Peculiar college minors
Minors are areas of college study that allow students to dive deeper into a certain discipline and possibly complement their major. For example, a student pursuing an international relations major may want to minor in a foreign language. Minors also provide students with the chance to explore and develop knowledge of other academic interests not necessarily related to their major. Depending on the college or university, there may be anywhere from just a few to hundreds of available minors to choose from, including lesser-known options. Here are 10 unique minors — such as esports, glass and turfgrass management — that aren’t available at most schools.
Cannabis Science
One minor that aligns with horticulture, agriculture or natural science majors is cannabis science, which is offered at SUNY Cobleskill. This minor explores the ins and outs of the cannabis industry, including production, plant care, breeding and management, and cultivation. Sixteen credits are required to complete this minor, with courses ranging from soil fertility and integrated pest management to weed identification and control. Plant-loving students at SUNY Cobleskill can visit the conservatory, greenhouses and gardens on campus.
Climate Change
Humans are grappling with the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather and the extinction of certain plant and animal species. To explore causes and solutions in an academic setting, some colleges offer a climate change minor. At Cornell University in New York, for instance, students minoring in climate change must take at least one course in each of three categories: physical science behind climate change; ecosystems and climate change; and humans and climate change. Some courses in those areas are “Marine Diseases in a Changing Ocean,” “Communicating Climate Change” and “Tropical Meteorology and Climate.”
Digital Media Influencer
For social media-savvy students — especially those who enjoy content creation — Saint Leo University in Florida offers a digital media influencer minor. Students develop technical skills related to producing content, such as graphic design and video and audio editing. Fifteen credits are required to complete this minor, and students can pick which courses best align with their career aspirations. Some course topics are video production, branding design, digital literacy and podcasting.
Esports Industry Professions
Esports — a form of competition using video games — is growing in popularity, especially on college campuses. Many schools have varsity esports teams that allow students to participate in intercollegiate play. But some colleges take it one step further and offer esports as an academic discipline. At Northern Illinois University, for instance, students can minor in esports industry professions, which prepares them to work in this emerging field. Some courses in this minor are “Strategies and Issues in the Esports Industry,” “Online Battle Gaming,” “Promotion and Marketing of Sport Programs” and “Business Ethics.”
Game Design
Video games aren’t just a hobby — they can also be turned into a career. New York University, for example, offers a minor in game design, in which students study the core concepts and history of game production. This 16-credit minor has introductory courses in game design, programming, game development and visual communications. Another course is “Game 101,” which covers game literacy. It analyzes both board and card games, as well as those on computers and consoles. Some of these courses are not limited to students pursuing this minor.
Glass
Fine arts is a common discipline for students wanting to explore their creative side. While ceramics, drawing, photography, film, creative writing and graphic design are popular areas of study in art degree programs, there are other options, including the study of glasswork. As part of its glass minor, students at Kent State University in Ohio can develop skills in flameworking, glassblowing and kiln-formed glass. This minor aims to teach students how to sculpt glass using a torch, use molds in the hot glass-working process and perform cold-working and finishing techniques in the cold shop, among other learning outcomes, according to Kent State.
Hip-Hop Cultures
While many college dance teams explore hip-hop along with other genres of music, Arizona State University offers a minor that looks at its origins. A variety of classes are part of the hip-hop cultures minor, such as “Beginning Hip-Hop Dance Technique,” “Introduction to Africana Studies” and “Rap, Culture and God.” Students are taught about the main themes represented in hip-hop culture, including “appropriation and defense of spaces, mixing of different cultures, migrations, multilingualism, race, class, gender, religions, sexuality, nationality, politics and the economy, and the search for identity,” according to ASU’s website.
History of Capitalism
For students interested in learning more about the “emergence of the modern world economy from a historical perspective,” Drexel University in Pennsylvania offers a minor in the history of capitalism. Some courses in this minor, which is open to all undergraduates, include “History of Work and Workers in America,” “History of American Business,” “East Asia in Modern Times” and “Empire and Environment.” Students are also required to take two additional 200-level history classes and need 24 credits to earn the minor.
Iranian Music
When minoring in music, a student’s curriculum typically analyzes a variety of instruments and genres. But some, like the Iranian music minor at the University of California, Los Angeles, dive deeper and look at the cultural context. There are requirements to enter this minor, such as being in good academic standing. Students must also have earned a C grade or higher in “Current Practices in Iranian Music-Making” or “World Music Performance Organizations: Music of Persia,” and either “Music Around the World” or “Global Pop.”
Turfgrass Management
Turfgrass management is not just about the maintenance of recreational land, such as golf courses and sports fields. Students in this minor at the University of Connecticut also look at the maintenance and management of turfgrasses used for aesthetic or functional purposes, like highway medians, sod farms, residential and commercial lawns, and parks. This minor also focuses on the business side of the industry. Students are required to select one of the following electives: soil fertility, plant pathology, golf course management, ecology of weeds or turfgrass irrigation systems.
Other academic discipline resources
Find out more about college majors and courses by taking the U.S. News College Major Quiz. Connect with U.S. News Education on Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, to get more advice on making the college decision.
Unique college minors
— Cannabis science
— Climate change
— Digital media influencer
— Esports industry professions
— Game design
— Glass
— Hip-Hop cultures
— History of capitalism
— Iranian music
— Turfgrass management
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10 Unique College Minors originally appeared on usnews.com
