Why do a minor?

As stated in the UF Undergraduate Catalog, a minor provides a traditional, well-accepted way to recognize that a student has completed a significant body of work outside the major. Students can follow-up on long-time personal interests, satisfy intellectual curiosity generated by introductory courses, differentiate their program of study from those of fellow students or enhance their opportunities for employment or for admission to graduate or professional schools.
For a complete listing of undergraduate minors available at UF, please visit UF Undergraduate Catalog - Minors.

How do I sign up for a minor?

Complete the Application to Add or Cancel a Minor http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/pdf/minorapp.pdf and take it to our College’s Dean of Students Office in 2020 McCarty D for approval.  Your form will then be sent to the College offering the minor for approval, and you will be notified.
Most UF minors require students to have earned a minimum of 45 credit hours before applying for the minor. You can find this information at the top of your transcript on ISIS. Students on College probation cannot apply for minors.

Where does the record of my minor show up?

If you successfully complete your minor coursework, it will be noted on your final, official transcript from the University of Florida. This transcript becomes part of your permanent student record and will, for example, be part of the information sent to other Universities should you apply for graduate or professional school.

Will I be penalized if I don’t complete my minor?

No. No mention of an incomplete minor will be made on your final, permanent transcript. You may cancel a minor anytime by using the Application to Add or Cancel a Minor, http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/pdf/minorapp.pdf.

I have some specific questions about a specific minor. Who is the best person to ask?

If you have questions specific to a particular minor, it’s a good idea to contact the Undergraduate Coordinator in the department offering the minor. The Undergraduate Coordinator will be a faculty member well-versed in the academic program and policies of their department. The current listing of UF Undergraduate Coordinators is available on www.registrar.ufl.edu/soc/. Click on “Course Listing” for the current semester and use the drop down menu to navigate to the correct department. Contact information will be at the top of the department’s own Schedule of Courses page.

What kinds of minors do Wildlife Ecology and Conservation students select?

Here are some minors selected by our Wildlife students in recent years.
African Studies
Hours: 15 credits, all completed with grades of C or better
A minor in African Studies can be taken in conjunction with a department or interdisciplinary major leading to the bachelor’s degree in the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Agricultural and Life Sciences, Education, Fine Arts, Journalism and Communications, and Business Administration. The faculty is composed of more than 100 members campuswide who teach courses with African content.
The minor provides a solid foundation for careers in teaching, research and other professional work for which knowledge of Africa is essential.
Select from one of these tracks (15 credits)

• African Languages and Literatures
• African Visual and Performing Arts
• African Humanities and Social Sciences
• African Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources

Overseas Studies
The center offers a semester or academic-year program at both the University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and the University of Botswana.
Please consult the Center for African Studies or the undergraduate coordinator, 427 Grinter Hall, 352-392-2183, for complete information.

Agricultural and Natural Resource Ethics and Policy
Hours: 15 credits
This interdisciplinary minor is available for undergraduate students who wish to augment their technical training in the agricultural and natural resource-related disciplines with selected liberal arts and sciences courses and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences policy-related courses.
The minor also helps to augment business, humanities, journalism or social sciences education with selected courses in CALS pertaining to agricultural and natural resources issues and problems. This minor can serve as additional preparation for careers in education, business, law or politics.
For course work requirements see: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/AEP_UMN/

Agricultural and Natural Resource Law
Hours: 15 credits
This minor provides a foundation in the laws and regulations that govern professional and personal agricultural pursuits.
For course work requirements see: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/ANL_UMN/.

Agricultural Communication
Hours: 15 credits, with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher for courses in the minor
This minor provides students an opportunity to gain a basic understanding of and to develop a skill level for communication techniques in agriculture and natural resources. The minor is open to all students at the university.
For course work requirements see: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/AGC_UMN/.

Botany
Hours: 15 credits, all completed with grades of C or better

• At least three courses of no fewer than three credits each must be at the 3000 level or higher.
• No more than three credits may be individual study.

The undergraduate coordinator in botany has additional information.

Educational Studies
Hours: 15 credits minimum, all courses must be taken at UF and all courses must be completed with grades of C or better
The minor in educational studies provides students with an understanding of the purpose and function of education and the social and psychological forces that affect young people. It is not intended as a path to teacher certification.
Students must obtain the approval of their college on the application for minor. The approved form must be submitted to G-416 Norman Hall for admission to the minor. Students must apply for the education minor after earning 45 hours and before earning 100 hours. A minimum 2.0 GPA is required.
For course work requirements see: https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/education/Minors/education.aspx.

Entomology and Nematology
Hours: 15 credits, all completed with grades of C or better
Students in other departments can earn this minor by completing the following:

• A minimum nine credits of 3000-/4000-level course work (exclusive of practical problems).
• No more than three credits of practical problems courses.
• Additional credits in entomology must be approved by the department.
• Students who specialize in nematology must complete six credits from NEM 3002, NEM 5705 or acceptable practical problem.

For course work requirements see: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/ENY_UMN/.

Environmental Science (for science majors)
Hours: 15-17 credits, all completed with grades of C or better
This minor is intended for students in liberal sciences, agricultural sciences, engineering or business. It requires exposure to the major subject areas of the environmental core. Students outside the School of Natural Resources and Environment can apply for admission to the minor in environmental science.
Students must earn 45 credits before they can apply for this minor. The application is available in Black Hall, Room 103. Students must first obtain their college dean's (or rep's) signature before submitting the completed form for processing.
Transfer work will be accepted only for PCB 3034C, PCB 4044C and an earth systems course. Admission consideration requires a minimum 2.00 overall GPA on all UF course work attempted.
For course work requirements see: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGNTR/ENV_UMN/.

Extension Education
Hours: 15 credits
The extension education minor supplements the major and prepares students for careers in the cooperative extension service. The minor offers course work in nonformal and formal educational methods, adult education, leadership, youth programs and communication methods, along with field experience.
With adviser approval, all undergraduates in the college are eligible for this minor. Students in other colleges can also enroll with approval of the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
For course work requirements see:   https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/EXE_UMN/.

Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
Hours: 15 credits, all completed with grades of C or better, and no S-U option
Students applying for the minor must obtain written approval from their academic adviser and the undergraduate coordinator in FAS at least two semesters before graduation.
A minimum of nine semester credits must be completed at UF. Students must also complete at least three FAS courses of three or more credits each at the 3000 level or higher.
A maximum of three credits of FAS 4905 (Individual Study) can be applied toward the minor, but it cannot be used to fulfill the nine credits of 3000 level or higher.
For course work requirements see:  https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/FAS_UMN/.

Forest Resources and Conservation
Hours: 18 credits, all completed with grades of C or better
This minor is for students who want a general introduction to natural resource management. The minor is ideal for students majoring in a related field such as wildlife ecology, soil and water science, environmental science, etc., as well as students who are interested in the social aspects of natural resources (students majoring in business, education, food and resource economics, political science, etc.).
Prerequisites for each course must be completed before enrollment. Students must declare the minor at least two semesters before graduation. Contact the student services coordinator in 121 Newins-Ziegler Hall, for more information
For course work requirements see: https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/FRC_UMN/.

Latin American Studies
Hours: 15 credits
The Center for Latin American Studies is one of the oldest, largest and best-funded centers for Latin American studies in the nation. The U.S. Department of Education has designated it a National Resource Center in Latin American Studies.
Required Courses

• At least three (9 credits) of the core courses (100 percent Latin American or Caribbean content) must be completed with C grades.
• One of the center's Latin American Studies interdisciplinary seminars, LAS 4935 (3 credits), is required or the graduate section of LAS 6938, with permission of the instructor. A student might take LAS 4935 up to three times as core courses since the content varies each term.
• Three credits of additional core, seminar or elective courses are required with at least 25 percent Latin American or Caribbean content.
• The one-credit FLAC (Foreign Language Across the Curriculum) enhancement section associated with the chosen lecture course is recommended strongly, whenever available.

The list of core and elective courses for the minor is available from the Center for Latin American Studies, 319 Grinter Hall.
Only courses at the 2000 level or above will count toward the minor. Advanced Placement credits do not count. Overseas study credits can count as core or elective courses pending review by the undergraduate adviser at the Center for Latin American Studies.
A student must demonstrate high-intermediate proficiency in a Latin American language through course work (Spanish, SPN 2240; Portuguese, POR 3242; Haitian Creole, HAI 2210) or examination (AP scores of 4-5 plus approval or SAT II score of 700). Language courses at the 2000 level taken to fulfill the language requirement can count as electives; those above the 3000 level can count as core courses.
Students with prior knowledge of a Latin American or Caribbean language must demonstrate proficiency through a written placement test (SAT II for Spanish) or oral examination for speakers of Portuguese or Haitian Créole. Bilingual Spanish speakers are urged to take Spanish for Bilingual Speakers courses as their core course options. Course work in a second Latin American language counts as core or elective credits, depending on the level.
Candidates for the minor are encouraged to spend a summer, a semester or an academic year living in a Latin American country. The center supports several overseas language and culture study programs: in Brazil, Mexico and Miami/Haiti. The UF programs and other state university programs are usually the best possible value in overseas study and cater to area-studies students.
The Brazil and Mexico programs feature immersion through home-stay housing with local families and provide language training customized to a student’s needs and contextualized within a concurrent study of the culture. Intermediate-level language study may count as elective credits and advanced level as core credits toward the minor. Guaranteed loans may be used for these programs.
For related study-abroad options, please refer to Study Abroad Services or contact the study-broad adviser at overseas@ufic.ufl.edu.  

Nonprofit Organizational Leadership
Hours: 17 credits, all completed with grades of C or better
The minor in organizational leadership for nonprofits is designed for undergraduates from all disciplines who wish to focus their careers on nonprofit work in a variety of specialized fields.
The minor is awarded for completion of at least 17 credit hours of approved core and elective courses. The Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences will provide advising for this minor.
For course work requirements see:  https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/NON_UMN/.

Soil and Water Science
Hours: 15 credits, all completed with grades of C or better
This minor must include SOS 3022, Introduction to Soils in the Environment, and the lab SOS 3022L.
Additional SOS-designated courses in the minor must be approved in writing at least two semesters before graduation by the academic adviser and the undergraduate coordinator in soil and water science.
For course work requirements see:  https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGAGL/SWS_UMN/.

Sustainability Studies
Hours: 18 credits, all completed with grades of C or better
This interdisciplinary minor, which benefits from the teaching and research of faculty from multiple departments and colleges, is designed to complement any major.
Students may apply to enroll in IDS 4940, Sustainability in Action, a 3-credit capstone course that has a service learning, internship or integrative research project component. Students accepted into this capstone course need only complete four courses (12 credits) selected from the four clusters listed below.
Please refer to the website for detailed information or contact Dr. Les Thiele (Department of Political Science) at thiele@ufl.edu for advising.
For course work requirements see:
https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGLAS/SST_UMN/

Urban and Regional Planning
Hours: 15 credits, all completed with grades C+ or better
Society's demands on the natural environment continue to increase as communities grow to meet population demands. Planning addresses the interface between the social, environmental and economic dimensions of communities and regions. Never before has the need to shape visions and guide community outcomes been greater.
The minor in urban and regional planning introduces students to the challenging and vital aspects of creating, improving and sustaining communities and regions.
Application should be made early so that guidance can be given for course selection and special studies parameters. To be accepted, students must have a 2.5 (C+) grade point average and maintain a C+ or higher GPA in all course work for the minor. No S/U option will be accepted for the minor. The minor does not provide professional certification.
It is each student's responsibility to declare the minor through their major degree department or college and to obtain the required signatures from both their department and URP.
For course work requirements see:  https://catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGDCP/URP_UMN/.