As someone with interdisciplinary interests, major selection was challenging. I could have easily seen myself fitting into multiple different departments, so I struggled to choose just one. One way that I stayed connected with multiple departments was by declaring minors.
I will be graduating this spring with three minors, each of which has deeply enriched my research and coursework. Minors can be a big commitment, though, and it’s important to consider whether declaring a minor is the right choice for you. Here are some things that I weighed before committing to my minor programs:
- Requirements and Feasibility: Perhaps the most important thing to consider when weighing a minor is whether you can feasibly complete the departmental requirements before graduation. I didn’t begin thinking about minors until my sophomore spring, so I had to figure out whether, with all my major and distribution requirements, I had enough free classes in my schedule to fulfill all my minor requirements. Each program’s website lists its minor requirements. Tools like Stellic, TigerPath, or a spreadsheet can help you track which requirements you’ve already met, and whether there are any minor requirements that you could double-count with a distribution or major requirement.
- Post-Grad Plans: When I first declared my minors, I didn’t yet have any specific plans for grad school or post-grad employment. When I applied to graduate school this fall, however, I realized that having my minors allowed me to position myself within multiple disciplines. My major is in African American Studies, but I did a minor in Religion, which definitely helped my applications for graduate programs in Religious Studies. Others in my department wanted to work in more quantitative fields post-grad, so they did minors in fields like Statistics and Machine Learning, which highlighted their diverse interests and course work. A minor can demonstrate that you have some expertise in a field outside of your major.
- Connections to Major: Some minors require that you connect the themes or ideas that are central to your minor to your thesis. If you’re considering a minor with this requirement, think about how much overlap there is between your major and minor and how you might bring those interests together. While none of my minors had this specific requirement, my research interests were in African American religious history, so my minors in American Studies and Religion overlapped really naturally with my senior thesis topic.
- Opportunities: Declaring minors opened a lot of new doors for me, like access to departmental research funding, invitations to departmental events, and the opportunity to join courses that are typically only available to students in the major. If you’re on the fence about declaring a minor, consider the extra perks you might get by formally aligning with the department. These opportunities are generally listed on each department’s website, but you can also reach out to a department administrator or DUS to talk about the kinds of resources available for students in the minor.
- Enjoyment: When you elect to take on another field of study, consider whether you genuinely enjoy the courses and requirements in that department. I ended up with my English minor because I genuinely loved taking English classes and knew I wanted to take an English course each semester. Make space for classes that you enjoy and find personally enriching.
Don’t be afraid to step outside of your department and explore what else the university has to offer. If you’re able to map out and complete all the requirements, minors offer a fantastic way to broaden your intellectual journey at Princeton.
— Alison Fortenberry, Social Sciences Correspondent
