| University Undergraduate Advising Handbook | |
A minor is an academic program that supplements a major. Minors require a minimum of 18 credits and typically no more than 21 credits with at least 6 but ordinarily not more than half of the credits at the 400 level. A minor program may consist of course work in a single area or from several disciplines.
In most cases, students do not have to be enrolled in the college that offers a particular minor in order to pursue that minor. More than one minor can be completed if a student is interested in developing an emphasis in additional disciplines. It is possible to complete a minor within the total credits required for the major because credits may also satisfy General Education, major, and minor requirements. For example, ENGL 050 (GA) could satisfy a 3-credit requirement in the English minor and also satisfy 3 credits of a student's General Education arts requirement.
Minimum Grade Requirements
Impact on a Student's Record
Degree Audit
Transcript
Student Action
Planning a Minor
Applying for a Minor
Withdrawing from and Reapplying for a Minor
Resources for Information on Minors
Approved Baccalaureate Minors Offered by Colleges Based at University Park
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in a minor. The student's academic progress in meeting retention and graduation requirements in the minor is monitored by the person in charge of the minor.
When a student is admitted to a minor, the minor and minor program year will be listed on his/her degree audit. Up to four minors can be listed. (See section 2 of this sample degree audit.)
When a student graduates, completed minors are recorded on his/her transcript by the Registrar, and the student receives official certificates certifying completion of the minors. (The certificates are given with the diploma.)
Application: You may apply for a minor by submitting a completed entrance to minor application form to the person in charge of the minor.
Deadline: Applications for a minor are accepted anytime after you have attained fifth semester classification (60 credits). To graduate with a minor, you must be accepted in the minor before the late drop deadline of your last semester; however, if the minor has an entry fee, you must be accepted before the end of the drop/add period of that semester.
After Graduation: It is possible to be awarded a minor up to five years after your graduation. The following criteria apply: (1) the minor must have been offered at the time you graduated, (2) you satisfied all the requirements for the minor before you graduated, and (3) you have paid any fee assessed for the minor. Note: any minor requiring an audition or portfolio for admission cannot be awarded retroactively. To request a minor retroactively, contact the person responsible for the minor indicated in the resources below.
WITHDRAWING FROM AND REAPPLYING FOR A MINOR
A student who has applied for a minor but does not complete it is not required to take any action to withdraw from the minor. If a minor is not completed, it is not recorded.
Students admitted to a minor who interrupt their continuous enrollment must reapply for the minor when re-enrolling in the University if the minor is still desired. Requirements for the minor are those in effect at the time the student most recently entered the minor program.
RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION ON MINORS
University Park minors are listed below. If a college or department has developed a Web site for a particular minor, a link is provided. The 
next to the name of each minor provides a link to the description of the minor in the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin.
Information on all minors at all Penn State campuses is available on the University Faculty Senate Web site and in the Undergraduate Degree Programs Bulletin. Consult the bulletin index to locate a specific minor.
APPROVED BACCALAUREATE MINORS OFFERED BY COLLEGES BASED AT UNIVERSITY PARK
Additional minors are offered through colleges at other Penn State campuses. For more information, contact the appropriate advising center.
A list of University Park Minors Clustered by Interest Areas is designed to help students identify minors that relate to their interests.
The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. Please consult a Penn State academic adviser for more detailed information.
This page is part of the University Undergraduate Advising Handbook, which is maintained by the Division of Undergraduate Studies, DUS@psu.edu.
Last Update: August 2009