Choosing a Minor

After countless amounts of meetings with your academic advisor, you finally decided on your major! Why not pursue a minor? With over 100 minors offered here at Syracuse University, it can seem overwhelming trying to figure out which one is right for you, luckily we have a lot of resources for when we’re faced with this decision. 

You may be wondering why you should consider a minor or what the point of a minor even is? While your major is your primary field of study, your minor is your secondary field of study that may or may not relate to your major. A lot of home colleges require their students to pursue a minor. For example, Newhouse requires all of their students to pursue a minor outside of their home college. In other words, if you are majoring in Advertising you can minor in any program you want outside of Newhouse.

Even if you are not required to, it’s a great way to broaden your skill set while also taking classes on a topic you are passionate about. Pursuing a minor has a lot of benefits such as showing potential employers that you can handle additional coursework, serving as a good talking point for interviews, and opening you up to a wider variety of careers.

Interested in pursuing a minor? Here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind:

  1. Choose a minor that relates to your major or will show practical skills for a future career. Choosing a minor that relates to your major or future career path is a great way to broaden your knowledge and enhance your skill set. For example, if you are a marketing major you may consider an accounting or communications minor 
  2. Your minor does not necessarily need to relate to your major! Although I mentioned choosing a minor that relates to your major, it does not entirely need to be related. If you are majoring in Neuroscience, for example, you may think that your minor needs to be psychology or have some sort of relation to science. However, a minor is your opportunity to broaden your knowledge and learn more about certain skills that you might not even wish to pursue a career in. Think of fields that you’ve always thought about studying or have a passion for such as art, creative writing or even nutrition. 
  3. Your minor can help you stand out! In other words, don’t be afraid to pursue that passion you’ve always wanted to. Minors are a great talking point for job interviews and to put on your resume! Even biology majors can minor in music!
  4. Don’t be afraid to double minor! Stuck between two minors? Talk to your academic advisor about double minoring. 
  5. Talk to your advisor before making final decisions. Some things to keep in mind when deciding on a minor are the amount of classes you need to take, staying on track for graduation and how to apply for the minor. These can all be discussed when meeting with your advisor!

Here are just a few unique and interesting minors that the University offers to all undergraduate students: animation and visual effects, food studies, forensic science and mindfulness and contemplative studies.

For more information about minors, be sure to reach out to your academic advisor or explore ! Good luck!

Written by Haley Mykytka ’22, College of Visual and Performing Arts

 

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