Emphasis
An emphasis is a required focused area of study within a major and is part of the 60 credits required for the major courses within an undergraduate program. Enrolled students are required to meet the current emphasis credit requirements, which range from 12 to 30 credits depending on the major and emphasis.
The following undergraduate departments have a required area of emphasis:
| Major | Emphasis Area Options |
| Advertising Design | Advertising or Copywriting |
| Craft & Material Studies | Ceramics, Glass, Fiber & Textiles or Metalsmithing/Jewelry |
| Fashion | Fashion Design or Fashion Accessories |
| Entertainment Arts | Animation, Concept Design, or Game |
Minors
Liberal Arts and Studio minor options are available to undergraduate level students. A Studio Minor is an area of study outside the major that provides students the ability to customize their studies by gaining knowledge and proficiency in a different discipline. A Liberal Arts Minor is a focused area of study within the Liberal Arts subjects.
Studio and Liberal Arts minors require 15.0 credits to complete. A list of available minor options is published on the CCS Website and provided with the associated form (see the Liberal Arts Minor Declaration Form and/or Studio Minor Declaration Form) that can be found on the Campus Offices site under the Academic Advising and Registration Office. Students must consult with the Department Chair of the minor for detailed information and minor expectations. Some minors are customized based on students’ interest and/or skill. Designated major departments will allow a minor within the same major if the minor’s emphasis (or specialized area of focus) is “different” from emphasis outlined in the major. Example: Transportation Design major can minor in Automotive Clay Modeling; Crafts/Ceramics major can minor in Crafts/Glass; Entertainment Arts/Animation major can minor in Entertainment Arts/Game, etc.
- Declaring a minor is not required to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
- Minors can only be attempted while pursuing a BFA and cannot be attempted post graduation.
- Once a minor is added to the student’s record, all requirements for the existing minor must be satisfied in order to graduate (along with the general degree requirements).
- Adjustments to minor requirements are based on department approval.
- Adding a minor may extend the expected graduation timeline and students should consult with an Academic Advisor to review degree timeline details.
- Some limitations or restrictions may apply when choosing a minor within the same major department.
- Minors appear on the final official transcript but do not appear on the diploma.
Transfer Credits for a Minor
A maximum of six (6.0) transfer credit earned from an accredited institution may be applied to a minor in any area of study. Students may be asked to submit documentation or work samples for transfer credit requests in question. See Transfer Credits – Undergraduate policy for additional details.
Credit Sharing
No more than nine (9) credits between the general degree requirements and the minor can be shared. Credit sharing is not automatic and should be discussed with an Academic Advisor to confirm steps and/or requirements for placement. Department Chair approval may be required for courses that are not pre-approved for placement. Credit sharing can be applied to General Electives without Department Chair approval. See section on “Adding Multiple Minors” for policy on credit sharing with more than one minor.*
Adding a Minor
Students must sign and submit the appropriate minor form to the Department Chair of the minor. A Liberal Arts Minor Declaration form must be signed by the Liberal Arts Department Chair. A Studio Minor Declaration form must be signed by the Department Chair of the studio minor. Completed forms must be submitted to the Academic Advising & Registration Office for processing and to officially add the minor to degree requirements. Once a minor is added to a student’s degree program, all major and minor credits must be satisfied in order to graduate. It is the student’s responsibility to 1) complete all required minor credits or 2) initiate a request to remove the minor if no longer planning to attempt the credits.
Students close to graduation must have all minor forms completed and submitted before applying for graduation (see Academic Calendar for deadlines).
Adding Multiple Minors
Students may choose to minor in multiple Studio/Major Departments or Liberal Arts subject areas (or a combination of both). A minor form is required for each intended minor. “Credits Sharing” and “Transfer Credit for Minors” will apply to each minor separately (as outlined in above policies). Additionally, up to 9.0 credit hours can be shared “between minors”, if applicable or due to “like” courses.
Credit Sharing with More than One Minor:
- Share max of 9.0 credits between minors is allowed
- up to 9.0 credit hours can be applied/shared from the 1st minor with the 2nd minor, if courses are applicable.
- Up to 9.0 credit hours can be shared with the major/general degree requirements.
- Remaining credits for the minor(s) must be fulfilled with courses different from any attempted credits within the major/general degree requirements and cannot be shared.
Removing or Changing a Minor
A minor may be removed at any time if a student no longer wishes to pursue the minor or satisfy the requirements. Students must indicate their intent to drop the minor on the appropriate Minor Declaration Form. Department Chair signature (of the removed minor) is not required on the form.
If a student wishes to switch to a different minor, the Department Chair of the new minor will evaluate the student’s course work for placement or transferability of any courses previously taken or in-progress. The new minor should be indicted on the Minor Declaration form and the Department Chair of the new minor must sign the form to change the minor. The completed form must be submitted to the Academic Advising & Registration Office to have the minor removed.
- If credits were taken/completed towards the “removed” minor, students should meet with an Academic Advisor to discuss courses that no longer apply to degree requirements.
Students who are graduating and intend to remove (or add) a minor, must do so prior to submitting the application for graduation (see the Academic Calendar for deadlines).