Minors, Specializations and Certificates

Please see the appropriate undergraduate or graduate section for information regarding minors, specializations and certificates.

Undergraduate Minors, Specializations and Certificates: Definitions and Guidelines

A minor provides students the opportunity to explore a secondary area of inquiry independent of the academic major. A minor requires successful completion of at least 15 semester credits in a single prescribed area of study pursued concurrently with bachelor's degree requirements. The new minor requirements will follow that of the catalog in effect for the effective term of the change. 

A specialization is an identified area within an undergraduate program that consists of a minimum of 15 semester credits pursued concurrently with bachelor's degree requirements. The specialization is a subset of the major, and credits earned toward a specialization are calculated in the required number of courses/credits for the earned major.

A certificate represents the pursuit of applied knowledge and/or skills in a specific field of study recognized by a profession. An undergraduate certificate is a non-degree program requiring at least 15 semester credits. A student who wishes to pursue a certificate program must apply through Admissions. If a certificate student enrolls later in a degree-bearing program, the applicable courses successfully completed for the certificate program may be applied to the requirements of the student's declared program.

A micro-certificate is a non-degree credential offered to non-degree students through JWU’s College of Professional Studies (CPS) to provide targeted instruction for industry/field specific knowledge and/or skills. Undergraduate micro-certificates are normally comprised of 12 semester credits. Graduate micro-certificates are normally comprised of 9 semester credits. Previously earned academic credits cannot be applied to micro-certificate requirements. A student who wishes to pursue a micro-certificate must apply through CPS Admissions. If a micro-certificate student later enrolls in a degree-bearing program, the courses successfully completed for the micro-certificate may be applied to the requirements of the student’s declared program. 

Guidelines for Minors

  • To earn a minor, a student must complete a minimum of 15 semester credits in a single prescribed area of study concurrently with his or her bachelor’s degree requirements.
  • A student may not pursue a major and a minor in the same field of study.
  • A student may not create their own minor.
  • Credits earned in major courses cannot be applied to the minor. Courses in the University Core, Related Professional Studies and Business Foundations may be applied to the minor. Please consult the catalog for specific course requirements for minors.
  • A student who wants to declare a minor must submit a request form to Student Academic Services no later than the start of their senior year. Students are encouraged to declare a minor as early in their academic career as possible to allow for proper planning of registration.
  • Courses offered through study abroad may apply.
  • A maximum of 6.0 credit hours of transfer credit can be applied to the attainment of a minor.
  • Credits earned or applied toward one minor will not be counted toward the requirements of another minor.
  • Some minors may require completion of prerequisite courses that extend the minor beyond 15 semester credits. Advisors must caution students that pursuing a minor may extend the amount of time needed to complete a degree program.
  • The successful completion of a minor will be recorded on the student’s academic transcript when the degree is awarded. A minor will not be applied to a student’s academic transcript after the degree has been awarded. No form of honors or grade point average will be issued for the minor. 

Guidelines for Specializations

  • To earn a specialization, a student must complete the requirements as prescribed within the program as part of the bachelor’s degree requirements.
  • A student may not pursue a specialization outside of their chosen program.
  • Only one specialization can be earned within a program.
  • A student may not create their own specialization.
  • Credits earned towards the specialization cannot also be applied to a minor or other specialization. Please consult the catalog for specific course requirements for specialization.
  • A student who wants to declare a specialization must submit a request form to Student Academic Services no later than the start of their senior year. Students are encouraged to declare a specialization as early in their academic career as possible to allow for proper planning of registration.
  • A maximum of 6.0 credit hours of transfer credit can be applied to the attainment of a specialization.
  • Credits earned or applied toward one specialization will not be counted toward the requirements of another specialization.
  • The successful completion of a specialization will be recorded on the student’s academic transcript when the degree is awarded. A specialization will not be applied to a student’s academic transcript after the degree has been awarded. No form of honors or grade point average will be issued for the specialization. 

Graduate Concentrations and Certificate Programs: Definitions and Guidelines

A concentration is an area of study within a graduate degree program that consists of a minimum of 12 semester credits. The concentration is a subset of the major, and credits earned toward a concentration are calculated in the required number of courses/credits for the earned major.

A certificate program represents the pursuit of applied knowledge and/or skills in a specific field of study recognized by a profession. A graduate certificate is a non-degree program requiring at least 12 semester credits. 

Embedded certificates will be awarded only in certain areas where the credential would be recognized by a profession. 

A micro-certificate is a non-degree credential offered to non-degree students through JWU’s College of Professional Studies (CPS) to provide targeted instruction for industry/field specific knowledge and/or skills. Undergraduate micro-certificates are normally comprised of 12 semester credits. Graduate micro-certificates are normally comprised of 9 semester credits. Previously earned academic credits cannot be applied to micro-certificate requirements. A student who wishes to pursue a micro-certificate must apply through CPS Admissions. If a micro-certificate student later enrolls in a degree-bearing program, the courses successfully completed for the micro-certificate may be applied to the requirements of the student’s declared program. 

Guidelines for Graduate Certificates

  • An external student who wishes to pursue a graduate certificate program must apply through JWU Admissions. If a certificate student enrolls later in a degree-bearing program, the courses successfully completed for the certificate program may be applied to the course requirements of the student’s declared program.
  • A maximum of 3.0 semester hours of transfer credit can be applied to the attainment of a graduate certificate.
  • The certificate will be awarded after the necessary courses have been successfully completed. Completion of a certificate will be recorded on the student’s academic transcript.