Students admitted to Temple for fall 2002 and after must be enrolled as a major in a degree-granting program in a school or college by the time they have completed 60 credits, including any credits transferred from another institution.
Students admitted to Temple with 60 or more transfer credits will be matriculated directly into a degree-granting program, rather than as "undeclared" in a school or college or the Division of University Studies.
Students declare a major either by completing their school's or college's declaration of major process (see specific school or college section in this Bulletin or the policy on Transfer between Schools/Colleges within the University). Individual schools and colleges may require students to declare a major earlier than 60 credits. Students should consult the policies of their own school/college for any additional guidelines regarding declaration of major.
The catalog year is important in reviewing requirements in the current or past University Bulletins or in the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS). The catalog year dictates the program requirements for both a major and a concentration. When students declare or change their major, they follow the program requirements established in the current catalog year (which displays as a Fall term of the academic year). This may or may not be the same year as when they were first admitted to the University:
| Semester Major is Declared | Catalog Year of Major |
|---|---|
| Current Fall Semester | Current Fall Semester |
| Subsequent Spring Semester | Current Fall Semester |
| Summer Session I | Current Fall Semester |
| Summer Session II | Current or Subsequent Fall Semester |
Effective Fall 2021, when students declare a required or optional concentration in a term after declaring their major, the catalog term and requirements associated with the concentration will match the catalog year of the major if the concentration was active during that catalog year.
However, if a student declares a required or an optional concentration that was not in existence when the major was declared, the student's record will update as follows:
- The catalog term for the major and the concentration will reflect the current catalog year.
- The student will have to follow the major and the concentration requirements established in the updated catalog year.