By Anna Sommer
Team Manager, Academic Advising at American Public University

This article originally appeared on our fellow APUS blog, Online Learning Tips.

For many people working towards a college degree centers around selecting the right degree program, taking the right courses, and learning the right skills or knowledge that will help you get the right job. The need to get it all right creates a lot of pressure and can lead you to second guessing your degree choice or send you into a cycle of changing your degree multiple times. If you are thinking about changing your program, here are two things to consider:

Changing your program has implications on your academic progress, transfer credit, and time frame for graduation.

Every program has a specific set of courses and credits that need to be completed in order for you to graduate. Additionally, each program’s requirements are determined by the catalog year in which you enroll into that program. Any time you change your program, you will be looking at a different set of requirements, and potentially, a different catalog year. This means any previously awarded transfer credit and any previously completed university coursework needs to be re-evaluated towards your new program and its requirements. For some students, this results in losing credit. It can also extend the time it takes to complete your degree in some cases. It’s really important that you work with an academic advisor and seek out information in advance so that you understand how changing your program will impact you personally.