Undergraduate Minor
Summary
Students completing a bachelor's degree may declare one or more minors in addition to their major. Minors must be officially declared by the deadline for the student's application to graduate. A minor is a coherent program of study defined by the department or degree program and consists of no fewer than six courses of 3 or more units to a maximum of 36 units of letter-graded work.
Policy Statement
Students completing a bachelor's degree may elect to complete one or more minors in addition to the major. Minors must be officially declared by students no later than the deadline for their application(s) to graduate, according to declaration procedures developed and monitored by the Office of the University Registrar. Undergraduates use Axess to declare or drop a minor. Earlier deadlines for declaration of the minor may be set by the offering school or department. Satisfactory completion of declared minors is noted on the student's transcript after degree conferral.
A minor is a coherent program of study defined by the department or degree program. It may be a limited version of a major concentration or a specialized subset of a field. A minor consists of no fewer than six courses of 3 or more units to a maximum of 36 units of letter-graded work, except where letter grades are not offered. Departments and degree programs establish the structure and requirements of each minor in accordance with the policy above and within specific guidelines developed by the deans of schools. Programs which do not offer undergraduate degrees may also make proposals to their cognizant deans to establish a minor.
Students may not overlap (double-count) courses for completing major and minor requirements, unless:
Overlapping courses constitute introductory skill requirements (for example, introductory math or a foreign language), such that the introductory course acts a prerequisite for further mastery in the subject, the introductory course is broadly accessible and does not require a prerequisite for enrollment; or
Overlapping courses enable the student to meet school requirements. However, courses used for the major and/or the minor depth/core must not be duplicated within any other of the student’s degree programs (for example, for a major within the School of Engineering and a minor within or outside of the School of Engineering). Currently, only the School of Engineering has school requirements for its undergraduate majors.
Students pursuing a B.A. or B.S. or a Secondary Major may not pursue a minor in the same degree program.
Students with questions about declaring minors or double-counting courses towards combinations of majors and/or minors should consult with the departments or programs involved. For general academic advising regarding minors, undergraduate students should consult the office of Academic Advising, under the office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE). For specific advising within the minor, students should consult with the Student Services Officer or another representative from that academic department/program.
Implementation Information
Undergraduate students with questions about the minor should consult with representatives in the minor department or program. For general academic advising regarding minors, undergraduate students should contact the Office of Academic Advising under the office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE).