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Change of Major/Minor

Change of Major Requirements

All engineering majors are restricted, which indicates specific requirements must be completed for students to be eligible to apply. Please review the "How to Declare an Engineering Major" document for a complete list of engineering's change of major requirements and policies. Students changing out of engineering should use the resources located here.

Application Dates and Deadlines for August 2020

The College of Engineering accepts applications for majors and minors three times per year: end of spring, end of summer, end of fall. The below dates and deadlines are for the end of summer (August 2020):

The College of Engineering offers a variety of engineering majors, listed below. Please refer  to the "How to Declare an Engineering Major" document for a complete list of requirements and steps necessary to declare an engineering major.

Students currently in a degree-granting engineering major that wish to change their major to another degree-granting engineering major should complete the change of major application on Hokie Spa during the application dates listed on the "How to Declare an Engineering Major" document.

Degree-Granting Engineering Majors

  • Aerospace Engineering (AE)
  • Biomedical Engineering (BME)
  • Biological Systems Engineering (BSE)
  • Chemical Engineering (CHE)
  • Civil Engineering (CE)
  • Computer Engineering (CPE)
    • Chip-Scale Integration (CSI)
    • Controls, Robotics, & Autonomy (CRA)
    • Machine Learning (MCHL)
    • Networking & Cybersecurity (NWCS)
    • Software Systems (SFTW)
  • Computer Science (CS)
    • Data-Centric Computing (DCC)
    • Secure Computing (SC)
  • Construction Engineering and Management (CEM)
  • Electrical Engineering (EE)
    • Communications & Networking (CMNW)
    • Controls, Robotics, & Autonomy (ECRA)
    • Energy & Power Electronics Systems (ERES)
    • Micro/Nanosytems (MNSY)
    • Photonics (PHTN)
    • Radio Frequency & Microwave (RFMW)
    • Space Systems (SPCS)
  • Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE)
  • Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)
  • Mechancial Engineering (ME)
  • Mining Engineering (MINE)
  • Ocean Engineering (OE)

Important Notes:

  • Biomedical Engineering (BME) has an additional application/interview process and does not adhere to the 3.0 guarantee. Applications for BME are only reviewed in the spring semester.
  • Students must first declare Electrical Engineering (EE) or Computer Engineering (CPE). Upon completion of ECE 2804: Integrated Design Project, students may apply to declare one of the 7 electrical engineering majors (CMNW, ECRA, ERES, MNSY, PHTN, RFMW, SPCS) or 5 computer engineering majors (CPI, CRA, MCHL, NWCS, SFTW). Students may also choose to remain in EE or CPE.

The College of Engineering offers 10 minors. Please review the table below for a list of the requirements for each minor. If you have any questions about an engineering minor, please reach out to the contact listed below.

Adding an Engineering Minor:
To add an engineering minors, students should complete the College of Engineering Minor Application . The minor application will be available during the below dates:

  • End of Spring 2020: May 4, 2020 - May 17, 2020
  • End of Summer 2020: August 3, 2020 - August 16, 2020
  • End of Fall 2020: December 14, 2020 - January 3, 2021

Dropping an Engineering Minor:
To drop a current engineering minor, students should email Natasha Smith (noliver@vt.edu).

Minor Requirements Contact
Biomedical Engineering In a degree-granting engineering major

Minimum 3.0 overall GPA		 Amanda Sandridge
asandridge@vt.edu
Computer Science In a degree-granting major

Completed a CS course (1114, 2114, 2505, or 3114) at Virginia Tech with a minimum grade of a C 		CS Advising Staff
csundergrad@cs.vt.edu
Cybersecurity Completed CS 3214 or ECE 3574 Joe Tront
jgtront@vt.edu
Engineering Science and Mechanics None Amanda Sandridge
asandridge@vt.edu
Green Engineering None Sean McGinnis
smcginn@vt.edu
Human-Computer Interaction In a degree-granting major CS Advising Staff
csundergrad@cs.vt.edu
Innovation None Lisa McNair
lmcnair@vt.edu
Interdisciplinary Engineering and Science (Scieneering) None Christi Boone
chboone2@vt.edu
Naval Engineering None Alan Brown
albrown5@vt.edu
Nuclear Engineering None Mark Pierson
mark.pierson@vt.edu

General Engineering students are encouraged to attend one of the below information sessions to ensure they understand the change of major process. Please register using the links below.

Date Time Location Registration Link
Friday, April 24 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Virtual (Zoom Meeting) Register Here

The College of Engineering will host multiple informational workshops throughout the academic year for non-engineering students to learn about the process of becoming eligible to apply for an engineering major.

Students are required to attend one of the below workshops prior to meeting with an engineering advisor.

Date Time Location How to Register
Monday, August 24 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Virtual Sign-Up
Thursday, August 27 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Virtual Sign-Up
Tuesday, September 8 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Virtual Sign-Up
Wednesday, September 23 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Virtual Sign-Up

Change of major decisions may be appealed using the College of Engineering Change of Major Appeals Petition. Appeals can only be submitted if you completed the change of major application and are for addressing unusual and extenuating circumstances that occured while at Virginia Tech which caused you to be denied admission to an engineering major. Students wishing to appeal their decision must submit the appeal petition according to the deadlines below.

Engineering Change of Major Appeals Petition

Change of Major Dates Change of Major Decision Date Appeal Deadline Appeal Decision Date
End of Spring
May 4 - May 17		 May 21 May 26, 12 PM (noon) May 27, 5 PM
End of Summer
August 3 - August 16		 August 20 August 24, 12 PM EDT (noon) August 25
End of Fall
December 14 - January 6		 January 7 TBD TBD