Students may arrive at SUNY Cortland for their freshman year, and have yet to commit to one particular field of study, they are not alone. Many students come each year undecided about their major. Cortland's pre-major program lets students explore the many opportunities available, and offers guidance to help choose a course of study that is a good match for an individuals talents and interests. Pre-major students work with professional academic advisors in Advisement and Transition.

All incoming pre-major students, in their first semester, have the opportunity to be enrolled in one of our pre-major learning communities, which offers a cohort experience of two to three courses linked together based on an academic theme. Each learning community connects students with faculty, and allow for collaboration with other undecided students while becoming familiar with the campus, academic possibilities and transitioning to the college living and learning environment.

The program is designed to take courses that fulfill the same general education requirements that all students complete, while also using these courses to sample disciplines that may be of interest. By working closely with an academic advisor and utilizing our many support resources, pre-major students typically declare their major by sophomore year (or 56.5 earned credit hours).  When a major is declared, progress will already have been made toward completing the degree.

The entire program will help to assess abilities, learn about the career opportunities in a range of disciplines and make smart choices to reach academic and professional goals.