Terminology
Major:
A course of study with a prescribed set of requirements that is identified by an academic title and a specific subject matter area. The MAJOR is a degree program and requires Board of Trustees approval. Its content is usually defined by one academic department or unit, but it can also be defined jointly by two or more departments or unit. The MAJOR consists of a core, of required courses and upper-level electives in the major field, and may include required or recommended courses in supporting academic fields. A MAJOR usually has a minimum of 30 hours of required courses.
Minor:
Minors are sets of courses designed to provide a student with substantial knowledge of a subject area outside of their major course of study. A minor is available to any degree-matriculated student as long as the program of study for the minor does not significantly overlap with the student’s major course of study. The unit or units involved will determine how much overlap is appropriate at the time of declaration. Normally no more than one third of the requirements for the minor can overlap with the major requirements.
Minors are normally awarded at the same time a degree is conferred. Students who complete their baccalaureate but not their minor(s) requirements by graduation will be allowed to return to the university to complete the minor as long as the following criteria are met:
1) The student has declared the minor by the time of graduation; and
2) The student completes the requirements within a two-year period of the awarding of the accompanying baccalaureate degree.
Concentrations:
A concentration is a set of courses available only to students within a declared major. Concentrations allow a student to play substantial emphasis on an academic subfield of the discipline. All concentrations within a major must share a subset of the core courses required for the major. In additions to these core courses, a concentration consists of a set of courses withing the subfield, primarily within the upper level elective category of the major (300 or 400 level courses). Concentrations may not be completed after the accompanying degree has been earned. A student’s transcript will indicate a completed concentration. However, students need to officially declare their concentration with the department, unit or school where the concentration is offered.
Undergraduate Certificate:
A certificate curriculum consists of a set of courses, completion of which will recognize a student’s proficiency in a subject area. Certificates are designed primarily for non-degree students to earn proficiency in an area without earning a degree. Courses used to satisfy a certificate may, however, be counted toward a future degree if the student matriculates (i.e., they are a “stackable credential”). Certificates may also be available to degree-matriculated students, although academic units may set restrictions on the amount of allowed overlap with their other degree requirements (e.g., students may be prohibited from earning a certificate whose requirements are largely met by the requirements of their other degree program(s)). Unlike minors, certificates are awarded at the time of completion for both non-degree and matriculated students. To ensure stewardship of the certificate’s curriculum and enrollment, every certificate at the University must have a designated academic unit home and an appointed coordinator. In the case of interdisciplinary certificates, responsibility may fall across multiple departments, schools, or colleges, as long as there is a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that describes how member units will steward the curriculum and appoint the coordinator. A certificate typically has between 9 and 18 hours of required credits.
Approved:
The UPCC has approved the course/modification and no further action is needed.
Approved Pending:
The UPCC has approved the course/modification pending the recommendations from the committee. Once all changes are made then the Associate Provost and Dean for Undergraduate Education can approve and sign it.
Denied:
The UPCC has denied the course/modification.