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| MINORS AND COGNATES |
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Some degree programs require or permit academic work outside of the area of concentration (major) in a supporting area which may be called a minor area, which must consist of at least nine credit hours, or a cognate area, which must consist of at least six credits. Credits earned toward a certificate cannot apply to a minor or cognate.
A minor is a concentrated study in a specific supporting field at the graduate level. A minor must be titled and identified on the student’s program of study and be approved by a Graduate Faculty member of the minor department/program. The minor will be listed on the student’s transcript, if the minor has been approved by the State Board of Higher Education. Only the courses approved for graduate credit may be included in a minor. If the student is doing a non-thesis option, the Graduate Director of the minor department must sign and approve the program of study. For students writing a thesis or dissertation, one committee member must be on the student’s committee from the minor department.
A cognate is a selection of courses providing broad support to the major. All courses numbered 300 or above listed in this catalog, including those offered by departments or fields that do not offer graduate courses or graduate degrees, may be included in the cognate. Courses should be taken in two or three departments or fields. A cognate area will not be titled and will not be listed on a student’s transcript. Courses from the student’s major at the 300-400 level cannot be used as a cognate area.
The student’s major should consist of 500 level courses or courses that have been approved for graduate credit. The courses that have been approved for graduate credit are listed in the graduate section of the academic catalog after the department listings of the 500 level courses.
NOTE: When a graduate student elects to use a 300 or 400 level course for graduate credit that is outside of their major, it is understood that the student will be required to do additional work of greater complexity, over and above that typically required of undergraduates. Usually, such work is of an independent nature. For example, if an additional research project or paper is assigned to graduate students, students may be required to explain an area of interest in greater depth than what is required of an undergraduate..
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