An academic minor is an secondary area of study of an

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

college or university student, in addition to their "

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

". The institution lays out a framework of required classes or class types a student must complete to earn the minor – although the latitude the student is given varies. Academic minors and majors differ in that the former is subordinate to the latter – fewer courses are required to complete a minor program of study than a major program of study. A minor is usually optional, and an undergraduate student does not have to select one. Some students will prepare for their intended career with their major, while pursuing personal interests with a minor, for example, majoring in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

while minoring in a foreign language or

performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...

. Other students may pursue a minor to provide specific specialization and thus make themselves more attractive to employers. It is not infrequent for a

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

major to minor in

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

, or an

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

student to minor in

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

. Students intending to become

secondary education Secondary education is the education level following primary education and preceding tertiary education. Level 2 or ''lower secondary education'' (less commonly ''junior secondary education'') is considered the second and final phase of basic e ...

teachers often major in their teaching subject area (for example,

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

) and minor in

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

. Academic minors are most prevalent in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and, to a lesser extent, in other English-speaking countries.

Postgraduate minor

While academic minors are usually associated with undergraduate degrees as a student's secondary focus, academic minors also exist at the postgraduate level, particularly in US institutions. This can refer to a student's minor or secondary field within a different discipline.

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

PhD Minor
accessed on 2 November 2024

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite web , last1=Claybourn , first1=Cole , title=What a Minor Is and Why It May (or May Not) Matter , url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/what-is-a-college-minor , website= U.S. News & World Report , access-date=5 February 2024 , date=11 September 2023 {{cite journal , last1=Stache , first1=Carolyn , last2=Perlman , first2=Baron , last3=McCann , first3=Lee , last4=McFadden , first4=Susan , title=A National Survey of the Academic Minor and Psychology , journal=Teaching of Psychology , date=April 1994 , volume=21 , issue=2 , pages=69–74 , doi=10.1207/s15328023top2102_1 , publisher=

Taylor & Francis Taylor & Francis Group is an international company originating in the United Kingdom that publishes books and academic journals. Its parts include Taylor & Francis, CRC Press, Routledge, F1000 (publisher), F1000 Research and Dovepress. It i ...

School terminology Academic degrees

Postgraduate minor

See also

References