A College Minor at a college or university is a declared secondary discipline during the undergraduate years of college. Basically, it’s focused classes with an interest in a certain field. College minors are very similar to declaring a major. You have to take a certain amount of classes within that study. Although a college minor requires fewer classes. Each college requires a different amount of college credits to complete a minor. If you are thinking about getting a minor, check with the colleges you are interested in attending. Some college may not offer minors. Also, talk to your admission counselor to see what the requirement so declaring a minor at their school.
Why Choose a College Minor
Choosing a college minor could be a good idea if you have other interests, want to round out your education, enhance your current academic major or pursue a personal passion.
Enhancing your Undergraduate Degree with a Minor
An academic minor can give you better leverage with job prospects after graduation. Think about it, if you were to apply for a business job with a German company and you have a German minor, that just made you stand out from your competition. It also signals to employers that you have taken on more than other students without a minor. If you are looking into graduate school after, most colleges will look favorably if you have completed a minor. It tells admission counselors that you have gone the “extra mile”.
Following your Passion with an Academic Minor
If music, art, photography or women’s studies are of interest to you, then a declaring a minor in one of those fields could help you. Often times certain majors and passions may not pay off with the cost of college. If you still want to be able to advance your learning in those fields but want to make sure you have solid job prospects when you graduate, then adding a minor may be the best way to go. Not to mention, with your added knowledge it could open up networking doors and make you a more interesting person. Hiring managers and graduate school admission reps typically look for those types of candidates.
How to Pick a College Minor
Think about your end goal when getting your degree. To really pick a great major to enhance your degree, think about what type of industry you’d like to work in and find one that would make the most sense. For instance, a business degree with a biology minor could help you stand out from other job applicants with just a business degree. Biomedical companies would love to have a candidate with both of those backgrounds.
When is a College Minor not Worth it?
Declaring and pursuing a college minor in addition to your undergraduate degree can be great as we stated above but it can also could get in the way of your end goal, your undergraduate degree. Adding a minor will most likely add more work to your already busy academic schedule. Because you will have an additional focus, you may miss opportunities for networking, interning, and taking other classes that are more focused for your major.
Conclusion
Whatever you decide, take into account what will benefit your career and your well-being. College can be about pursuing your passions as well as your career, hopefully, both! Talking to your guidance counselor and admission reps can also help get a better understanding of how a college minor will enhance your degree and help you succeed in the future!