Choosing a Minor

As a college student, you’ve likely spent a lot of time considering which major to choose to explore your interests, dive deep into your passions, and prepare yourself for a career and life of purpose. Selecting a minor is no different!

While this decision may seem less daunting or consequential than choosing a major, carefully choosing your minor can enhance your college experience by providing opportunities to broaden your curriculum, draw connections between your areas of study, and more. If you'd like to discuss your decision, please reach out to your assigned major advisor.

What are the reasons for selecting a minor?

  • You want to build a new skill that complements your major and boosts your resume.

    By taking a skill-building approach when selecting your minor, you can dive into an area of study that will deepen your learning and set you apart in the job market. For example:

    • Many students who major in Strategic Communications will minor in Marketing to allow for a deeper exploration of both subjects and gain necessary skills for a career in the strategic communications industry, where a basic level of marketing know-how is expected. 
    • Maybe you’re an International Studies major interested in global technical systems, so you consider a minor in Geographic Information Science or Computer Science.
    • You’re a Kinesiology major who wants to open your own sport coaching practice, so you look at minors in Wellness or Business Administration.


    Get creative and connect with your your advising mentors and Career & Professional Development to explore the ways in which you can use your minor to build new and valuable skills! 

  • Your major or program requires that you declare a minor.

    With very few exceptions, all undergraduate degrees at DU require that students declare at least one minor. In many cases, students are welcome to select any available minor from the list of undergraduate programs but some majors and programs require specific minors. For example:

    • A Bachelor of Science in Physiology in Health & Disease requires two minors, one of which must be Medical Physics. This minor helps prepare students for graduate school in science and engineering and health-related careers, including those in medicine and dentistry.

    • All students in the PLP Leadership Program will receive a Leadership Studies minor by completing the requirements for the program.

    If you’re unsure whether your major requires a minor/a specific minor, check in with your academic advisor to review your degree requirements. 

  • You want to dedicate some of your coursework to a passion.

    Many students choose a major to prepare for a specific career, like engineering, accounting, teaching, and more. But maybe you have a passion that lies outside of your major; a minor is a great place to explore this passion!

    If you’ve always loved to read and write, perhaps an English or Applied Writing Practices minor would allow you to dive into this interest during your time at DU. Or maybe you’d like to develop the knowledge and tools to combat climate change, a cause you are passionate about, by completing a minor in Environmental Science. There are many great possibilities to create a personalized and holistic DU experience that allows you to reach your academic and career goals, while also taking coursework that nurtures your interests.

  • You discover an interest through your elective coursework.

    Throughout your time at DU, you’re required to take elective coursework in order to complete your degree. As you do this, you may discover that you tend to gravitate toward electives in the same discipline. If this is the case, you might want to consider that field for a minor, as it’s possible you’ve already earned several credits toward the degree. Check out the available minors and their requirements and compare them with your degree audit to further explore this option.

How do I choose a minor?

  • Explore your Degree Requirements

    Most degrees at DU require at least one minor. If you aren’t sure whether your degree requires a minor (or whether it requires a specific minor) ask your academic advisor. 

  • Identify your “Why”

    Take some time to reflect on what you’d like to get out of your DU experience and consider how your minor can help you accomplish this. Want some questions to help guide this reflection? We’ve got you covered!

    • What are my long-term academic and professional goals? How can my minor help me achieve them?
    • Do I have any interests that my current coursework doesn’t explore? Is there a minor that would allow me to explore these interests?
    • What has been my favorite DU class, thus far? Is there a minor in that department?  

     

    Remember that DU has a robust network of resources to help facilitate this reflection! Feel free to schedule an appointment with a Student Success Coach to discuss your goals and identify steps to achieve them.

  • Investigate your Options

    Check out the overview of Undergraduate Programs at DU. You can filter the tiles to only display minors to make your search a bit easier. 

  • Tap into your DU Network to Learn More

    Really loving one of your classes? Go to your professor’s office hours and talk to them about your interest. You might decide you’d like to declare a minor in that department to take more courses you love. 

    Connect with an advisor in a minor of interest to learn more about the department and the minor requirements.  

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I declare a minor?

    Fill out the Application to Declare or Change Undergraduate Degree/Major/Minor form on the Office of the Registrar’s website and drop it off in the Office of the Registrar (University Hall, Garden Level) or email it to registrar@du.edu.

  • When should I declare a minor?

    Most DU students declare a minor during their third year. However, you can declare a minor at any time (as long as you’ve already declared a major). Please note that some minors are more sequential than others and may take longer to complete; refer to the Undergraduate Bulletin for course requirements and talk to your advisor if you have any questions. We recommend submitting the Application to Declare or Change Undergraduate Degree/Major/Minor form as soon as you can so you can keep track of your degree progress via your degree audit!

  • Can I still declare a minor in my senior year?

    If you’re within a few quarters of graduation, we recommend meeting with an advisor in the department of the minor you’re interested in pursuing to discuss whether you will be able to complete the classes required for the minor before you graduate. For example, some minor courses may have prerequisites that could take a few quarters to complete, or courses may only be offered once a year or less frequently. You want to make sure you have a plan of which minor courses you will take each quarter before you graduate, to ensure you can complete your minor requirements.  

  • What if I want to pursue multiple minors?

    There is no limit to the number of minors you can pursue, however we would recommend working with your academic advisor to make sure that you have enough space in your overall graduation plan to fit in all of your common curriculum, major, and minor requirements. If you find that adding more minors would extend your graduation timeline, remember that you can always take a class or two in most minor areas as electives, and do not necessarily need to finish the whole minor in order to benefit from learning about new areas of interest! 

  • How much do employers or graduate programs care about minors?

    While this will vary for every employer or graduate program, in general you can help people see the value in your minor by discussing it in your applications or interviews. Work with a career advisor when choosing a minor that is a good match for your career goals, and to develop an explanation for how the skills you learned or passions you followed in your minor coursework will apply to your future pursuits!