Princeton to Allow Minors, Changes ‘Concentrations’ to ‘Majors’

Photo of sophomores posing on Cannon Green

Sophomores posed for photos on Cannon Green after declaring their majors in April.

Sameer A. Khan h’21

Julie Bonette
By Julie Bonette

Published May 20, 2022

1 min read

In April, Princeton’s faculty approved curriculum changes that will allow undergraduates to pursue academic minors starting in the fall of 2023. The University also will refer to students’ primary disciplines as “majors” instead of “concentrations.” 

Over a transition period of several years, Princeton’s 54 certificate programs will become minors, according to Dean of the College Jill Dolan. “The expectation is that certificates will all become minors by revising their requirements and submitting proposals … for approval,” she said. “Most certificates will make the transition easily.”

The proposal’s origins date back to 2015, when the Task Force on the Future of the Humanities suggested double majors, which Princeton does not allow due to the rigorous independent work required. After years of discussions, the Office of the Dean of the College settled on a minors proposal to “provide a meaningful, externally legible way” for students to pursue study in a secondary field or interdisciplinary studies.

Students will be permitted to earn two minors, though they may petition their residential college deans for approval to pursue three or more. The Faculty Committee on the Course of Study will set minimum requirements for a minor, typically consisting of about five to seven courses; independent work may be required. 

The change in nomenclature for “majors” aimed to align Princeton with peer institutions, according to the proposal.

0 Responses

Join the conversation

Plain text

Full name and Princeton affiliation (if applicable) are required for all published comments. For more information, view our commenting policy. Responses are limited to 500 words for online and 250 words for print consideration.

Related News

Newsletters.
Get More From PAW In Your Inbox.

Learn More

Title complimentary graphics