Many students choose to make a minor or a concentration part of their academic program. Although these terms are frequently used interchangeably, there are some distinctions between them.
A minor is essentially what its name suggests it is: a smaller version of a major. A minor usually consists of six courses within a department or program (or occasionally, across different departments). Each department or program specifies particular requirements for the minor, but generally a minor includes work both at the introductory and advanced level. A student may pursue a minor regardless of her major.
Please note that some programs offer minors, even though they do not have established majors.
Although a minor is not required for graduation, it is subject to some of the same rules as majors. Students may take courses in their minor CR/NC. However, they may not count a course towards a minor if their grade in the course is below 2.0.
How to Declare a Minor
A student declares a minor by meeting with an adviser in the department and filling out a hard copy minor work plan and then turning in a copy of the plan to the Registrar's Office in Guild. (Note: there are no online forms for minor declaration.) Although it is possible to declare a minor even in senior year, it is often better to do so sooner, and sometimes required to do so sooner. Consult each department's or program's website and catalog listing to learn more about their requirements and processes.
If your major and minor are in related fields, find out what each department's policy is regarding double-counting courses towards both. The College ordinarily permits up to two such double-counted courses.
Bryn Mawr students are permitted to minor at Haverford. However, there are many departments at Haverford that do not offer minors. Students who wish to minor at Haverford must fill out a Haverford minor form and turn in the signed form to the Bryn Mawr Registrar's Office.
A concentration is a cluster of courses that often overlap the major and focus a student's work on a specific area of interest. Concentrations are always interdisciplinary. Their requirements are frequently complicated; as a result, it is important that you meet with an adviser early in the planning process. Because concentrations are often an integral part of your major, you generally should plan to declare a concentration at the same time you declare your major. Students declare a concentration by filling out the same form that they use for declaring a minor.
A complete list of minors and concentrations available at Bryn Mawr may be found in the Undergraduate Catalog.