While a student pursues a baccalaureate degree, the addition of a minor can expand the educational experience. A minor is an academic program that supplements a major. Minors require a minimum of 18 credits and typically no more than 21 credits with at least 6 but ordinarily not more than half of the credits at the 400 level. A minor program may consist of course work in a single area or from several disciplines.
Minors available at Penn State Fayette include the following:
The Business minor is a strong complement to virtually any major. Courses prescribed for the minor are taught by Penn State faculty providing courses to the B.S. in Business and the A.S. in Business Administration. It provides students with the opportunity to develop and apply skills appropriate to the business contexts of their chosen majors. Students pursuing the Business minor must complete 13 credits of prescribed coursework and six credits of additional coursework. A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor. The prescribed thirteen credits of coursework presents students with a critical foundation of core business disciplines: accounting, management, marketing, and either macro- or micro-economics. The six credits of additional coursework must be taken at the 400-level.
The Criminal Justice minor provides an overview of the criminal justice system and a thorough grounding in criminological theory. Students receive an in-depth look at the three main system components: policing, courts, and corrections, as well as the opportunity to delve into two or more specialized topics relating to criminal justice. The minor is designed not only for students who have a professional interest in criminal justice, but also for those who want to be informed members of the voting citizenry. A functional understanding of crime and the criminal justice system is useful in many careers, including law, social work, education, and journalism.
Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS)
The minor in Human Development and Family Studies helps you understand human behavior, learn how people relate to one another and learn how to make a difference in their lives. HDFS takes an interdisciplinary approach to helping you understand how individuals develop and change from birth to old age, how families and communities influence individual development, and how you can apply this knowledge to develop, implement and evaluate interventions designed to improve the lives of individuals and families. You will explore the biological, psychological, and sociological facets of life in order to learn how to develop, implement and evaluate interventions designed to improve the lives of individuals and families.
Psychological Science Minor (PSYSC)
The Psychology minor is designed to provide undergraduate students with a broad overview of topics and domains within psychology, knowledge and skills related to research methods in psychology, and deeper knowledge of research, theory, and application in one or two specific content domains. Students completing this minor will find a flexible selection of coursework in psychology.
