Undergraduate Minors

Minimum Number of Units

Colleges or schools, with the approval of the University faculty and the Arizona Board of Regents, establish the minimum number of units needed to complete an undergraduate minor administered within that unit. All University of Arizona minors require at least 18 units; some minors require more than 18 units. In most cases, at least nine of the 18 units must be upper-division units.  For additional information about the minimum number of units for a specific minor, contact the department that administers the minor. 

Minor Requirements

Each college determines whether or not the degrees it offers must include a minor.  However, any student may declare a minor, even if one is not required for completion of the degree requirements.  Consult your Major Academic Advisement Report to find out if your degree requires a minor.  Minors are discipline-based; that is, the department that offers the minor defines its content.  The double use of courses in the minor with other degree requirements is subject to University General Education, college, and department policies on double dipping.  See the General Education policy and check with your major and minor advisors for clarification on the double use of any courses. See the Academic Advisement Reports, and select “Minor” under “Plan Type” for the specific requirements of each minor.

A Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.000 or better is required for all University Credit work in the minor as defined on the Academic Advisement Report or for any work in the minor satisfied by the Special Examination for Grade.  All grades for repeated courses will be calculated in the minor GPA, with the exception of grades that have been replaced by the Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) and those removed from the GPA through Academic Renewal or Second Start.  A minimum GPA presupposes that at least one 3-unit course in the minor is University Credit.

Declaring or Changing a Minor

The procedure to declare a minor varies among colleges.  Students interested in adding a minor should consult with their major advisor regarding an appropriate choice of minor and the declaration procedure.  The declaration of the minor, which may necessitate an approval from an advisor in the minor department, is usually processed in the student's college academic services office. To change or remove a minor, consult with your major advisor before completing this transaction in your college academic services office.

Students with a declared minor at the time of application for degree candidacy will see the defined minor on their Student Academic Advisement Report (SAAR).  University and transfer courses with direct equivalency may satisfy the minor requirements.  If the student has completed the minor as structured by the minor department, there is no need for the signature of the minor advisor on the degree audit.  However, course substitutions, or the application of transfer courses for which there is no direct University equivalency, must be approved by an advisor from the minor department.

A student's academic transcript will show the name of the ABOR-approved minor.  In the case of the thematic minor, the transcript will show, "thematic minor."

Thematic Minor

Students have the option of declaring a thematic minor. The thematic minor is developed around a theme identified by the student, using courses from two or more disciplines. The major advisor must approve all thematic minors. For further information and to print the Thematic Minor Form, see Thematic Minors on the Registrar's Office site.  For more information about the approval process for thematic minors contact your major advisor.

Courses Excluded from the Minor:

• first-year English composition,
• math courses below the level of Calculus 1,
• activity courses (e.g., physical education, fitness, exercise),
• military or naval science, and military aerospace studies in physical fitness, physical competitions, ROTC camps and laboratories (i.e., courses not approved for the Military Science & Leadership Minor may not apply to other minors),
• in most cases, first-year courses in foreign language and American Sign Language that are also used to satisfy the second language requirement in General Education,
• all Tier One courses, per General Education policy.