Academic Programs

Undergraduate minors

An undergraduate minor is a formal aggregate of courses in a designated secondary subject area or discipline distinct from and usually outside the student's degree major, in which knowledge is gained in a coherent pattern of courses. Minors may be offered by an academic unit for its own majors and/or majors from other academic units.

Minors consist of a minimum of 27 designated quarter credits of related course work, at least 12 of which must be at the upper-division level.

For an undergraduate minor to appear on a student's academic transcript, the student must apply to the Registrar's Office at the same time formal application is made for a degree. The Graduation Audit from the Registrar's Office will list the minor as well as the major and degree. This form is sent to the student's dean for certification of the minor at the same time the student is cleared for graduation.

To create, change, or drop an undergraduate minor, departments submit a Curriculum Proposal. Proposals will contain a list of minor courses as they will appear in the OSU Catalog and documented liaison with all departments involved.

Graduate minors

A graduate minor is an academic area that clearly supports the major. Master's program minors must include a minimum of 15 quarter credits of graduate course work; doctoral minors require a minimum of 18 credits. On a master's or doctoral program, a minor may be:

1. an academic area available only as a minor,
2. a different major,
3. the same major with a different area of concentration, or
4. an integrated minor.

An integrated minor consists of a series of cognate courses from two or more areas. These courses must be outside the major area of concentration, with most of the courses being outside the major department. The graduate faculty member representing the integrated minor must be from outside the major department. Graduate minors are listed on the student's transcript.

To create, change, or drop a graduate minor, departments submit a New or Change Minor Proposal.

To propose a graduate minor, units without an approved graduate major must include in their proposal:

• Identification of the academic unit/program responsible for the minor.
• Listing of a sufficient number of approved and related graduate course offerings to support the minor, at least 15 credits. Please list courses as they will appear in the OSU Catalog.
• Identification of sufficient faculty expertise and facilities to support the minor.
• Liaison with other academic units must be addressed.