Why Add a Minor?

As a college student, you will often hear people ask you, “what’s your major?” Rarely, however, will you hear them ask, “what’s your minor?” Not every college student chooses to declare a minor program of study in addition to their major, but many do. Deciding to take on a minor can be a rewarding choice for college students looking to pursue a career in virtually any field, for several reasons.  

Concordia University, Nebraska offers over 50 minors in addition to its major programs. While most minors at Concordia, which are listed in its academic catalog, require around 18 credits – on average, six classes – they can range anywhere from 11 credits for a theology minor to 24 credits for a social work minor. Some of the classes required to declare a minor may overlap with your general education courses or even those of your chosen major.  

Students may choose to take on a minor area of study for several reasons. One such reason is that a student may want to enhance their skills in a particular sub-area of their field. For example, a student majoring in theology may choose to minor in youth ministry if they are especially interested in working with children and adolescents. A student might minor in economics if they major in business if they desire to have a deeper understanding of how businesses fit within the larger economy.  

For students who want to add a minor that directly supports their field of study, looking within the same department as their major can be useful. At Concordia, these departments may include the natural sciences, social sciences, theology and philosophy, art and more.  

Another reason that students pursue minors is to add a general skill to a more specific field. Minors in writing, communication, psychology or a foreign language can serve this purpose. Proficiencies in areas like these can serve as a support for students on virtually any career path.  

Some students may choose a minor area of study to strengthen a skill they want to develop outside of the classroom, or simply just because they want to learn more about a particular subject, even if the minor will not directly apply to their future work vocation. A student in the natural sciences could minor in music, for example, or a student majoring in English could decide to pursue an art minor. Minors don’t necessarily need to support your area of study directly; instead, they can be a supplement to your coursework that demonstrates to employers that you are a well-rounded candidate.  

Having a minor can also strengthen a student’s credentials when they apply to graduate school. While having a minor in an area is not the same as having another major in that area, minors nevertheless demonstrate that the student has taken the extra time to focus on developing skills outside of their primary field of study. Students who have a specific idea of the type of work they want to do may find that adding a specific minor may be useful. This could mean adding a gerontology minor if the student desires to work with the elderly or an environmental studies minor with a journalism major if the student is especially interested in reporting on environmental issues.  

Minors, however, are liable to take up extra time in a student’s college career and, depending on the student’s major, overload their credit hours or keep them in school for an extra semester. If you are considering a minor in any field of study, the best course of action is first to discuss with your academic advisor whether adding eleven to twenty-four more credit hours over the course of your college career is feasible. If not – minors are not meant to “make or break” your career. If you find that you are interested in a certain topic but can’t make room in your schedule to add a minor, just take an extra class or two! 

Minors can be preferable to a double major since they add significantly fewer credits to a student’s coursework over a four-year period. In some cases, a student may wish to declare another major but find that an extra fourteen credits is far more feasible than an extra forty credits. A minor may also be desirable for students who want to stay in college for four years but have, credit-wise, a “smaller major.” In these cases, minors can round out the student’s program and allow them to have a full courseload for eight whole semesters.  

Whatever your reason is for choosing to declare a minor, doing it can enhance your experience in college and beyond. Whether you want to specialize, build on an existing skill, or find a new pastime, a college minor can be the way to do it. If you think that adding a minor to your primary area of study may be an excellent choice for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to your academic advisor, look at your options, and declare a minor! 

Interested in Concordia’s available programs of study? Learn more here.