What Is a Minor in College?

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Unlike a college major, you don’t have to declare a college minor. However, it can complement what you study or help you discover a new passion. Explore key facts about college minors, reasons to consider one, and tips for choosing a minor.

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A college minor is an area of study you can choose when completing your bachelor’s degree. Unlike a college major, you don’t have to declare a minor, but it can complement what you major in—or give you time to learn about an unrelated subject or passion. 

If you’re thinking about pursuing a minor in college, explore what it takes to earn one and how it can benefit you.

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Minor in college: Key facts

If you opt to complete a minor, it likely won’t appear on your diploma, but your transcripts will typically list it. As you begin applying for jobs, you can include both your major and minor on your resume, showing employers the extra work you put into your degree.

Examples of college minors:

  • African studies

  • Animal studies

  • Business

  • Creative writing

  • Environmental science

  • Multimedia journalism

  • Queer studies

  • Urban planning

How many credits is a minor?

You can earn a minor with a minimum of around 18 credits, which can be put toward your overall degree progress. To earn your bachelor’s degree, you must declare a major and take a certain number of courses. Your major will likely make up one-third to one-half of the 120 minimum credits required to graduate.

College minor requirements

Beyond completing the set number of courses necessary to earn your minor, your college or university may stipulate additional requirements, such as: 

  • Completing a minimum number of courses onsite: This rule tends to apply more to transfer students, but to minor in a subject, you will likely need to complete a minimum number of courses at the school you intend to graduate from. 

  • Earning a minimum cumulative GPA: Your school may also expect you to earn a minimum GPA, such as 2.0, in your minor courses to graduate with that concentration.

Get an early start on your degree

Did you know that when you complete a select Professional Certificate on Coursera, you can earn college credit? If you apply and are accepted into an eligible degree program, your certificate can count toward your degree. Begin building job-ready skills in fields like data analytics, IT support, social media marketing, or project management, and get an early start on your degree.

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When should I declare a minor?

It can help to declare a minor around the same time you declare a major so you clearly understand the courses you need to take after you finish your general education requirements. Colleges or universities often recommend that you meet with your advisor to determine how long it will take to complete your minor and the best course of action.

4 reasons for choosing a minor

You may choose a minor in a subject for several reasons, even though it’s not a graduation requirement. Discover four of them below. 

1. Complement your college major.

You can expand your subject knowledge when you choose a minor that complements your major. For example, a computer science major interested in workplace equity may choose to minor in women’s and gender studies, or a business major interested in one day working in Latin America may choose to minor in Spanish. In each case, the minor coursework supplements the major coursework.

Choosing a minor related to your major may also benefit your time at college. When you begin majoring in a subject, you may find yourself interacting with other students in your department. However, minoring in a different discipline allows you to interact with other people and even network, which can help you strengthen your ability to collaborate—a key transferable skill

2. Expand your career opportunities. 

You may find more career opportunities when you choose a minor, such as a history major with a minor in education or a political science major with a minor in journalism. Not only can you look for work in the areas of both your major and minor, but your diversified knowledge and skill set may be more desirable to potential employers. 

3. Add to your skill set.

You can round out your college major by choosing a minor in a completely different area that may help you develop different skills. For instance, if you’re a STEM major, you might want to pick a minor in the humanities to hone your communication skills and critical thinking. Or if you’re a humanities major, you might want to consider a minor that allows for greater job skills development, like business, economics, or marketing. Working in multiple disciplines can help you boost your overall skill set and keep you from getting stuck in one mindset or behavior.

4. Spend time learning more about a passion.

You can explore a passion by choosing to minor in it. Some students may minor in art or music because they enjoy creative expression, while others may choose a minor in data science or psychology because they want to learn more about what makes machines or people tick. Either way, it’s an opportunity to take courses and learn more about an area that interests you. 

Double major vs. minor: What’s the difference?

Rather than choose a minor, you have the option of double majoring—or completing the required coursework for a second full major. If you’re able to attend college full-time, a double major tends to take the same amount of time as a single major. However, it usually requires taking a full load of classes every semester, and it doesn’t always leave room to take electives, which can be a valuable opportunity to explore your passions or take a class for fun.

If you’re concerned about your time to completion and you’d like greater scheduling flexibility, a minor may be a better option for you. It won’t require as much coursework, and it still gives you a chance to learn about a different subject than your major.

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Tips for choosing a minor

Before you choose a minor, consider your motivation. Are you most interested in augmenting your major, broadening your career opportunities, developing new skills, or exploring your passion? The answer can help you determine which minor to choose.

If you want a subject that complements your major, then it may be a good idea to speak with an advisor or professor about the best choices to broaden your education. If you’re interested in skills development, you might want to consider an unrelated subject to develop a more diverse skill set. Review your college or university’s programs for a list of available minors and see what sounds like a good fit for your goal. 

Explore courses to help you choose a minor in college.

Choosing a minor in college is a helpful way for you to gain skills complementary to your major or explore a passion outside of your main degree focus. Before you commit to a minor, it may help to explore different subjects. You can find a number of free courses from leading universities on Coursera. Discover Introduction to Psychology from Yale, Introduction to Statistics from Stanford, or Programming Foundations with JavaScript, HTML and CSS from Duke. You can complete courses in a few weeks, and this can help you narrow your focus as you decide on a minor.

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