Minors

Meets Breadth Requirement

The College of Social Science requires each student to complete a breadth requirement.  The requirement can be fulfilled by completing any of the following: (1) any minor in the College of Social Science, with a maximum of two courses from the student’s primary major counting towards requirements of the minor; (2) a second degree or additional major within the College of Social Science; (3) a second degree or additional major in a college other than the College of Social Science; or (4) a minor outside of the College of Social Science. A maximum of two courses from the student’s primary major may count towards requirements of the minor.

It is encouraged that you meet with your College of Social Science academic advisor to discuss which option is best for your degree plan.  

Interdisciplinary Minors Available

These minors are interdisciplinary minors for the College of Social Science that meet the breadth requirement.

• African American and African Studies (Social Science Track)

  College of Arts & Letters

  The Minor in African American and African Studies provides students with an interdisciplinary study of the historical and contemporary lived experiences of African descendants in the United States and elsewhere in the African Diaspora, as well as continental African nations and peoples.

  Social Science track: the 6-credit core curriculum comprised of AAAS 100 and 300 are unique credits that may not be used to satisfy a university, college, or major requirement for the student’s bachelor’s degree program.

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• African Studies

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in African Studies provides a multidisciplinary educational experience for students who are interested in Africa. The minor is designed to help students to acquire a better understanding of diverse aspects of African environments, economies, politics, societies, and cultures.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: The student's program of study for the minor must be approved in advance and in writing by the advisor for African studies in the College of Social Science.

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• Asian Pacific American Studies (Social Science Track)

  College of Social Science

  The minor focuses on social and cultural history and contemporary issues relating to Asian Pacific Americans, a diverse group who come from varying class, ethnic, religious, and national backgrounds. The minor incorporates an interdisciplinary approach to issues and populations in the United States and includes exposure to current research, case studies, and contact with local communities.

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• Asian Studies

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Asian Studies provides an opportunity for students to create a multidisciplinary specialty with Asia as the focus.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: The student's program of study for the minor must be approved in advance and in writing by the advisor for Asian Studies in the College of Social Science.

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• Chicano/Latino Studies

  Chicano/Latino Studies Program

  The Minor in Chicano/Latino Studies is designed to help students to understand the multicultural dimensions of society; to gain a knowledge of Chicano/Latino scholarship and scholars; and to apply that knowledge to the study of Chicano/Latino communities and life. 

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• Cities: Environment, Design, and Society (Approval Required)

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Cities: Environment, Design, and Society is designed to assist students in understanding the social and environmental context of cities in the modern world in order to apply their learning in careers in various social science fields.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: This minor has restrictions and require a meeting with your College of Social Science academic advisor.

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• Cognitive Science (Social Science Track & Approval Required)

  College of Arts & Letters

  The Minor in Cognitive Science introduces students to one of the most important remaining mysteries in science: the nature of the mind and how biological systems process complex information to produce thought and adaptive behavior, and how artificial systems can be endowed with the same capabilities. 

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: This minor has restrictions and require a meeting with your College of Social Science academic advisor.

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• Digital Cultural Heritage and History

  The Digital Cultural Heritage and History minor will provide students with an understanding of how digital tools, methods, and computational approaches can be used to capture, analyze, preserve, provide access to, and present cultural, archaeological, and historical data, content, collections, and materials. 

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• Environment and Health

  Department of Geography, Environment and Health

  The Minor in Environment and Health enhances the education and training of students who are interested in issues relating to the environment and health, including students who wish to prepare themselves for advanced degree programs in environmental studies, health studies or careers in related fields.

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• Environmental Social Science

  The Minor in Environmental Social Science enhances the education of students who are interested in issues relating to the environment, including those who wish to prepare themselves for advanced degree programs in environmental social science or careers in related fields.

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• Human Behavior and Social Services (Approval Required)

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Human Behavior and Social Services provides an interdisciplinary study of the human behavior and social services that prepare students to critically assess the different perspectives on aspects of human behavior which may create the need for assistance and how social service programs respond to those needs.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: This minor has restrictions and require a meeting with your College of Social Science academic advisor.

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• International Development (Approval Required)

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in International Development is an enhanced integrative learning program of study designed to assist students in understanding the social context of international development. Students will acquire a basic understanding of how social scientists approach international development and how to integrate different approaches to the interrelationships of topics around international development.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: This minor has restrictions and require a meeting with your College of Social Science academic advisor.

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• Jewish Studies (Social Science Track)

  College of Arts & Letters

  The Minor in Jewish Studies offers a rich interdisciplinary program which introduces undergraduates to the history, cultures, language(s), identities, religion, and civilization of the Jewish people.   It centers on strengths in American Jewish History and Culture, European Jewish History and Holocaust Studies, Hebrew, Israel Studies, and Judaism and Jewish Philosophy.

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• Latin American and Caribbean Studies

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies emphasizes coherent course work about the cultural context, history, politics, economics, and geography of Latin American and the Caribbean with the potential for complementary experiential learning. Some courses focus on individual countries, while others are comparative and cross-national.

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• Law, Justice and Public Policy (Approval Required)

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Law, Justice and Public Policy enhances the education and training of students who anticipate entering fields that require multidisciplinary approaches to advanced research, professional practice, or policymaking related to law.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: This minor has restrictions and require a meeting with your College of Social Science academic advisor.

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• Leadership of Organizations

  School of Human Resources and Labor Relations

  The Minor in Leadership of Organizations provides interdisciplinary study of the leadership of organizations, preparing students to critically assess the effectiveness of leaders in a wide range of organizations including business, government, and non-profit. The minor also prepares students to be more effective leaders in their careers and as citizens.

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• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Sexuality Studies (Social Science Track)

  College of Arts & Letters

  The Minor in Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Sexuality Studies is designed to provide opportunities for undergraduate students to obtain a comprehensive, global, cross/interdisciplinary academic experience in sexualities, gender identity and expression, and queer identities and activism.

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• Migration Studies

  The Minor in Migration Studies enhances the education of students who are interested in issues relating to human migration, including those who wish to prepare themselves for advanced degree programs in human migration or careers in related fields.

   

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• Peace and Justice Studies (Social Science Track)

  College of Social Science

  The minor explores issues of human rights, social justice, environmental justice, economic justice, activism, peace, violence, and conflict, examining their connections and distinctions through an interdisciplinary curriculum that stimulates students to develop the critical thinking skills necessary to face global challenges.

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  Make an advising appointment

   

  Dr. Eric Montgomery 
  montg285@msu.edu
  344 Baker Hall

• Race and Ethnicity in the United States (Approval Required)

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Race and Ethnicity in the United States is designed to assist students in understanding the social context of racial and ethnic categories by focusing on how it is constructed in the United States.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: This minor has restrictions and require a meeting with your College of Social Science academic advisor.

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• Resource Management from the Individual, Family, and Societal Perspective (Approval Required)

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Resource Management from the Individual, Family, and Societal Perspective provides interdisciplinary knowledge from an ecological perspective, preparing students to manage, counsel, and work in a wide range of placements in human service, non-profit and for-profit sectors. The minor also prepares students to be more literate and capable personal money managers.

   

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: This minor has restrictions and require a meeting with your College of Social Science academic advisor.

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• Social Science Quantitative Data Analytics (Approval Required)

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Social Science Quantitative Data Analytics enhances the education and empowers students interested in understanding how core social science skills such as critical thinking and theoretically oriented analysis are useful in the systematic collection, integration, analysis, and presentation of large-scale and dense information.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: This minor has restrictions and require a meeting with your College of Social Science academic advisor.

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• Women's and Gender Studies (Social Science Track)

  College of Arts & Letters

  The Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, which is administered by the Program in Women, Gender and Social Justice, provides students with in-depth opportunities to study gender and its intersections with other aspects of identity within the students’ field of interest.

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• Youth and Society

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Youth and Society is an enhanced interdisciplinary program of study designed to assist students in understanding the development of youth in societies globally, with particular attention to the dynamic interaction of youth, their families, and the societies in which they live.

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Other Minors Available

These minors are disciplinary minors for the College of Social Science that may also meet the breadth requirement.

• Anthropology

  Department of Anthropology

  Anthropology takes culture as its central object of study, giving students a framework for viewing culture in the context of the natural world and evolutionary processes. Anthropologists also study the organization of social life, as well as symbolic and ideological systems. 

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• Defense Studies and Leadership

  Department of History

  The Minor in Defense Studies and Leadership provides students with a broad perspective on the military with analysis of all service branches of the Armed Forces from a historical and social scientific perspective. It also prepares current cadets for active duty service.

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• Earth Observation and Geospatial Analytics

  Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences

  The Minor in Earth Observation and Geospatial Analytics, which is administered by the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, provides a fundamental foundation to the breadth of study within the field of geographic information science.
  
  The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University except those pursuing the concentration in Earth Observation and Geospatial Analytics in the Bachelor of Science degree in Geography. With the approval of the department and college that administers the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.
  
  Students who plan to complete the requirements for the minor should consult an undergraduate advisor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences.

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• Economics

  Department of Economics

  The Minor in Economics provides a basic foundation for the breadth of study within the field of economics and a grounding in general economic theory.

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• Global Studies in Social Science

  College of Social Science

  The Minor in Global Studies in Social Science is designed for students who wish to increase their understanding of the processes of continuity and change in various regions of the world, particularly Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. The minor provides an opportunity for students to learn how contemporary global systems influence global relations and national trends, as well as how culture shapes processes of continuity and change in one of the major world regions.

  APPROVAL REQUIRED: The student's program of study for the minor must be approved in advance and in writing by the advisor for Global Studies in Social Science.

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• History

  Department of History

  The Minor in History provides foundational skills needed for the study of history, breadth of historical knowledge, and advanced study of one or more historical topics. Students obtain research, reasoning and writing skills that form the core of historical study and develop capacities to integrate knowledge from diverse historical subfields based on this common set of skills.

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• Human-Environment and Economic Geography

  Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences

  The Minor in Human-Environment and Economic Geography, which is administered by the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, provides a fundamental foundation to the breadth of study within the field of geography as well as grounding in general geographic theory.
  
  The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University except those pursuing the concentration in Human-Environment and Economic Geography in the Bachelor of Science degree in Geography. With the approval of the department and college that administers the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.
  
  Students who plan to complete the requirements for the minor should consult an undergraduate advisor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences.

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• Physical Environment & Climate

  Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences

  The Minor in Physical Environment and Climate, which is administered by the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, provides a foundation to students who are interested in issues related to climate and climate change, including students who wish to prepare themselves for degree programs in communication, data science, environmental geoscience, environmental science, environmental studies, environmental policy, journalism, quantitative risk analytics, sustainability, or related fields.
  
  The minor is available as an elective to students who are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs at Michigan State University except those pursuing the concentration in Physical Environment and Climate in the Bachelor of Science degree in Geography. With the approval of the department and college that administer the student’s degree program, the courses that are used to satisfy the minor may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.
  
  Students who plan to complete the requirements for the minor should consult the undergraduate academic advisor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences.

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• Security Management

  School of Criminal Justice

  The complexities of modern society have combined to generate a variety of threats to business organizations, information networks, government installations and operations, and individuals.  The Minor in Security Management is designed for students who are interested in private and government security.

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• Sociology

  Department of Sociology

  The Minor in Sociology provides a fundamental understanding of the linkages between agency and structure in society. Students obtain knowledge of the principles of sociology, sociological inquiry, diversity in society, and the ways in which global forces are transforming modern society.

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