In the United States and Canada, an
academic major (informally
major) is the
academic discipline to which an
undergraduate student formally commits. A student who successfully completes the courses prescribed in an academic major qualifies for an
undergraduate degree. The word "major" is also sometimes used administratively to refer to the academic discipline pursued by a
graduate student or
postgraduate student in a
master's or
doctoral program. The term may also apply to a focused field of an academic discipline that a student chooses at the doctoral studies level.