How many minors can you take

Schools tend not to allow more than two minors, because taking more than two can lead to confusion for students in their studies and priorities. Especially when trying to get into graduate school or another college, they may see three minors to mean you cannot decide on one thing to study. Or that you are undecided on what you want to do career-wise, which may make you seem like you are not ready for committing to graduate school. For example, if you are majoring in business, and you go to their school of business, they want your minor to be outside of the school of business.

So, you can have overlapping courses for your major and minor; however, you need to also have courses that are not part of your major for your minor.

Minors tend to be at least 16 credit hours, but most are over 20 credit hours or more. So, at the base your minor might require so many credit hours; however, some courses might require other courses to complete, so you might take more credit hours for your minor than you may have originally anticipated.

Some minors need to be planned out with an advisor in conjunction with your major. This way you get the most benefit out of your college experience and learn what is needed for your degree and future career. When choosing a major, you need to decide what careers you are aiming toward doing, and what interests you the most.

The same goes for your minor. You need to make sure you choose something you are passionate about, but that also complements your major. Some students take minors that are completely useless for the field they are going into. For example; taking a business major but minoring in a specific historical time period.

That most likely will not go well together or compliment each other at all. Even if you find a minor in a subject area you are very interested in; you want to make sure you can relate it back to your major. Some students take minors in subjects they are really interested in, but later find out that they cannot benefit from what they learned for their minor.

You should generally do the following when it comes to picking a minor:. Does your minor fit with what you want to do after college? Or are you just taking a minor because you can? This can hurt your graduation schedule and end up costing you more money than you initially predicted.

If it is the former, then you need to make sure that your minor fits with your major and decide on what you are planning after college. A minor can be a great supplement to your major, especially when they are in similar fields. There may be other minors that can help in any field you go into, including leadership, professional writing, or even communications. These can go towards any major and allow you to hone specific and important skills.

When picking out your minor, did you do this early enough on in your college career so you can graduate on time? This can be important if you do not want to stay in an undergraduate college for more than four years. The following points are essential to consider when deciding on taking a minor. So when you are planning your future, you need to calculate how much time taking on a minor or two will take you.

Also, you need to factor in how much cost and financial aid you have when adding in your minor. Your general education courses, specific major units, or upper-division units may become part of the minor you have chosen. This is a great way not to take on too many courses at a time. If you cannot fulfill your minor with some courses you will be taking about your major or general education courses; you may want to reconsider due to time and money. Taking on a minor may impact your graduation date, depending on how far along you are in your courses when you decide on a minor to take.

If you wait too long, you may have to graduate later than the rest of those in your class. Some classes need to be taken as prerequisites before you can take them. One of them is going for one that allows you to follow your hobbies or interests. If you feel that taking multiple minors can make your life in college and beyond better, make sure that you are ready to defend your decision during a job interview.

The schools taking a look at your credentials might wonder why you took several different minors rather than have a more focused field of study.

A double major and a dual degree are two different things. On the other hand, a dual degree consists of two separate degrees. Some students have a hard time telling apart a double major and a dual degree, also sometimes called a double degree.

Better think again if you believe that having a double major is a good idea because it allows you to earn two degrees without going to college from start to finish twice. In fact, even if you have three majors , which can be very difficult but doable, you will still end up with one degree. On the other hand, a dual degree is harder to complete than a double major. More often than not, it will require the student to stay in school for one to two more years. However, completing a dual degree is shorter than taking two college degrees one after the other.

Some colleges and universities allow similar classes from one school and the other to overlap, thus allowing a student completing a dual degree to take only one class instead of two, which is a great time- and money-saver. So, in other words, you will have to submit your personal essay, recommendation letters, and other documents twice.

By the way, at some colleges and universities, a double or triple major in two unrelated disciplines can result in a degree, which means another degree is earned aside from the one the student is already pursuing. If you are attending one of those schools and taking two or more unrelated majors, you could end up with a dual degree.

In some instances, you may get your degree without taking any minor. On the other hand, minoring in two or more subject areas that are unrelated to each other may result in you earning an additional major, depending on the school. Before you declare several majors and minors and commit to them, too, ensure that you take into account some important decisive factors. They include your academic and career goals, as well as your available budget and time.

Image credit: Canva Having two majors does not result in having two degrees. Besides money, time is another precious resource that double majoring can consume. There are three ways to choose a minor: Opt for a minor that complements your major. Choose a minor for a well-rounded higher education. The global and international studies minor — sponsored by the Study Abroad office — is designed to complement your academic experience abroad.

You will likely find participating in research, completing an internship, getting a job or studying abroad more worthwhile — and better aligned with your academic and career goals. Certain academic policies may limit your ability to add a minor. All your academic requirements have to fit within the unit cap for your college: units is the total you can take unless you are a student in the College of Engineering, which has no unit cap.

With the many ways to stand out when applying for jobs, graduate school or professional school, having a minor could be one of them. Taking on the challenge of several extra upper-division courses shows that you are determined, take initiative and can handle the additional workload.

That passion reflects well in the workplace. How do I declare a major in a professional school? You may declare a major in a professional school e. Business, Journalism, Nursing if you have fewer than 60 hours of course credit. Pre-declaration does not imply acceptance, and it does not give you an advantage in the application and admission process.

For more information about preparing for and applying to professional schools, visit the Prepare for Professional School page and speak with an advisor for guidance. I haven't decided on a major yet. What should I do? Many students arrive at UNC uncertain of which major s to pursue. While you must declare a primary major by the second semester of your sophomore year, you should not be afraid to explore the many options offered at UNC.

Try doing the following:. It is not uncommon for students to declare a major early on, only to discover different options as they encounter new courses and experiences. Visit an academic advisor to talk through your options for finding a better fit. Check out the catalog to find majors that interest you.