Double Majors and Minors Awarded
Bachelor’s degree students may wish to pursue a second major or minor with their available elective credits. Students should discuss their options with their departmental undergraduate advisor for each proposed major or minor to ensure the requirements and expectations are clearly defined and understood as some majors do not have the flexibility to allow for a second major. Additionally, an academic advisor can help discern the feasibility of completing a minor or second major in a reasonable time frame.
A minor or second major may be earned as part of the bachelor's degree program if both are completed at the time of graduation. Both majors will be shown on the student’s official transcript. While different majors lead toward the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, students pursuing double majors will only receive one degree (and diploma) that corresponds to the primary major.
For the Five-Year Education Combined Degrees of B.A./M.S. and B.S./M.S., the diploma will show the combined degree with the Education program information. If the student in the Five-Year Education Combined Degree program is completing a second major, a second diploma for the second major will be issued. (The second major is for a bachelor's level degree only and not a part of the Five-Year Combined Degree which designates a Master's degree.)
The New York State Education Department permits the awarding of separate degrees for B.F.A., B.P.S., or B.S.W. degrees. These degrees are considered to represent professional preparation discrete from the learning identified by B.A. or B.S. degrees. Students completing double majors that include a B.F.A., B.P.S., or B.S.W. degree will be awarded two degrees if both majors are completed at the time of graduation.
If a student who is pursuing a double major is eligible for graduation in only one of the majors and chooses to graduate in the one major while failing to complete the second major, the student will be awarded the degree for the completed major. If the student wishes to return to complete the second major, they will need to apply for admission for a second bachelor’s degree and will be held the degree and residency requirements of the readmission year.
If a student who is working on a minor is eligible for graduation in the major and fails to complete the minor, the student may not return after graduation to take the remaining courses to complete the minor. Any additional courses taken after degree conferral will appear on the transcript, but there will be no award of the minor and no notation of the completion of the minor, since it was not completed at the time of graduation.