Academic Minor
A minor is a way for students to pursue an interest, or find recognition of their studies, in a specific area even as the main focus of their academic career lies elsewhere. For example, a Theology major might take a minor in Psychology or a Sociology major find herself on the way to an interdisciplinary minor in Justice and Peace Studies. Some people even choose to minor in more than one subject.
To minor in a subject here at the Abbey, a student generally needs to have a minimum of 15 credits of upper-level courses in a subject. Most majors offer a minor, and there are also some programs which only offer a minor. These minor-only programs tend to be interdisciplinary in nature, or aren’t yet large enough to offer a major. You will find a list of those in the navigation bar at the left, as well as below.
Chemistry:
The Chemistry minor is designed for students who have an interest in Chemistry and who would like to study chemical principles in some depth. The program is open to all students but is particularly attractive to Biology majors. A student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biology is required to take Organic Chemistry I and II. He or she would only need two additional courses to obtain the minor in Chemistry.
A minor in Chemistry requires a grade of “C” or better in the following courses:
- CH 221 and 222 (Organic Chemistry I and II)
- CH 316 (Biochemistry), or PY 303 (Modern Physics)
- CH 317 (Analytical Chemistry)
Faculty Advisor
Marilyn Martin-Schwan – Associate Professor of Chemistry
B.A. University of Maine, M.S. University of Maine, Ph.D. University of North Dakota
Education:
For students who are not pursuing a major in education but who have an interest in the study of education, an education minor is available. A student interested 120
in pursuing a minor in education must formally apply to the Department of Education for approval and complete 15 hours within the department with a grade of “C-” or better. The following courses are recommended for a minor. Any deviation must be approved by the Department Chair.
- ED 300 Introduction to Education
- ED 301 Human Growth and Development
- ED 305 Introduction to the Exceptional Child
- ED 312 Educational Psychology
- One of the following:
- ED 302 Education and Society
- ED 380 Issues and Trends
- ED 399 Diversity in Education
It is the student’s responsibility to see that all degree requirements for the minor and for graduation are fulfilled.
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Sara Powell – Chair and Associate Professor of Education Department
B.S. Southern Nazarene University, M.A. University of Colorado-Denver, Ph.D. University of Colorado-Denver
Entrepreneurship:
The entrepreneurship minor is designed for students who are not currently pursuing a business major but who have an interest in entrepreneurship. The program is open to all non-business majors but may be particularly attractive to students interested in someday starting their own business or investing in emerging companies (e.g., as an angel investor or venture capitalist). The program may also be of unique interest to students who plan to eventually pursue graduate studies in business or law. Students interested in the entrepreneurship minor must submit a Declaration of Minor form and complete at least five of the following courses:
- ET 300 The Entrepreneur
- ET 302 Launching New Ventures
- ET 303 Financing New Ventures
- ET 401 Social Ventures
- ET 402 Prod Innovation & Development
- BU 412 Legal Environment of Business
- Other “ET” courses that may be offered from time-to-time
It is the student’s responsibility to see that all requirements for the minor and for graduation are fulfilled.
Faculty Advisor
Jeff Thomas – Director of Entrepreneurship Program, Associate Professor of Business B.B.A., University of Michigan Business School, J.D., Harvard Law School
International Studies:
The interdisciplinary minor in International Studies encourages students to discover and think seriously about the structure of the world in which they live and acquaints them with cultures other than their own. The minor, which consists of both lower-level pre-requisites and upper-level courses, is open to students of any major. The minor is designed to equip graduates with a basic knowledge of the contemporary international system and to acquaint them with the language and culture of at least one region of the world.
Lower-level preparation for the minor ought to include study of a modern Foreign Language during freshman and sophomore years. Completion of modern foreign language at the intermediate level is required for graduation in the minor.
Required upper-level courses include:
- A combination of any two of the following:
- PO 413/414 International Relations
- HI401/402 Modern European History
- Three additional upper-level courses from courses in Business, Economic, History, Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Theology and Sociology that have been approved for the International Studies Minor.
Interested students should contact the Director of International Studies.
It is the student’s responsibility to see that all degree requirement for graduation are fulfilled.
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Robert Jones – Chair and Professor of Political Science Department
B.S. St. Louis University, M.A. University of Notre Dame, Ph.D. University of Notre Dame
Justice and Peace Studies:
The interdisciplinary minor in Justice and Peace Studies offers students an opportunity to develop knowledge of many of the world’s major problems together with a responsible social conscience guided by Catholic social teaching. This takes place through a program involving scholarly inquiry, social analysis, interdisciplinary exchange and direct experience. Courses included in the concentration incorporate the broader perspectives of just action, the common good and environmental concern by satisfying at least one of the following criteria: study of socio-economic conditions or potential changes in those conditions affecting justice/peace (e.g., SO 351 Social Problems); study of socio-political philosophies or movements (e.g., PO 402 Modern Political Philosophy); and study of the relationships between individual human existence and the larger social or natural world (e.g., PC 360 Social and Cultural Psychology). The program is administered by a Director drawn from the interdisciplinary Justice and Peace Studies faculty committee.
The minor consists of fifteen (15) hours of upper-level study, comprising two (2) required and three (3) elective courses, and is open to students of any major. Participating students are expected to maintain some level of active involvement with issues of justice and peace outside the classroom. The two (2) required courses are TH 340 Catholic Social Teaching, which functions as an introduction, and a concluding internship placement conducted according to College rules and worth three (3) academic credits, in which students will have an opportunity for sustained work in an area pertaining to social justice. The three (3) electives may be drawn from a list of courses in Biology, Business, Economics, Education, English, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology and Theology approved for the Justice and Peace Studies minor. Interested students should contact the Director of the program.
The minor, which consists of 15 credit hours of upper-level courses, is open to students of any major. Students interested in pursuing a minor in Justice and Peace Studies must complete the following: TH 340 Catholic Social Teaching, an internship, and three elective courses approved by the Director of the Justice and Peace Minor.
Faculty
Sr. Jane Russell, O.S.F - Associate Professor of Theology, Coordinator of Justice and Peace Studies
B.A. Alverno College, M.A. University of San Francisco, Ph.D. University of Notre Dame
Pre-Law:
Certain majors are usual precursors to law school. We recommend majoring in English, History, Political Science, or Philosophy because these disciplines hone the particular skills needed for success in law school. However, since a high cumulative grade point average in a student ’s undergraduate studies considerably improves his or her chances for admission to any law school, students should major in any field that genuinely interests them and in which they excel.
In addition to selecting an academic major, students intending to go to law school may also undertake an interdisciplinary minor in Pre-Law. The minor consists of a fifteen- (15) hour curriculum of courses carefully selected to hone the skills necessary to gain admission to law school and succeed once there.
Requirement:
- PL 200 Skill Development for Pre-Law
- PL 201 Skill Development for Pre-Law
- PL 202 Skill Development for Pre-Law
- PH 323 Advanced Logic
- PO 309 Constitutional Law
- BU 312 Business Law I
- SS 300 Fundamental Statistics for Social Science
It is the student’s responsibility to see that all degree requirements for graduation are fulfilled.
Faculty Advisor
Dr. John Plecnik – Professor of Philosophy
B.A. The Athenaeum of Ohio, M.A. The Athenaeum of Ohio, Ph.D. Marquette University
Theatre Arts:
The minor in Theatre Arts is designed to allow students to achieve some proficiency in either performance or the technical aspects of theatre. The minor is closely allied with the Abbey Players, the drama group at Belmont Abbey College. The student must choose between one of two tracks, each of which culminates in a Practicum during the student ’s senior year. The participants in each track will be asked to collaborate and produce a fully-realized stage production. The Theatre Arts minor consists of eighteen (18) credit hours, organized as two separate ‘tracks,’ one for the technically-minded student and the other for the student actor/director. Both tracks merge during the student’s senior year, when all students engage in a Practicum to create a fully-realized production.
Minor in Theatre Arts: Technical Track 15 hours
- TA 108 Introduction to Theatre Arts or TA 112 Theatre Appreciation
- TA 110 Introduction to Stagecraft
- TA 210 Lighting and Sound Design
- TA 310 Set Design
- TA 415 Practicum
It is the student’s responsibility to see that all degree requirements for graduation are fulfilled.
Minor in Theatre Arts: Artistic Track 18 hours
- TA 108 Introduction to Theatre Arts or TA 112 Theatre Appreciation
- TA 150 Acting I
- TA 225 The American Musical
- TA 250 Acting II
- TA 359 Introduction to Directing
- TA 415 Practicum
It is the student’s responsibility to see that all degree requirements for graduation are fulfilled.
Faculty
Mr. Simon Donoghue - Associate Professor of English / Fine Arts, Director of the Abbey Players
B.A. University of Virginia, M.S.L.S. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Mr. Gary Sivak - Technical Director of Theatre
B.A., University of North Carolina-Charlotte
Academic Minor
