Change of Major
Prospective Students
Contact Info
Office of Student Services
120 Behrakis Health Science Center
Tel: 617.373.3320 | Fax: 617.373.8994
[email protected]
Office Hours
8:30am to 5:00pm | M-F
Did you know? You can schedule an appointment with your advisor online through the Student Hub (Resources > Academics, Classes & Registration > Advisor Appointment Calendar).
Welcome to the Change of Major information page for the Bouvé College of Health Sciences. This page is designed to be your first step in considering an internal transfer into one of our majors. It is intended for current Northeastern University undergraduate school students only. All other prospective students should refer to the University Admissions website. You may also find some helpful information on our transfer page. Please read this information carefully. After you have reviewed it, you can contact or meet with an advisor if you have additional questions.
1. Reflection
Begin the transfer process by exploring your interest in changing majors. Examine your goals, skills and values to ensure that they are a good fit for the major and career you are considering. Make sure you understand the academic and professional practice involved in your field of choice. We recommend the following resources:
- Talk to your current faculty and/or academic advisor.
- Read course descriptions for the classes that you would be taking for the new major. You should be interested in the class work of your proposed major! You can find course descriptions here.
- Look online for more information about Healthcare Careers at websites such as www.explorehealthcareers.org, www.discovernursing.com, www.aacp.org, www.apta.org, www.asha.org, and www.asph.org
- Shadow a professional in your field of interest.
- Volunteer at a hospital, rehab center, clinic or in a research setting.
2. Entrance Criteria
Health Science and Health Science Combined Majors
Change of Majors in Health Science will be reviewed on a monthly basis, from September to April. Please do not submit change of major applications while required courses are still in progress. Any student who meets the following criteria is eligible for entry:
- Overall GPA of 2.50 or better
- Completion of Biology 1 with lab, with a grade of C or better
- Completion of Chemistry 1 with lab, with a grade of C or better
- Completion of Calculus 1, with a grade of C or better (not required for Health Science and Sociology combined major)
- If you have completed Biology 2 with lab, you must have achieved a grade of C or better.
- For all professional courses (courses with HSCI, HLTH or PHTH prefix) you must have achieved a grade of C or better
Nursing
Change of Majors will be reviewed on a monthly basis, from September to April. Admission is based on meeting the criteria below and as space allows for lab and clinical experiences. Please do not submit change of major applications while required courses are still in progress.
- Overall GPA of 3.000 or better
- Required science GPA of 3.000
- If you have taken Developmental Psychology (PSYC 3404), you must have received a C or better
- Completion of Mathematical Thinking (MATH 1215) or Calculus 1 (MATH 1241) with a grade of C or better
- *Completion of Anatomy & Physiology 1 (BIOL 2217 and 1118, formerly BIOL 1117) with lab, with a grade of C or better
- *Spring Applicants: Completion of General Chemistry with lab (CHEM 1101 and 1102) and Microbiology with lab (BIOL 1121 and 1122) with a grade of C or better
- *Fall Applicants: General Chemistry with lab (CHEM 1101 and 1102) or Microbiology with lab (BIOL 1121 and 1122) with a grade of C or better
* BIOL 2217/1118, formerly 1117/8 (A&P 1); CHEM 1101/2 (Gen Chem), BIOL 2219/1120, formerly 1119/20 (A&P 2) and BIOL 1121/2 (Micro) are required to begin the NRSG curriculum. If necessary, non-COS courses will be reviewed for equivalency.
Early-Assurance Pharmacy (PharmD) or BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Change of Majors will be reviewed on a monthly basis, from September to April. Please do not submit change of major applications while required courses are still in progress. Any freshman/sophomore student who meets the following criteria is eligible to be considered for entry:
- Overall GPA of 3.00 or better
- Preferred science GPA of 3.00. For BIOL, CHEM, MATH, PHYS courses you must have C or higher with a 3.00 overall GPA.
- Completion of Biology 1 with lab (BIOL 1111/2) with a grade of C or higher
- Completion of Chemistry 1 with lab (CHEM 1211/2/3 or CHEM 1161/2/3) with a grade of C or higher
- S on all co-ops
- 3.00 GPA to start co-op
The Pharmacy program has specialized accreditation standards. Students with GPA below 3.000 are not eligible for entry and all applications are reviewed by the School prior to acceptance. Students admitted to the PharmD or BS Pharmaceutical Sciences major will need to adhere to the progression policies specified for their program. See the current edition of the Undergraduate Catalog for details.
Public Health and Public Health Combined Majors
Change of Majors in Public Health will be reviewed on a monthly basis, from September to April. Please do not submit change of major applications while required courses are still in progress. Any student who meets the following criteria is eligible for entry:
- Overall GPA of 2.50 or better
- Completion of Foundations of Psychology with a grade of C or better
- For all professional courses (courses with HSCI, HLTH or PHTH prefix) you must have achieved a C or better
- If you have completed Biology 1 with lab, Biology and Society, or The Human Organism, you must have achieved a grade of C or better
Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology
Change of Majors will be reviewed on a monthly basis, from September to April. Please do not submit change of major applications while required courses are still in progress. Any student who meets the following criteria is eligible to be considered for entry:
- Overall GPA between 2.00-3.00 or better (Note: Students with a GPA lower than 3.00 may not be eligible to apply for the PlusOne program)
- Required science GPA of between 2.00-3.00 or better (including BIOL: A&P and MATH courses) (Note: Students with a science GPA lower than 3.00 may not be eligible to apply for the PlusOne program)
- Completion of Calculus 1 (MATH1241) or Mathematical Thinking (MATH1215), and Anatomy & Physiology 1 with lab (BIOL 2217 & BIOL 2218) with a grade of C or better
- A grade of C or better for any completed professional (SLPA) courses.
3. Process
Please fill out this form in order to apply for a change of major.
Denial: If you do not meet the entrance criteria required for admittance, we will be unable to offer you admission into the program at the time of application.
Direct: If you meet the entrance criteria for your new major, your petition will be approved and processed and you will receive a confirmation email that you have been changed into your new major.
4. Additional Information about Bouvé
The Bouvé College of Health Sciences curricula all have a strong science component; as such students wishing to be admitted to Bouvé as change of major students must demonstrate strong performance in lab science courses prior to full admission.
All change of major applicants should familiarize themselves with the academic progression policies of their intended major before applying. Some majors require a 3.0 GPA to enter the professional phase of the program. The School of Pharmacy requires an interview to enter the professional phase of the program. Policies can be found in the Academic Progression Policies.
Change of major applicants should also review the provided program plans for your major of interest to see what Year of Study you will fit into. Summer coursework may be an option to make up one or two classes that you are missing. Professional classes (starting in HSCI, HLTH, NRSG, PHMD, PHSC, PHTH, PT, and SLPA) must be taken at Northeastern. A Bouvé Office of Student Service advisor will help you to determine exactly where you will fall in the curriculum.
We strongly recommend students talk to their financial aid advisor in 354 Richards Hall to find out the financial implications of your proposed change.
5. Contact
If you have any questions about changing majors, please submit this form to speak with an advisor.