Upon entering UF as freshmen, students are encouraged to declare the major they feel they are most likely to pursue. In their first few terms, students should take courses to explore multiple academic areas. Many students have varied interests and will graduate with minors, certificates and/or combined degrees. Exploring areas of interest early helps students determine whether they want to pursue these additional academic programs. In addition, quite a few students change majors in their first or second year, so exploring multiple areas early helps a student confirm his/her choice of major or identify a more desirable major.

First-year students with no major preference can declare one of three exploratory categories (humanities and letters, social and behavioral sciences, or science and engineering) for the first three fall/spring terms. Exploratory students are advised by the Academic Advising Center and affiliated with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In the first three terms, these students should explore potential majors by taking one or more of the critical-tracking courses for several majors.

Students may change majors provided they have college approval. Students who change majors in the first year usually progress toward graduation in a timely manner. The degree shopping feature in ISIS allows current UF students to match their academic records to the degree requirements of any other major, so that they can consider other degree options and determine what courses would be needed. When considering majors, students should talk to an adviser in the college that offers that major to learn more about the program.