To switch majors or degree types at Miami Dade College, complete the Miami Dade College Change of Major form — officially the Student Request for a Change/Add of Academic Plan/Program — and send it to the Advisement Office at your campus. The form is available as a fillable PDF on MDC’s Kickstart documents page and as an electronic version through the MDC Online student support portal.1Miami Dade College. Student Request for a Change/Add of Academic Plan/Program2Miami Dade College. Advisement and Career Services – MDC Online Processing takes up to two weeks.
Where to Get the Form
Two versions exist and either one is accepted. The PDF is hosted on MDC’s Kickstart page; you download it, fill it in on your computer, and email it to your campus Advisement Office.1Miami Dade College. Student Request for a Change/Add of Academic Plan/Program The electronic version is linked from the MDC Online student support site and routes you through single sign-on to a dynamic web form.2Miami Dade College. Advisement and Career Services – MDC Online The Advisement page at mdc.edu/advisement also links to the form under its Forms section.3Miami Dade College. Advisement – Section: Forms
Find Your 5-Digit Plan Codes First
The form asks for a 5-digit plan code for both your current program and the one you want to move into. Don’t leave those blank and don’t guess. The Advisement Office uses the codes to update your degree audit, and a wrong code puts the wrong course requirements on your record.
MDC publishes an Academic Program Inventory as a PDF that pairs every active program with its plan code, covering Associate in Arts pathways, Associate in Science programs, bachelor’s degrees, and vocational certificates.4Miami Dade College. MDC Active Programs – College and Vocational Credit Offerings You can also reach a full program list from the college’s Academic Programs page.5Miami Dade College. Academic Programs If you’re unsure which code matches the degree you want, an advisor at your campus can identify it before you fill anything in.
How to Fill Out the Form
The PDF has two main sections. Complete the one that applies to your situation, or both if you’re changing your plan and your degree type at the same time.1Miami Dade College. Student Request for a Change/Add of Academic Plan/Program
At the top, enter your personal information:
- Student ID number, which you can find on your student ID card or by logging into your MDConnect portal.
- Phone number and email address where the Advisement Office can reach you if there’s a problem.
Then move to the section that fits what you’re changing:
- Request to Change Your Academic Plan. This is the specific field of study within a degree, such as switching from Biology to Chemistry while staying in the Associate in Arts. Enter the name and 5-digit plan code for both your current plan and your new plan.
- Request to Change/Add Your Academic Program. This covers the degree or certificate type itself, such as moving from an Associate in Arts to an Associate in Science, or adding a bachelor’s program. Enter the type of degree or certificate and the 5-digit plan code for both the current and new program.
Sign and date the form electronically. A typed name in the signature field is expected when you submit by email.
How to Submit It
Email the completed PDF to the Advisement Office at the campus where you are enrolled. The form’s instructions say to send it “with all required information to the Advisement Office at their respective campus.”1Miami Dade College. Student Request for a Change/Add of Academic Plan/Program If you use the electronic version through MDC Online, submission happens inside that system and routes to your campus automatically.2Miami Dade College. Advisement and Career Services – MDC Online You can also go to the Advisement Office in person at any MDC campus to get help completing and submitting the form; campus contact details are on the Advisement page.6Miami Dade College. Advisement
Processing Time and Your Degree Audit
Allow up to two weeks for the Advisement Office to process the change.1Miami Dade College. Student Request for a Change/Add of Academic Plan/Program During peak registration periods, processing can push toward the far end of that window.
Once your change goes through, your degree audit will reflect the new program’s requirements. One catch: after a major change, an advisor must run a new Academic Requirements Report for you at least once before you can view it on your own through the student portal.7Miami Dade College. How Do I View My Degree Audit (Academic Requirements Report) Once you get confirmation the change is processed, contact the Advisement Office and ask them to generate the new report. Until they do, the portal will show stale data from your old program.
Timing Your Change Around the Academic Calendar
MDC accepts the change-of-major form year-round, but when it takes effect depends on where you are in the term. Add/drop deadlines are posted on the college’s Academic Calendar for each term.8Miami Dade College. Academic Calendar Submitting your program change well before a new term starts gives the Advisement Office the full two-week processing window and lets you register for the right courses on day one.
If your change is still processing when registration opens, you could end up enrolled in classes that don’t count toward your new degree. That costs you time and tuition, and it can affect financial aid. Federal grants and state scholarships are tied to progress in a declared program, so taking courses outside your official plan can jeopardize your satisfactory academic progress standing. If you receive VA education benefits, your enrollment certification must match the degree plan on file, and a mismatch can interrupt benefit payments until records are corrected.
Switching Into a Limited Access Health Program
Changing your major to nursing, dental hygiene, or another health science program at MDC is not just a matter of submitting the standard form. These are limited access programs with their own admissions pipeline, and switching your declared major is one step in a longer process.9Miami Dade College. Medical Campus Program Requirements and Target Dates
Before you can enter discipline-specific classes, request a Milestone Review. This is a separate evaluation with its own fee that checks whether you’ve completed all prerequisite coursework. The college recommends finishing every requirement before submitting the review, and for School of Nursing and Health Science programs, all requirements must be completed before you apply.9Miami Dade College. Medical Campus Program Requirements and Target Dates
Other requirements for limited access health programs:
- HSC0003/L (Introduction to Healthcare, lecture and lab) is required for all programs except bachelor’s degrees.
- All students are subject to a criminal background screening.
- Clinical participation in some programs requires you to be at least 18.
- If you’ve attended other institutions, submit official transcripts to the MDC Kendall Campus Transcript Evaluation Department.
- If you haven’t been enrolled at MDC within the past 12 months, you need to submit a new college application.
If you have felony convictions or drug-related arrests on your record, contact the relevant licensing agency for your intended field before investing time in prerequisites. Some health care credentials have licensing restrictions that a degree alone won’t overcome. The Medical Campus Advisement Office can walk you through the specific milestones and target dates for your program.
If You’re on an F-1 Visa
Changing your major triggers a federal reporting requirement for F-1 students. Your Designated School Official at MDC must update your primary field of study in SEVIS within 21 days of the change.10Study in the States. Program Information Any remarks the DSO enters about the change will print on page one of your Form I-20.
Don’t assume this happens automatically. After the Advisement Office processes your program change, contact MDC’s international student services office and confirm the SEVIS update has been made. A mismatch between your I-20 and your actual enrollment can create problems with your visa status. Build enough lead time into the two-week processing window so both your MDC record and your SEVIS record reflect the same program before the semester starts.