Undergraduate Majors and Minors
Your
major is the field of study in which you specialize while
earning your university degree. Often degree requirements
include an appropriate minor study area to complement the
major. Through its departments CMU provides majors and
minors in a wide variety of academic and professional
disciplines. A smaller number of interdepartmental and
interdisciplinary majors and minors is also offered.
A major consists of at least thirty semester hours; a minor,
at least twenty semester hours. The courses to constitute
either must be chosen subject to the approval of your
departmental or interdepartmental advisor. Degree
requirements detail which majors and minors are permitted on
each degree. Central Michigan University credits included in
majors and minors used to meet graduation requirements must
average 2.0 or better. You should note, however, that some
majors and minors have higher grade point requirements. Be
sure to check the departmental listings in this
Bulletin.
Requirements for majors and minors are listed in the
individual departmental descriptions. Department
chairpersons have the authority to waive prerequisites for
courses and to make requirement substitutions on majors and
minors.
When you decide on your major you should contact the
departmental office of that major to be assigned an advisor.
(Example: history majors should contact the history
department.) You and your major advisor will discuss your
educational goals and you will complete a “Major
Authorization Form.” This form originates in the
department of your major and details course requirements for
your major (and concentration in the major when applicable),
and is signed by both you and the advisor for your major. If
you are majoring in an interdepartmental area or special
program this form is obtained from the appropriate advisor.
The Class Schedule, printed each semester, lists departments
and advisors for interdepartmental majors and minors.
Students need to officially declare their major by the time
they earn 56 hours.
To be assigned a minor advisor or to complete a “Minor
Authorization Form,” you will follow the same procedures
to those listed above.
A concentration is a distinct and specialized program of
study authorized within a student’s major. A minimum of
twelve hours is required for an undergraduate concentration.
All university-approved concentrations will be listed on the
student’s transcript.
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Policies
Concerning Majors and Minors
The following policies concerning majors and minors may
apply to your degree work at CMU.
B.S.
in Ed. If you are following either the Elementary or
Secondary Emphasis under the Bachelor of Science in
Education degree, the major and minor presented for
certification must be in different subjects. Under a
non-teaching degree the minor may not have the same name as
the major.
Courses fulfilling more than one requirement. Hours
which are counted toward departmental majors and minors may
also be counted as partial fulfillment of other
departmental, interdisciplinary and/or interdepartmental
major or minor requirements, provided that: a.) the student
offers the required number of semester hours for graduation,
and b.) no course is counted toward both a major and a minor
with the same name.
This rule does not apply to majors and minors on the B.S.
in Ed. degree.
Degree, major or minor from another Bulletin. Most
students will complete requirements for graduation following
the Bulletin in effect at the time of their initial
registration. A Bulletin published after initial
registration may be chosen by the student when it is to his
or her advantage. However, no student may graduate under the
requirements of a Bulletin published more than seven
calendar years prior to the date of the student’s
graduation. Students following a program which leads to
teacher certification have different limitations and should
consult the section in this Bulletin titled “Standards
Leading to Teacher Certification.” An undergraduate
student completing graduation and degree requirements on a
degree program appearing in any CMU Bulletin may elect
either majors or minors on that same degree in a subsequent
CMU Bulletin. This option is available when approved by an
appropriate departmental advisor and noted on the student’s
major or minor authorization form.
Additional major or minor. In addition to satisfying
major and minor requirements, you may request authorization
of an additional major or minor listed in the Bulletin even
if it is not listed as acceptable for your chosen degree.
Upon completion of your degree and graduation requirements
the additional major or minor, if successfully completed,
will be recorded.
Undergraduate Subtitled Courses. Credit earned in
undergraduate courses titled Studies, Topics, Issues, or
Workshops (including Special, Advanced, or Selected) may not
constitute more than 50 percent of an undergraduate major or
minor. Graduate and undergraduate courses which are subject
to limitation under the policy on unspecified content or
variable credit are listed in each department.
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Disclaimer
