School of Arts and Sciences

MINOR PROGRAMS

Introduction

Students are encouraged to make the best use of both their distribution requirements and their free electives. Most students follow course sequences to further specific educational or intellectual goals. It is also possible to complete one--and in some cases, two--formal minors without taking more than the forty courses required for graduation. For example, a Politics major who chooses courses carefully beginning in the freshman year can complete a minor in English (accumulating the six courses required in that minor by making appropriate choices in the two required literature courses and four free electives) and another minor in History (by making appropriate choices in the four required humanities courses and two free electives). The completion of a minor is recorded on the student's permanent transcript.

For information about specific minors available in Arts & Sciences, consult departmental advisers or the print version of this Advising Handbook. The definition and specification of a minor in a particular subject area is the responsibility of the department or program in that subject area.

Important Policies on Minors

Course substitutions are not permitted in minors

No more than two of the six courses constituting a minor may be transferred from other institutions.

"Inside minors" are not allowed: a student may not choose a minor offered within the same department as the major. (Exception: a foreign language major may minor in another foreign language.)

In cases where a minor is related to the student's major, no more than two courses may "overlap" between major and minor requirements.

A student may complete only one minor offered within any given department.