in the nation, studies insects at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Microbiology Microbiology is the study of microscopic organisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi. View Flyer || Change of Major Criteria
	Neuroscience The Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience takes multidisciplinary approaches to understanding basic cellular processes in tissues, including the nervous system, as well as more integrative levels of analysis, including behavior. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
Mathematical Sciences Majors
	Mathematics Options: Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Environmental Sciences, Physics, and Statistics. Mathematics is the study of the relationship between objects in the universe expressed numerically, and as such is the language of science. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Mathematics for Teachers of Secondary School Mathematics for Secondary School Teachers is a major designed to prepare those who wish to teach high school level mathematics.
	Statistics Options: Quantitative Management and Statistical Computing The Department of Statistics is renowned for its emphases in statistical computing and quantitative management, and its Statistical Consulting Collaboratory. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
Physical Sciences Majors
	Chemistry Options: Chemical Physics, Environmental Chemistry, and Pure Chemistry Chemistry, the study of matter and its changes, is typically divided into analytical, environmental, inorganic, materials, organic, and physical. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Environmental Sciences Options: Environmental Education, Environmental Toxicology, Natural Science, Social Science, Soil Science For environmentally-related careers in business, industry, or government. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Geology Options: General Geology, Geobiology, Global Climate Change, and Geophysics. Geology majors study the structure, composition, processes and history of the Earth. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Geophysics Students who choose the Geophysics major employ field, laboratory and computational methods to study the problems in Earth Science. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Geoscience Education For students interested in a secondary school science teaching career who intend to obtain a Teaching Credential in Science. Students take courses in Education that are required for state examinations and teacher credentialing in California. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria
	Physics Students of Physics come to understand the physical principles of the universe by studying such topics as: astrophysics, astronomy, laser physics, electrodynamics, elementary particle physics, and condensed matter physics. View Brochure || Change of Major Criteria