Minors


Minors


Adding a minor to your undergraduate studies is a valuable way to specialize or add a unique perspective to the practical knowledge gained through your degree. Rounding out your education with a minor can: 

  • Provide specific insights into your field of study that help you stand out when applying for jobs
  • Give you valuable essential skills to help you perform at your best, work collaboratively and advance in your career. 
  • Let you explore other areas of academic interest and apply what you learn to your major, as well as your professional career.

Interested in exploring a minor? Reach out to your academic success coach.

Undergraduate minors at the KU Edwards Campus

Grounded in biological sciences, chemistry and advanced technology, biotechnology employs biological systems to solve scientific challenges that impact society. Through this minor, you will diversify your education and become better equipped for careers in human and animal health, environmental and agricultural sciences, and pharmaceuticals. In this unique minor, you will be challenged to apply your scientific knowledge and solve problems. You will routinely formulate and execute experimental approaches, analyze data, and communicate results.

Curriculum Requirements 

The biotechnology minor requires 18 hours, 12 of which must be at the junior-senior level. Nine hours must be taken from KU, and a 2.0 GPA is required in all minor courses. The following courses are required and must be started in the fall semester: 

BTEC 300: Research Methods in Biotechnology (requires organismal biology and concurrent or prior enrollment in the first semester of organic chemistry)

BTEC 305: Molecular and Microbiological Techniques (requires concurrent or prior enrollment in genetics)

BTEC 400: Applied Immunology

BTEC 475: Applied Separation Science and Quantitative Analysis

BTEC 550: Applied Bioinformatics (requires statistics)

An undergraduate minor in clinical trials management is designed to provide a broad exposure to the key concepts of clinical trials management, including trial design, management, and operations, as well as legal, ethical, and regulatory issues specific to clinical trials.

This minor will be offered entirely online through the School of Professional Studies with support from the Center for Online & Distance Learning.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects healthcare-related careers to grow 14 percent by 2028. Some individual career pathways within health care and health sciences are projected to double or even triple this rate.

Students who successfully complete the clinical trials management minor will be prepared to enter entry-level careers such as clinical data or clinical research associate, and allow professionals to advance into positions such as a clinical research coordinator, principal investigator, project/lab manager, and more.

Curriculum Requirements

The clinical trials management minor requires 18 hours, consisting of five required courses and one course in statistical or data analysis. A 2.0 GPA is required in all minor courses.

Coursework required for the clinical trials management minor:

HMGT 500: Introduction to Clinical Trials Management

PMGT 305: Foundations of Project Management

HMGT 320: Applied Healthcare Law and Ethics

HMGT 460: Healthcare Law and Regulation

Statistics/Data visualization course (e.g., DATA 824: Data Visual & Acquisition)

HMGT 310: Health Communication OR an elective

Students with English minors apply their skills in a variety of careers including law, teaching, scholarship, publishing and journalism. An English minor also allows you to apply valuable essential skills in reading, writing and critical thinking to careers in the sciences, public administration, business or economics.

Curriculum Requirements

The minor in English requires students to complete 18 hours of English coursework with 12 hours taken at KU, in one of two tracks: regular or creative writing.

English Minor: Regular Track

Of the 18 hours required for the regular track, 12 hours must be selected from four of the following categories that comprise the common requirements of the English major, and at least 15 must be junior-senior hours. No more than one creative writing course may count for the regular track. ENGL 494, 495, 496, and 497 may not be applied to English minor requirements.

Categories:

1. Individual Authors or Movements

2. Literary Theory 

3. English Language or Rhetoric

4. Transcultural Approaches to Language, Literature, or Writing

5. Writing

6. Forms and Genres

7. Literary History

For full course lists for each category, see the General Track of the English Major.

English Minor: Creative Writing Track

Of the 18 hours required for the creative writing track, 12 hours must be creative writing workshops in at least two genres (at least one at the 500-level), and at least 15 must be  junior-senior hours. Genres in creative writing are fiction, poetry, non-fiction, or one of playwriting, screenwriting, and screenwriting. ENGL 494, 495, 496, and 497 may not be applied to English minor requirements.

A minor in environmental studies gives you a framework for understanding interdisciplinary natural sciences and can help you specialize major studies for work in an environmental-related field. This could include careers in biotechnology, data analytics, law and society, business and more.

Curriculum Requirements

The environmental studies minor requires 18 hours, 12 of which must be at the junior-senior level. Nine hours must be taken from KU, and a 2.0 GPA is required in all minor courses.

One of the following (3-5 hours):

  • EVRN 140: Global Environment I: The Discovery of Environmental Change
  • EVRN 148: Scientific Principles of Environmental Studies

One of the following (3-5 hours):

  • EVRN 142: Global Environment II: The Ecology of Human Civilization
  • EVRN 103: Environment and History
  • EVRN 150: Environment, Culture and Society
  • EVRN 347: Environmental History of North America

Both of the following (6 hours):

  • EVRN 320: Environmental Policy Analysis
  • EVRN 332: Environmental Law

One of the following: (3-4 hours):

  • EVRN 410: Environmental Applications of Geographic Information Systems
  • EVRN 460: Field Ecology
  • EVRN 550: Environmental Economics
  • GEOG 358: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
  • UBPL 538: Environmental Planning Techniques
  • GEOL 351: Environmental Geology

One junior-senior EVRN elective (3 hours)

The minor in law and society examines how law works in practice in public administration, courts, the non-profit sector, policy, policing and the justice system. A minor in law and society could help you pursue a career in nonprofit administration, social work, local and state government or urban planning, among many others.

Curriculum Requirements

The minor in law and society requires 18 hours of coursework, all of which must be at the junior-senior level. Of the total hours for the minor, 12 must be taken at the junior-senior level, and nine hours must be taken at KU. Students must have a 2.0 GPA in the minor courses. 

Core Courses (9 hours)

  • LWS 330: Introduction to Law & Society
  • LWS 333: The Pursuit of Rights: Law Democracy & Power

One of the following

  • LWS 332: Methods in Law and Society
  • LWS 643: Theoretical Foundations of Law and Society 

Electives (9 hours) law and society courses or relevant interdisciplinary courses. For course options, see the Law and Society Minor.

The field of health sciences covers a variety of in-demand professions, including public health, health care, nutrition and more. The minor in Health Policy and Management can help you specialize your studies to meet your interests and professional goals. This might include careers in public policy related to population health, healthcare administration, or pursuing graduate education in a specialized area of health care or medicine.

Curriculum Requirements

The health and policy management minor requires 18 credit hours at the junior/senior level. Nine (9) hours must be completed at KU, and a 2.0 GPA is required in all minor courses.

  • HMGT 300: Introduction to Healthcare Management
  • HMGT 305: Health Policy and Healthcare Systems
  • HMGT 310: Health Communications
  • HMGT 320: Applied Healthcare Law and Ethics
  • HMGT 450: Economics and Finance of Healthcare
  • PMGT 305: Foundations of Project Management

 

KU’s minor in nutrition provides a useful area of focus for a variety of academic disciplines. Students studying exercise science, social work, public administration, and other related areas may find a minor in nutrition provides specific areas of insight to their degree.

Curriculum Requirements

The nutrition minor requires 18 credit hours, consisting of four required courses and two electives. A 2.0 GPA is required in all minor courses.

  • HSCI 320 Principles of Nutrition or HSES 330 Principles of Nutrition and Health (3)
  • HSCI 420 Nutrition Through the Life Cycle (3)
  • HSCI 421 Public Health Nutrition (3)
  • HSCI 422 Nutrition Assessment (3)

Select two of the following:

  • HSES 331 Sport and Exercise Nutrition (3)
  • HSCI 521 Advanced Nutrition (3)
  • HSCI 522 Advanced Sports Nutrition (3)
  • HSCI 425 Nutrition Education (3)

Driven by globalization, evolving technology and rapid automation of work processes, all types of organizations are placing growing emphasis on project-based planning, development and even operations, to gain a competitive advantage. A minor in project management can help prepare you for a variety of industries including information technology, healthcare management, advertising and marketing, and more.

Curriculum Requirements

The project management minor requires 18 hours, 15 of which must be at the junior-senior level. KU students must achieve at least a 2.0 GPA in the following courses to earn the minor in project management:

· PMGT 305: Foundations of Project Management

· PMGT 310: Project Communications

· PMGT 315: Project Scheduling and Control

· PMGT 325: Effective Project Team Leadership

· PMGT 330: Organizational Strategy & Project Initiation

· One (1) Project Management Elective (PMGT 425, 510, 430, 420)

Human interaction and interpersonal communication are important elements of almost all careers. A minor in psychology can help you excel in a variety of fields, including business, social work, public administration and law and society.

Curriculum Requirements 

The psychology minor requires 18 hours, 12 of which must be at the junior-senior level. Nine hours must be completed at KU, and a 2.0 GPA is required in minor courses. 

  • PSYC 104: General Psychology

Two of the following (6 hours)

  • PSYC 318: Cognitive Psychology
  • PSYC 333: Child Development
  • PSYC 350: Abnormal Psychology
  • PSYC 360: Social Psychology
  • PSYC 370: Behavioral Neuroscience
  • PSYC 375: Cognitive Neuroscience

Psychology electives (9 hours). A maximum of three hours of PSYC 480, 481, or 483 may be used for this requirement. 

A public administration minor provides you with the necessary background to help manage teams, develop and implement programs, and set and follow a budget. These skills would be valued in careers with local, regional and state government offices and departments, as well as careers in business, the sciences or education.

Curriculum Requirements

The public administration minor requires 18 hours and all of them must be at the junior-senior level. Nine hours must be taken from KU, and a 2.0 GPA is required in all minor courses. Minors must complete four courses with the PUAD designation at the upper level.

Core Courses (6 hours)

  • PUAD 330: Introduction to Public Administration
  • PUAD 333: Hard Choices in Public Administration

Public Administration Electives (12 hours)

KU’s minor in public and population health provides broad exposure to key concepts that connect behavioral and social factors of health and their role in a broader community. This minor is a useful specialization for students pursuing degrees related to public health, service and education. Students in academic areas such as social work, exercise science, public administration and similar areas may find this minor supplements their education.

Curriculum Requirements

The minor in public and population health requires 18 hours. A 2.5 GPA is required in all minor courses. The following courses are required:

  • HSCI 340: Introduction to Public Health
  • HSCI 440: Introduction to Epidemiology
  • HSCI 441: Population Health
  • HSCI 445: Introduction to Environmental Health

Elective courses (choose one):

  • HMGT 305 Health Policy and Healthcare Systems
  • HMGT 310 Health Communication
  • HMGT 460 Healthcare Law and Regulation
  • HSCI 421 Public Health Nutrition

Other elective course determined by student and advisor

Statistics or Geospatial Analysis Course (Select one for 3 hours)

  • HEIM 575: Applied Statistics & Research Methods in Healthcare
  • BIOS 704: Princ. of Stats in Public Health (or other statistics course)
  • HSES 310: Research & Data Analysis in Health, Sport, & Exercise Sciences

Students studying a wide range of academic fields may find a minor in sociology enhances their perspective, providing insight in areas such as business, professional communication, psychology, education, social work, journalism and more.

Curriculum requirements

The sociology minor requires 18 hours, and 12 of them must be at the junior senior level. Nine hours must be taken from KU, and a 2.0 GPA is required in all minor courses. 

Students must complete SOC 104: Elements of Sociology and 15 additional sociology hours.