Sheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation.
Sheryl Grey Education WriterSheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation.
Written By Sheryl Grey Education WriterSheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation.
Sheryl Grey Education WriterSheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation.
Education Writer Ilana Hamilton Update Editor, EducationWith five years of experience as a writer and editor in the higher education and career development space, Ilana has a passion for creating accessible, relevant content that demystifies the higher-ed landscape for traditional and nontraditional learn.
Ilana Hamilton Update Editor, EducationWith five years of experience as a writer and editor in the higher education and career development space, Ilana has a passion for creating accessible, relevant content that demystifies the higher-ed landscape for traditional and nontraditional learn.
Ilana Hamilton Update Editor, EducationWith five years of experience as a writer and editor in the higher education and career development space, Ilana has a passion for creating accessible, relevant content that demystifies the higher-ed landscape for traditional and nontraditional learn.
Ilana Hamilton Update Editor, EducationWith five years of experience as a writer and editor in the higher education and career development space, Ilana has a passion for creating accessible, relevant content that demystifies the higher-ed landscape for traditional and nontraditional learn.
| Update Editor, Education
Updated: Aug 22, 2024, 2:36am
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Choosing a major is a crucial step in your educational journey since the subjects you study in college help prepare you for careers after graduation. While researching college degrees, you may see options for adding a minor to your major. But what is a minor?
Here we cover what a minor in college is, how it differs from a double major and how you can benefit from pursuing this specialization. We also discuss a few commonly paired majors and minors to give you an idea of what your degree can look like, as well as what you should consider when choosing a minor for your degree.
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A college minor is a supplementary group of courses in a subject area that differs from your bachelor’s degree major. Your minor may complement your major or allow you to study an unrelated field. A minor is sometimes referred to as a mini-major because it allows you to increase your knowledge in a particular discipline while requiring fewer credits than a major.
The total number of credits required for a bachelor’s degree can include some or all of the credits you need for a minor, so pursuing one of these coursework sequences doesn’t necessarily extend the time it takes to complete your degree. For example, if your bachelor’s degree requires 120 credit hours of coursework, you can expect to spend about 15 to 21 of those credits on courses for your minor. However, minors may require up to 30 credits.
A minor, a double major and a dual degree all allow you to gain subject matter expertise. However, the primary difference between a minor and a major is the number of credits you need: Minors require fewer total credits, while a second major calls for a similar number of credits to a first major.
Depending on the curricular requirements for both programs, pursuing two majors may extend your degree completion time.
The exact parameters for double majors and dual degrees vary by institution. However, as a rule, a double major results in a single degree encompassing two disciplines, while a dual degree leads to two separate degrees. Frequently, double majors involve programs of study with similar distribution requirements, and students can complete the major coursework for both subjects without exceeding the total number of credits required for a single-major bachelor’s degree.
Dual degrees often involve majors with distinctly different requirements, such as those housed within different academic divisions. Since the credits you’ll need outside of core major classes have less overlap, earning a dual degree requires additional coursework—often 150 credits instead of 120. In contrast, these rules regarding additional credits typically don’t apply to minors, even when housed in different colleges at the university.
You may need approval from a college advisor to declare a minor or a double major. Whether you plan to attend college online or in person, check with admissions counselors at prospective programs during the application process to learn how these options work at each school.
Completing a minor allows you to expand your knowledge to areas beyond your major.
Choosing a minor that complements your major can round out your education and qualify you for more niche roles in your field. For example, suppose you major in business and pursue a minor in Spanish. In that case, you can synthesize these two knowledge bases together to pursue a career in international business—the minor supplements your major.
Choose a minor that helps you broaden your skill set. For example, adding a communications minor can improve employer-valued soft skills such as critical thinking and problem solving.
Earning a minor can set you apart from other job candidates who lack that specialized knowledge, which may give you a competitive edge in your career. For example, if you are a computer science major who wants to work in a leadership role within your field, minoring in leadership studies or business management can prepare you for the organizational strategizing required of team leaders.
Choosing a minor lets you study a field outside your major. This may be a hobby you want to learn or a subject that interests you. For example, you can pursue creative fields like music, photography and art or subjects such as classics, art history or linguistics.
There are many options for combining majors and minors. Below, we list several major–minor combinations, explaining how they work together to enhance your education and increase your career opportunities.
A psychology minor can pair well with a business major. Studying human behavior and the factors that motivate people helps you collaborate effectively with others and work as a business leader. This skill set is especially useful in human resources, sales, business administration and management careers.
Combining a communication minor with a marketing major helps you hone your writing, speaking and technological communication skills, which are essential in any marketing career. This minor enables you to build on your marketing knowledge for public relations, marketing and writing jobs.
Because the economy impacts marketing strategies that businesses use to sell their products and services, these organizations may plan their marketing budgets in accordance with the state of the economy. When you pair a marketing minor with your economics major, you learn more about the relationship between these two disciplines, which can be useful in various business careers.
Combining a psychology major and a sociology minor helps you understand how sociological and psychological theories connect. This combination lets you explore human behavior and its effects on society and culture, giving you a perspective beyond the individual human. You can apply these insights to academic research and management roles.
Adding a minor to your bachelor’s program can be worth it. Earning a minor is an excellent way to broaden your knowledge, boost your employment opportunities or learn more about a subject that interests you. A minor helps you achieve a well-rounded education.
You must complete a certain number of credits for your bachelor’s degree program. By choosing a minor, you can use some of those credits to direct the focus of your education into a field that interests you, one which may help you further your career.
Some colleges don’t set a limit on how many minors a student can pursue, while others may cap the number of minors to two or three. Colleges that allow double counting—using one class to meet requirements for more than one minor or major—may allow your schedule to accommodate multiple minors.
Most colleges don’t require all students to complete a minor. However, some individual majors may set a minor requirement.
College students typically use elective credits to fulfill coursework requirements for a minor. You may need to get approval from the relevant academic department to declare a minor.
No, a minor is not considered a degree. A minor is a secondary specialization area you can pursue to complement your major course of study and is considered part of your bachelor’s degree rather than a separate credential.
No, in most cases a minor doesn’t show up on your diploma when you earn your degree, although some schools do include this information. However, both your minor and major should appear on your transcript.
The number of credits required to complete a minor varies by school and program, but most minors entail about 15 to 21 credits.
