Colleges ease rules for switching majors

Several higher education institutions in China have announced that their students will be allowed to change majors without preconditions starting with the upcoming autumn semester, a move that they said is aimed at exploring the students' interests and respecting their secondary choice after enrollment.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University said its students could apply for the switch during their freshman, sophomore and junior years, and transfers between the main campus in the city's Minhang district and the medical school in Huangpu district will also be allowed.

The "zero threshold", or no restriction, for switching majors lays greater emphasis on students' comprehensive abilities and personal development, the university said at a news conference held recently to introduce its undergraduate admissions policy.

Unlike previous rules that required certain exam scores or GPA rankings for switching majors, the new policy sets no preconditions. Applicants and relevant departments will engage in a two-way selection process, the university said.

Fudan University and Tongji University, which are also in Shanghai, are among other higher education institutions that have relaxed rules and expanded the scope of switching majors as much as possible, such as transferring from medical disciplines to nonmedical ones.

Chen Zhiwen, a member of the Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy, said the new policy is more scientific, and should be supported to address growing concerns among students and their parents regarding career prospects.

Chen said that many students are forced to change majors because they realize after enrollment that they may find the selected subject more challenging than expected.

"Those who switch from science and engineering disciplines to humanities and social sciences, for instance, often make the transfer because they believe they lack the necessary academic skills to complete their original program," he said.

Conventionally, most universities allow students to switch majors only if they perform well in their first year. "Allowing students to switch majors even if they have failed a course is groundbreaking," Chen said.

However, students are encouraged not to take advantage of the "zero-threshold" policy and blindly chase popular majors such as computer sciences and artificial intelligence.

Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said that measures need to be taken to address the sudden influx of students into some popular disciplines that offer lucrative career prospects.

Some students and their parents might misunderstand the objective of the new policy and focus on popular subjects without deeper understanding, he said.

"It is important to note that the 'zero threshold' for switching majors is just for the application process. The success of changing a major depends on each individual's transfer assessment," Xiong said, noting that institutions will continue to admit the top performers based on the seat quota allotted to each major.

"While no barrier has been set for applying for a transfer, there are requirements and limits for acceptance," he said.

Therefore, it is crucial for students to analyze whether they can perform well in their chosen major when filling out applications, he added.

zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn