<p>I am confused about "minors". Are they compulsory? And what exactly is the difference between minors and the extra courses that we might take? Help me out a bit!</p>
<p>No they’re not compulsory. They’re just 1/2 of a major, when you choose a major and you still have an interest in something else, then you can choose a minor in that area.</p>
<p>Usually, a bachelors degree is made up of three types of courses: required general education (math, science, social science, history, English composition…etc.), the courses of your major, and about 30 credits or so of “your choice” courses — all spread across four years (fall & spring semesters). It’s within that “your choice” group that credits can be applied toward a “minor.” A minor would typically be about seven courses from basic to advanced levels (so, not all 101 level). It’s like a mini-major. You’d start working on your minor in your freshman, sophomore or early-junior year. They usually can’t be done all in one or two semesters of senior year. Sometimes a freshman course you take turns you onto a new field or discipline, and that can lead you to declare an official minor. The minor (or, if you’re ambitious, minors) can be something completely unrelated to your major or something synergistic. For example, a fine art practice major could minor in art history. Or, a journalism major could minor in management or programming. Or a biology major could minor in education. A history major with an acting minor. With early planning, taking and completing a minor doesn’t add more time in college. Hope this helps. </p>
<p>yeah and because it is only a bunch of related courses it doesn’t show up in your college diploma.</p>
<p>The Major, Concentration and Minors are reflected on the College Transcript.</p>
<p>Since you are new to the concept of College academics in US, it would be wise to do more reading and research so that you are prepared with choices when the time comes to register for courses. Here are some links to get you started.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.fastweb.com/college-search/articles/46-does-your-minor-matter”>http://www.fastweb.com/college-search/articles/46-does-your-minor-matter</a></p>
<p>“Minors do matter and could well help to shape the future path a career will take or even open some possibilities for careers one might hope for,”…Sometimes, having the right minor can serve as a sort of tiebreaker between you and an otherwise equally qualified competitor for the same job"…</p>
<p>"If the applicants are similar in degree and experience levels, then the person with a minor in business or marketing would have an edge over, say, someone with a minor in history or music. More than likely in the interview process, the person with a minor in business or marketing will be better prepared to answer the questions than the other candidate would be.”</p>
<p>“A minor is a hidden weapon,” says Joe Cuseo, an author of “Thriving in College and Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success and Personal Development.” “It can be a good marketing tool, or it can be a way to explore a second interest and still graduate in a reasonable time.”</p>
<p><a href=“What’s Your Minor? - The New York Times”>What’s Your Minor? - The New York Times;
<p>Minors, along with double majors, are increasingly popular as students try to master multiple subjects on the way to flexible careers or future education. “Students understand that a minor can give them better leverage in the job search after college,” says Ms. Stopfel; at her university, students with minors “probably have doubled within the past five years or so.”</p>
<p>“You’ve heard of diversifying a financial portfolio,” she says. “Well, we say a minor can diversify your educational portfolio.”</p>
<p>Having a secondary area of study can signal to a job interviewer that you have concrete expertise, especially in business or a foreign language. It can also set you apart from all the other graduate school applicants.</p>
<p>Graduate admissions officers are just the sort of people who are likely to read your transcript thoroughly, and a minor could indicate you did more work than the average undergraduate.</p>