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I know a young person who trained as a ballet dancer but wanted a career in medicine. When she declared her major as biology, she added a minor in dance. Why? One reason was that she had been dancing since she was three years old and did not want to give it up in college. Another reason is that she wanted to work in orthopedics eventually and knew that her dance experiences would shape how she approached patient needs. A win-win, right?
Want to learn more about a field of study without having to major in it? Want specific career knowledge, skills, or experience without having to choose a completely different degree plan? Have an interest such as creative writing, environmental science, or graphic design that you want to explore “just for fun”? All of these questions can be answered by choosing a minor.
Simply put, a minor is a secondary field of study that can complement your primary—or major—field of study or it can be focused on something that you want to learn just for the sake of learning.
A minor often requires that you complete 16 to 30 credit hours of a determined set of courses. Some schools provide a list of approved minors and require you to choose one from the list. Other schools may encourage you to choose a minor, while still others may strongly discourage it if you intend on graduating on time. It all depends on where you go to college, your major, and your timeline for graduation.
For the most part, the decision may be completely up to you, but it is worth considering the following:
What does my academic advisor say about adding a minor to my degree plan? This may be your first step in deciding on a minor. Your advisor can walk you through the options and help you determine how to fit minor course requirements into your schedule each term.
What do I want to get out of a minor? Many students choose minors that give them an edge in the job market. If you are interested in additional skills, consider choosing a minor that allows you to obtain specialized knowledge and experience. For example, you could add a creative writing minor to a data science degree to enhance your ability to pull the stories from statistics and survey information. This combination may be helpful if you intend on working for a company or organization that markets their work to funders or consumers.
What am I interested in? Because it is not often required, you have the room to choose something you are truly interested in. This gives you the opportunity to continue to explore a hobby or delve into a topic that has always intrigued you.
What story could my minor tell future employers or graduate schools? Consider the example of the ballet dancer turned doctor. Minoring in dance allowed her to deepen her understanding of the field, but it also provided her with a unique experience that can help her tell the story of why she wants to attend medical school and what will make her a good doctor for orthopedic patients.
Minors can be major wins if you make informed decisions about what you want to get from a secondary course of study.
