What's a Major, Minor, and Certificate? What are University Electives?

Major - The subject or field of study that you decide to emphasize. If you choose to specialize in two subjects, you will have a double major.

Minor - A smaller concertration of courses in a secondary area of study (fewer credit hours required for a minor). A student declares a minor on the Declaration of Curriculum form. A minor will be reflected on a degree audit and transcript once the declaration form has been filed. Minors may be either disciplinary or interdisciplinary - drawing from coursework from a variety of academic departments. Minors are optional for most majors. Note that teaching minors are only available to students who are declared in a teaching major. A list of minors at UNI is available on the Undergraduate Plan of Study page.

Certificate - A certificate program certifies that an individual has completed a program approved by the University. Students interested in a certificate should consult with the supervising department or the Registrar's Office. Certificates do not appear on a degree audit, and are hand entered on a transcript with the approval of the supervising department. Certificates tend to be more applied in nature (i.e. Tourism, Training & Development, Outdoor Recreation, and Cartography & Geographic Information Systems). Certificates are optional. A list of certificates at UNI is available on the Undergraduate Plan of Study page.

University Electives - Courses you take that are neither required nor chosen as part of your major or Liberal Arts Core.