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Office of Provost and Vice President
For Academic Affairs

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC OPERATING POLICY AND PROCEDURE

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Academic Operating Policy (AOP) is to provide the basis for establishing and maintaining academic minors and certificate programs which both recognize successful completion of course work area(s) other than a student’s academic major.

REVIEW

This AOP will be reviewed every four years or whenever circumstances require an earlier review by the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs (APAA) with recommendations for revision to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

POLICY/PROCEDURE:

1. Minors. An academic minor is a designation of a group of courses in an approved academic area in which a student can gain recognition for the completion of a required number of credit hours. Minors are optional at the undergraduate level but may be required in certain graduate degree programs. Minors can only be granted concurrently and in conjunction with the granting of a degree from Mississippi State University.

The following conditions apply to minors:

• A minimum of 15 credit hours is required for an undergraduate minor and a minimum of 9 credit hours is required for a minor at the Master’s level and 12 credit hours at the doctoral level.

• At least 50% of the hours earned in a minor must be taken at MSU.

• A minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required in all courses taken as part of an undergraduate minor, while a minimum 3.0 is required in all courses taken as part of a graduate minor.

• A department or academic unit granting a minor may specify majors for which students can not earn that minor. Otherwise, students are free to pursue any approved minor.

• Academic units can establish additional requirements that go beyond those specified in this policy.

• The establishment of all undergraduate minors must be approved by the University Committee on Courses and Curricula and by the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

• A student must declare intent to complete requirements for a minor prior to the declaration to graduate.

• Completion of a minor will be noted on a student’s academic transcript.

2. Certificate Programs. An academic certificate program is a thematic grouping of courses in which students can attain recognition for the completion of a required number of credit hours. It is distinct from a minor in that it is not necessary for the granting of a certificate to be tied to the granting of a degree although individual certificate programs may make that requirement. Unlike minors which tend to be in areas where there are majors, certificate programs can be interdisciplinary and are often in areas in which the university offers no major.

The following conditions apply to certificates:

• A minimum of 12 credit hours in a program are required for a certificate.

• At least 50% of the hours earned in a certificate program must be taken at MSU.

• A minimum grade point average of 2.0 is required in all courses taken as part of an undergraduate certificate program, while a minimum 3.0 is required in all courses taken as part of a graduate certificate program.

• Certificate programs can be established with additional requirements that go beyond those specified in this policy.

• A committee or oversight body must be established that administers the certificate program.

• The establishment of all certificate programs must be approved by the University Committee on Courses and Curricula, the Vice President of Academic Affairs, and by the Assistant Commissioner of the Institutions of Higher Learning for Academics and Student Affairs.

• A certificate may be granted independent of a degree or in conjunction with a degree if so specified by the certificate Program

• Completion of a certificate program will be noted on a student’s academic transcript.

AOP 12.08
4/02/08

For information about this policy, contact the responsible/reviewing department hyperlinked above.