A minor provides an option for students who want to add further breadth to their academic program. A minor is available only to a matriculated student currently pursuing a baccalaureate degree. Minors will consist of 12-18 credits of 2000+ level course work. Unless a higher standard is noted in the description of a specific minor program, completion of a minor requires that a student earn a ‘C’ or better in each of the required courses for that minor. The same course may be used to meet both major and minor requirements unless prohibited by the department or program offering the minor as stated in the University catalog. Substitutions to minor requirements require the approval of the head or designee of the department or program offering the minor. All substitutions for minors in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources must be approved at the dean’s level. Substitutions for minors in the School of Engineering must be approved at the Dean’s level. Substitutions for minors in the School of Fine Arts must be approved by the Director of Advising. Substitutions to minor requirements offered by departments or programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences require approval by the department or program and the dean or dean’s designee. The minor is recorded on the student’s official transcript. From Senate By-Laws with additional text regarding substitutions as approved by Schools and Colleges. All approved in academic year 2016-2017.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has a specific policy which may be viewed through this link:

Minors in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Earlier Description of Minors at the University of Connecticut

The following text is taken from Minors at the University of Connecticut: Policy for Approval and Listing on the Transcript, Chancellor’s Office, May 1996 with revisions made in 2006.

Beginning in Fall, 1997, undergraduate, degree-seeking students may pursue a minor, which will be listed on their transcripts once their transcripts have been audited and they are approved for graduation with baccalaureate degrees from the University.  A minor is not required for graduation and minors are available only to matriculated students currently pursuing baccalaureate degrees.

Faculty may establish minors, which can focus on their particular discipline or be interdisciplinary in nature.

Such minors shall be reviewed on a regular basis, concurrent with the regularly scheduled review (program assessment) of the sponsoring academic unit to assure that the minor is being supervised and that enrollment justifies continued availability.

A minor at the University of Connecticut will include 12 to 18 credits of (200) revised to read 2000-level or above (University Senate course renumbering project-2008) coursework; only courses with a 2.0 or better can be counted toward the minor.

The maximum limit of 18 credits is set by a general policy of the Board of Governors of Higher Education for Connecticut, which must approve any degree program which exceeds 18 credits.  Both the UConn Board of Trustees and  the Department of Higher Education will be informed about newly created minors, but will not review or approve them.

(Maximum of 3 credits toward the minor may be transfer credits of courses equivalent to UConn course.).

The University Senate (February 13, 2006) recommended that the Provost consider revising the transfer credits requirements for Minors by removing the existing 3-credit restriction placed on the application of transfer of credits for courses equivalent to University of Connecticut courses towards Minors. This recommendation was subsequently accepted by the Provost.

Substitutions are not possible for required courses in a minor.

Faculty establish the requirements for a minor, either within their particular discipline or from an interdisciplinary selection of courses.

Eligibility for minors is established by the faculty overseeing the minor.  In general minors would be designed to add breadth to students’ programs; therefore, students ordinarily may not earn minors within their own major disciplines.

The Curricula and Courses Committee and the faculty of the School or College within which the minor is offered must approve the minor.

For interdisciplinary minors which include courses from several school or colleges, each associated C&C Committee will be asked to make a recommendation to the Vice Chancellor concerning the minor, and the Provost will approve/disapprove the minor.  If the minor includes required courses, the School or College offering those courses must approve the minor, regardless of its interdisciplinary nature.

Proposals for minors should include the following:

1.  Catalog copy should be prepared to clearly describe the requirements of the minor.
2.  Relevant restrictions on eligibility and on use of courses to meet multiple requirements should be detailed.  Restrictions on use of courses to meet multiple requirements is a faculty prerogative.
3.  A minor plan of study should be created detailing the requirements.  Signature should be one of the following:

• department head of department offering minor, or faculty designee
• director of interdisciplinary program, as stated in University Catalog’s description of minor