If you change your major, your SEVIS record will be automatically updated to reflect the new major once the changes has been made in the university database. However, you will not be issued a new I-20. If you need a new I-20 with your major on it, please contact an international student adviser to discuss your case.

If you are currently an undergraduate student (or are on OPT after earning an undergraduate degree from Rutgers–New Brunswick) and you have been admitted to a graduate program at Rutgers–New Brunswick, you will receive your new I-20 after you submit a completed Certification of Funds, financial documentation and a completed Transfer Out e-form to Rutgers Graduate and Professional Admissions.

Follow the instructions on our Transferring Out of Rutgers page for more details on transferring within New Brunswick, or to Newark/Camden. 

If you are currently an undergraduate student but are enrolled in a 4+1 / 5-year combined bachelor's/master's program, contact an international student adviser during the last semester of your bachelor’s degree.

If you are a current graduate student at Rutgers – New Brunswick and you are interested in changing your program of study or degree level, first speak with your department/school to determine if you need to apply through Graduate and Professional Admissions or if you can be admitted to a new program or degree level through an internal University process.

If you are required to apply through Graduate and Professional Admissions, you will receive a certificate of admission after completing the application process. 

If you may be admitted through an internal process, obtain and complete the appropriate form from your department/school. If you are a student in the School of Graduate Studies, the forms can be found here. The program transfer or change of degree status form must be completed by your current and prospective program director, if applicable, before submission to Rutgers Global – International Student and Scholar Services.

Submit the Academic Program Changes for Graduate Students e-form online through the RGlobal portal to update your I-20 or DS-2019. You will need to prepare the following:

1. Certificate of admission OR form from your department/school
2. Name and email address of your Graduate Program Director
3. Completed Certification of Funds form
4. Proof of funding documents (Financial support can be in any combination of assistantship, fellowship, personal funds or sponsor funds. Funding documents cannot be more than six months old).

Please inform our office via the Rutgers Global e-form if you are earning a degree prior to starting the new program or degree level and if you have any international travel planned during the break prior to starting your new program or degree level.

An international student adviser will contact you if there are any questions regarding your application.  Otherwise, you will receive an email when your updated I-20 or DS-2019 is ready. 

Login to the RGlobal portal and submit the Request for Initial I-20 e-form group. On that form you will indicate that you are currently attending Rutgers or on OPT and applying for a Change of Degree Level.

Note for students in Continuing Dental Education (Rutgers Health) programs: International students that are admitted into a 3 or 5.5 month program that are requesting to extend (the same program) to either 5.5 and 11 months, must request an extension of the I-20 before the current program end date listed on the I-20. There cannot be a gap in between if it is the same program. If a student applies for a brand new program in a new department, then they can apply for a change of degree level as long as the new program begins within 5 months of the current program end date and the new program is the next available session.

If you are a current graduate student at Rutgers Health and you are interested in changing your program of study, first speak with your department/school to determine if you need to apply through Rutgers Health Admissions or if you can be admitted to a new program through an internal University process.

If you are required to apply through Rutgers Health Admissions, you will receive a certificate of admission after completing the application process.

If you may be admitted through an internal process, you must obtain a letter from the registrar indicating your new program/major, and the effective date of the change.

Submit the Academic Program Change e-form via the RGlobal portal to update your I-20 or DS-2019. You will need to prepare the following:

1. Completed Certification of Funds form.
2. Proof of funding documents (Financial support can be in any combination of assistantship, fellowship, personal funds or sponsor funds. Funding documents cannot be more than six months old).

Please inform our office via the Rutgers Global e-form if you are earning a degree prior to starting the new program or degree level and if you have any international travel planned during the break prior to starting your new program or degree level.

An international student adviser will contact you if there are any questions regarding your application.  Otherwise, you will receive an email when your updated I-20 or DS-2019 is ready.