To declare a major or minor in the School of Communication, please complete the online declaration form below. Your request will be reviewed by an authorized staff person, and they will assign you an advisor once you are approved. Your advisor will serve as your primary advisor for the major/minor. If you are not approved for you major, you will be notified via email. Once you are approved, you will receive an email confirming that your major/minor declaration has been processed. 

Please note that your first major must be formally declared before you can declare a second major or a minor. Students enter American University with an intended major or as an undecided student. By the end of the second year, each student should be ready to formally declare a major program. 

To declare your required minor or second major please reach out to the school where the program is hosted to request/declare. 

Contact the advising office with any questions: communication@american.edu or by phone at 202-885-2061. 

Online Declaration Form

First Major

• Non-SOC students: If you are changing your first/primary major into SOC, you must first meet with the appropriate SOC academic advisor. 

Second Major 

• Must have first/primary major declared. 
• Each major must have at least 18 unique major related credits that are not shared with other majors/minors  
• Reminder: General advising (questions about AU Core, university requirements, etc.) takes place within the school/college that the first/primary major is declared. 
• A SOC Advisor will be assigned to advise you on the requirements of the second major. 
• If your majors are in two different schools, you will walk with your first major’s school at commencement  

Dual Degree  

• Completing a dual degree result in two separate undergraduate degrees  
• Must complete 150 total credits to earn a dual degree  
• Must have an AU GPA of 3.0  
• Each major must have at least 24 unique major related credits that are not shared with other majors/minors  
• Must have first/primary major declared.  
• Reminder: General advising (questions about AU Core, university requirements, etc.) takes place within the school/college that the first/primary major is declared.  
• A SOC Advisor will be assigned to advise you on the requirements of the second major.  
• AU Core requirements do not need to be repeated for the second degree.  

Minor 

• Must have first/primary major declared. 
• A SOC Advisor will be assigned to advise you on the requirements of the minor.