Academic Minor
A minor is a set of courses that meet specified guidelines and is designed to allow a sub-major concentration in an academic discipline or in a specific area within a discipline. Unlike a specialization or a concentration, the minor is recorded on the students’ transcripts, providing the students have maintained a 2.000 minimum quality point average for all coursework required for the minor. Courses used to meet the academic requirements of a minor may not be taken on a Pass/No Credit basis.

The minimum hours for a minor shall be no fewer than 15 credit hours, excluding courses required for professional certification.

A minimum of 9 credit hours of the minor must be upper division. For each student at least 4 credits in the selected minor area must be outside his/her major area requirements or electives counted toward his/her major, and at least 6 credits must be completed at Slippery Rock University.

Ordinarily, a minor is a subset of some major. But, 1) a minor may concentrate on an area which involves two or more academic disciplines, each of which is related to the minor, (For example, no major exists in journalism, but the departments of English and communication jointly offer a minor in journalism, which includes courses from each of the disciplines) or 2) a minor may be offered in a discipline where no major is given. (For example, East Asian Studies.)

Students cannot major and minor in the same discipline/academic area. For example, they cannot major and minor in geography, but they can major in geography and minor in cartography.

Students may declare minors at any time by completing a Declaration of Minor form available in the Office of Academic Records and Summer School.

The requirements for all minors must be completed prior to the awarding of the first baccalaureate degree. Once graduated, students may not return and add additional minors to their undergraduate record. Additional coursework taken after graduating will be recorded on the transcript as post baccalaureate courses. If students, however, are pursuing a second baccalaureate degree, the majors and minors completed will be added to the transcript under the second degree.

Students are typically responsible for meeting the minor requirements in effect at the time they enter the university or change minors. When students leave the university and are later readmitted, they become responsible for meeting the minor requirements in effect at the time they are readmittted.

If students would benefit from meeting a set of minor requirements other than those in effect at the time they declared their minor or were admitted/readmitted to the university, their advisor may request of the students’ academic dean that a different set of minor requirements be met.

Internships
Slippery Rock University offers a diverse program of internships through which students may earn from 1 to 12 credits. In some cases an internship or other field experience is required for a major. Internships provide students with an opportunity to apply their academic preparation in a variety of professional or occupational settings. Through an internship, students have the opportunity to expand their knowledge and to enhance their learning of the theories of academic disciplines and programs of study through appropriate career-related experiences and to provide them with the knowledge and experience necessary for obtaining certification or licensing. Students may enroll in semester, academic year, or summer internships with governmental agencies, private firms, or non-profit organizations both in the United States and abroad.

Students must have a minimal quality point average of 2.000 in their major (or program where applicable), and at least a 2.000 for all coursework, including the semester previous to placement. The agency, academic department or program may specify higher standards and/or other academic requirements. Acceptance into the internship program must occur prior to registration for the course. Registration in the course, however, does not guarantee placement in the field. Agency supervisors’ evaluations are a requirement for completion of the internship and may be a factor in determining the final grade. Students must be at least a junior in good standing at the time they begin the internship.

Interested students should check with their major department for internship information in their fields. Students are permitted to earn no more than 15 credits of internship.

Intensive Writing Courses
Every student must complete two intensive writing courses before graduating from Slippery Rock University. This is true regardless of the number of credits transferred from another institution to Slippery Rock University. Intensive writing courses may include courses in Liberal Studies as well as a student’s major. Intensive writing requirements are in addition to the College Writing I and College Writing II courses every student must complete. Courses taken at other schools may not be used to meet the Intensive Writing requirement.

Once an intensive writing course is passed, it will be counted towards completion of the University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement even if it is later repeated and failed or is not designed as an intensive writing course when it is repeated.