M E M O R A N D U M

Oklahoma State University Policy and Procedures

REQUIREMENTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE

AND GRADUATE MINORS

2-0128

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

February 2015

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

1.01 Minors provide a means by which a matriculated student may record significant

educational experience in coursework either outside, or ancillary to, the requirements for the

degree earned. Minors may not be earned independently of a degree granted by Oklahoma State

University. They may be earned at the same time as a degree or after a degree has been earned,

subject to the limitations described in this policy. The purpose of this policy is to establish

minimum requirements for a body of work to be classified as a minor, and to establish processes

for declaring minors and posting minors to academic transcripts. Minors do not appear on

diplomas.

POLICY

Undergraduate Minors

2.01 An undergraduate minor must include between fifteen and thirty hours, inclusive, of

undergraduate coursework.

2.02 A minimum of six credit hours for the minor must be earned in residence at OSU.

2.03 The courses required for a minor may be included in the course requirements for any

undergraduate degree or they may be in addition to degree requirements, depending on the

overlap between the minor and degree requirements. However, an undergraduate minor must be

earned in an academic field other than the student’s declared degree option. The minor may not

duplicate the degree major or option (for example, a student who earns a BA in Art with an Art

History option may earn a minor in Studio Art but not Art History).

2.04 A student generally follows the minor requirements associated with his or her

matriculation year or newer requirements that have been established since matriculation. The

time limit for following minor requirements from a given academic year is six years.

2.05 The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) do not require a minimum

enrollment or graduation rate for a minor to be maintained, however, the Vice President for

Academic Affairs may require review of minors with few students enrolled or graduated.

Graduate Minors

3.01 A graduate minor must include between nine and eighteen hours, inclusive, of

coursework eligible for graduate credit. At least two-thirds of the applicable coursework must be

at the 5000-level or above.

3.02 No more than one-third of the credit for the minor may be earned through transfer credit

of courses taken at other institutions, with approval of the coordinator of the minor. The student

must have been an enrolled graduate student at the other institution at the time the credit was

earned.

3.03 The courses required for a graduate minor may be included on a Plan of Study for any

graduate degree or they may be in addition to the degree requirements, depending on the overlap

between the minor and the degree Plan of Study. However, the graduate minor must be earned

in an academic field other than the student’s major or degree option (for example, a graduate

student who is majoring in Economics could not receive a graduate minor in Economics).

3.04 For graduate minors, requirements must be completed at the time of conferral of the

primary degree. All graduate courses used to complete the minor must have been taken within

ten years prior to the date of completion of the graduate minor requirements.

3.05 The OSRHE do not require a minimum enrollment or graduation rate for a graduate

minor to be maintained, however, the Vice President for Academic Affairs may require review of

graduate minors with few students enrolled or graduated.

PROCEDURE

Approval Process

4.01 Undergraduate and graduate minors may be offered by any academic unit (e.g.,

department, school, program) or combination of academic units at Oklahoma State University.

4.02 Minors must be approved by the appropriate department, school or program and

academic college. Approval must be granted by each college involved in multi- or

interdisciplinary programs that involve units in multiple colleges. Graduate Council and the

Graduate Dean must approve graduate minors. Final approval will be granted by Instruction

Council.

4.03 Significant changes to minors (e.g., changes in the name of the minor, total number of

hours or grade point average required for completion of the minor) require approval as described

in 4.02.

4.04 A list of approved minors will be published in the University Catalog. Course

requirements for undergraduate minors are published in the Undergraduate Programs and

Requirements book.

4.05 A graduate student may earn a graduate minor in any subject area that was declared on a

Plan of Study approved by the Graduate College prior to the start of the 2011-12 academic year.

4.06 A proposal for a minor must include, at a minimum:

A. Minor name and sponsoring academic unit(s)

B. Statement of justification/need for the minor;

C. Clientele served by the minor;

D. Requirements for admission to the minor (if any);

E. Procedures for administration of the minor, including the assignment of a

coordinator (an individual responsible for certification of the requirements for that

minor);

F. Requirements for the minor including courses, number of credit hours required, etc.,

and any new courses that will be proposed for the minor; and

G. Any minimum grade requirements for the minor to be awarded.

While the use of OSRHE forms pertaining to new degree programs may be helpful in

consolidating this information, the use of such forms is not required.

Declaring a Minor

5.01 Undergraduate students will declare an undergraduate minor by entering it in the

appropriate section of an Undergraduate Academic Program Declaration Form. The pursuit of

undergraduate minors is denoted on the academic transcript while in progress.

5.02 Graduate students will declare a minor by entering it in the appropriate section of an

original, or revised, Plan of Study, submitted prior to conferral of the degree. The pursuit of

graduate minors is not denoted on the academic transcript while in progress.

Posting an Undergraduate Minor to the Academic Transcript

6.01 After a student completes the courses required for an undergraduate minor, the college

offering the minor will certify the completion of the minor requirements and will submit the

related documentation to the Registrar’s Office according to the graduation clearance timeline

provided by the Registrar’s Office.

6.02 If transfer work is used to fulfill undergraduate minor requirements, the transfer work

must be posted to the OSU transcript.

6.03 If the coursework required for the undergraduate minor is completed either before or

during the semester in which the degree is conferred, a notation of the minor will be added to the

student's transcript by the Registrar’s Office alongside the degree conferral when the degree is

posted.

6.04 If undergraduate minor requirements are completed in a semester subsequent to the

student’s degree conferral, a notation of the undergraduate minor will be added to the student's

transcript by the Registrar’s Office including the term in which the minor requirements were

completed.

Posting a Graduate Minor to the Academic Transcript

7.01 After a student completes the courses required for the graduate minor, the coordinator for

that minor should submit a memorandum listing the courses completed to the Graduate College

certifying the completion of the minor requirements.

7.02 If transfer work is used to fulfill graduate minor requirements, the transcript from the

other institution must be attached to the minor completion certification documents.

7.03 If the coursework required for the graduate minor is completed either before or during the

semester in which the graduate degree is conferred, a notation of the minor will be added to the

student’s transcript by the Registrar’s Office alongside the degree conferral.

7.04 For graduate minors, requirements must be completed at the time of conferral of the

primary degree. All graduate courses used to complete the minor must have been taken within

ten years prior to the date of completion of the graduate minor requirements. A notation of the

graduate minor completed will be added to the student’s transcript by the Registrar’s Office

indicating the term in which the minor requirements were completed.

Removing a Declared Minor from the Transcript

8.01 If an undergraduate student will not complete a declared undergraduate minor, the

student should work with the adviser to submit an updated Undergraduate Academic Program

Declaration Form to remove a declared undergraduate minor.

8.02 The pursuit of a graduate minor is not denoted on the transcript while in progress.

Approved:

Graduate Council, August 20, 2011

Instruction Council, August 27, 2010

Faculty Council, October 12, 2010

Council of Deans, November 11, 2010

Revisions Approved:

Student Academic Services Directors, July 17, 2013

Instruction Council, August 2, 2013

Faculty Council, September 10, 2013

Council of Deans, September 12, 2013

E-Team, November 13, 2013

Revisions Approved:

Council of Deans, August 21, 2014

E-Team, February 18, 2015