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Most bachelor’s degree programs in the College of Liberal Arts will require the student to complete a minor program.

Minors

A minor is just like a major, except that it is considered a secondary field of study and will require fewer units (typically 18-21). Completing a minor will give you introductory exposure to another discipline and allow you to explore some of the topics from that field in-depth.

Selecting a minor

Many students choose a minor that is related to their major, in order to get an introduction to other topics complementary to their primary area of study. Some students select a minor based on their professional goals, choosing a secondary focus that provides additional skills that, when paired with the major, help prepare the student for particular career pursuits. Other students take a different approach, using their minor as a means of exploring or continuing personal interests and hobbies completely separate from their primary academic activities.

The University offers many undergraduate minor programs. Refer to the current for the most up-to-date course requirements for every minor program.

Students majoring in the College of Liberal Arts may choose any minor program recognized by the University; the minor does not need to be one offered by the College.

Once you have selected a minor that interests you, you will need to meet with an academic advisor to officially declare it. Review the steps to add a minor for more information.

Other notes on minor selections:

• Department and/or General Catalog policies may prohibit declaring certain minors within the same department as a student’s major. Where pursuing a minor in the same department or discipline as a major is allowed, some minors have additional course restrictions or altered course requirements for students majoring in a similar field. Refer to the General Catalog for specifics.
• Certificate programs cannot be used to satisfy a minor requirement.
• The requirements of the Honors College cannot be used to substitute for a required minor.
• Pursuing multiple minors is permitted.

When to declare a minor

If your degree program requires a minor, you should plan on declaring a minor prior to reaching junior status, or completion of 60 units. For students transferring in with an associate’s degree, this means a minor should be declared as soon as possible upon starting at the University. Declaring your minor as soon as you have decided on one will allow you to develop a reasonable graduation timeline with the completion of your minor in mind.

Minor requirement for students pursuing multiple majors

Pursuant to the College of Liberal Arts section of the General Catalog, students pursuing multiple majors or multiple degrees are not required to complete a minor in an additional area.

The minor requirement associated with a College of Liberal Arts major program on a student’s advising report in MyÁùºÏ±¦µä will only be waived upon request of the student. Students wishing to waive the minor requirement can email a College Advisor to request a waiver (include name, NSHE ID#, and list of declared majors).

Note: Students whose additional major is in a “pre-major” status (e.g. “Pre-Business”) will not have their minor requirement waived until after they have been fully admitted to the additional major program.

Special related field as a minor

Students may petition to have a special related field substitute for a required minor. The special related field is designed to allow students to combine coursework with a related theme, to provide an academic experience similar to a minor for cases where the University doesn’t currently offer a program of study in that area.

Example: A student traveled to Germany and took advanced German language and culture coursework while studying abroad. The student returns and wishes to take additional classes in German history, culture, art and so forth while at the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno. Since the University does not have a German program of study, the student could petition for a special related field in “German Studies” by combining the courses taken abroad with the courses planned for the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno.

An approved special related field will substitute for a required minor, but it will not be recorded as a minor on the student’s official University transcript. A special related field requires a minimum of 18 units — at least nine units must be in upper-division, at least nine units must be completed at ÁùºÏ±¦µä and no more than three units may overlap with other degree requirements. Students must earn at least a 2.00 GPA in the special related field and the coursework used may not be more than 10 years old. The petition must be approved prior to a student earning 90 units.

Students interested in pursuing a special related field should meet with a College Advisor in the CLA Student Center to discuss further.