Academic Policies

Undergraduate Minor Requirements

(Policy updated 01/05/04:  Added information about the double use of courses)

Minimum Number of Units

Colleges or schools, with the approval of the University faculty and the Arizona Board of Regents, establish the minimum number of units needed to complete an undergraduate minor administered within that unit. All University of Arizona minors require at least 18 units; some minors require more than 18 units. In most cases, at least nine of the 18 units must be upper-division units.  For additional information about the minimum number of units for a specific minor, contact the department that administers the minor. 

Minor Requirements

Each college determines whether or not the degrees it offers must include a minor.  However, any student may declare a minor, even if one is not required for completion of the degree requirements.  Consult your Major/Degree Requirements (APRRs) to find out if your degree requires a minor.  Minors are discipline-based; that is, the department that labels the minor defines its content.  The double use of courses in the minor with other degree requirements is subject to University General Education, college, and department policies on double dipping.  See the General Education policy and check with your major and minor advisors for clarification on the double use of any courses.  See the Catalog’s Minors section for a list of approved minors with links to their respective requirements.

Declaring a Minor

The procedure to declare a minor varies among colleges.  Students interested in adding a minor should consult with their major advisor regarding an appropriate choice of minor and the declaration procedure.  The declaration of the minor, which may necessitate an approval signature from an advisor in the minor department, is usually processed in the student's college academic services office. To change or remove a minor, consult with your major advisor before completing this transaction in your college academic services office.

Students with a declared minor at the time of application for degree candidacy will see the defined minor on their Student Academic Progress Report (SAPR).  University and transfer courses with direct equivalency may satisfy the minor requirements.  If the student has completed the minor as structured by the minor department, there is no need for the signature of the minor advisor on the degree audit.  However, course substitutions, or the application of transfer courses for which there is no direct University equivalency, must be approved by an advisor from the minor department.

A student’s academic transcript will show the name of the ABOR-approved minor.  In the case of the thematic minor, the transcript will show, "thematic minor."

Thematic Minor

Students also have the option of declaring a thematic minor. The thematic minor is developed around a theme identified by the student, using courses from two or more disciplines. The major advisor must approve all thematic minors. For further information and to print the Thematic Minor Form, see Thematic Minors on the Curriculum and Registration site.  For more information about the approval process for thematic minors contact your major advisor.

Courses excluded from the minor:

• freshman composition,
• math courses below Math 124,
• military aerospace studies,
• military or naval science, and
• first-year courses in foreign language and American Sign Language that are also used to satisfy the second language requirement in general education