Academic Minors Policy
A minor is a course sequence within an area of study providing a degree of specialization within that area, a specialty within a discipline, or a specialty integrating several disciplines. Minors will contain a balance of introductory and advanced coursework. Minors are designed to be completed within the same time frame allowed for the completion of the baccalaureate degree (provided the minor is declared in a timely manner). A minor must be declared while the student has at least 45 credit hours left to enroll in before qualifying for graduation.
Minors will be available to matriculated students as an option. A minor will consist of a minimum of 18 credit hours, at least 9 of which will be upper-division courses; a minimum of 12 credit hours of a minor must be completed in courses offered at SUNY Canton. At least 9 credit hours must not be required courses in the student’s major program. Students in a minor program must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.00 for all courses being applied in satisfaction of the minor. Students may declare more than one minor, but the same course may not be applied to more than one of the minors. However, the same course may be applied to one of the minors and to the student’s major program. The successful completion of an approved minor will be recorded on the student’s official transcript. Minors may not be added to the student’s academic record after the granting of the degree.
Minors will be developed by faculty of the College at the departmental, inter-departmental, or school level. Upon approval by the appropriate department/school, a proposed minor must be approved by the Curriculum Committee and Faculty Assembly. Minors will be housed within the appropriate School and have a designated coordinator, initially chosen by the group proposing the minor. The Coordinator must be actively involved in teaching in the minor.
Students wishing to obtain a minor will contact the Coordinator to initiate the process.