School of Arts & Sciences - Minors
A minor in Biology is available to students who take at least 19 credit hours in Biology as follows:
Core Courses (9 credits): Students must take BY140 Biology I (3 cr.) and BY160 Biology II (3 cr.) and at least one of the following:
| BY214 | Genetics (3 cr.) | |
| BY222 | Ecology (3 cr.) | |
| BY320 | Microbiology (3 cr.) | |
| BY360 | Human Physiology (3 cr.) | |
| BY471 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I (3 cr.) | |
| BY472 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II (3 cr.) |
at least 9 credits of Biology courses numbered 300 or above.
Laboratory Requirement (1-2 credits): Students
must take at least one of the following laboratory courses:
| BY224 | Ecology Laboratory (2 cr.) | |
| BY142 | Biology II Laboratory (2 cr.) | |
| BY162 | Biology II Laboratory (2 cr.) | |
| BY322 | Microbiology Laboratory (2 cr.) | |
| BY362 | Human Physiology Laboratory (2 cr.) | |
| BY473 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory (2 cr.) | |
| BY474 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II Laboratory (2 cr.) |
*Students should consult with the Biology Chair to determine whether AP Biology will satisfy the BY140 and BY160 requirement.
Minor in Biomedical Engineering
Minor in Biomedical Science and Technology
As various fields of medicine and health care increasingly depend upon advances in technology, graduates who possess combined expertise in engineering principles and knowledge of biological sciences at all levels will be in high demand. The minors in Biomedical Engineering and Biomedical Science and Technology enhance opportunities for Clarkson’s students to meet this need. Students can take only one (not both) of the two minors. See description under Interdisciplinary Programs.
Minor in Biophysics
A minor in Biophysics is available to students in any degree program. To obtain a minor, the student must complete the following course requirements:
Biology (9 credits) — 3 courses beyond the freshman level, including Biochemistry I.
Physics (9 credits) — 3 courses beyond the freshman level, including Biophysics or an appropriate replacement.
Chemistry (3 credits) — Organic Chemistry I (prerequisite for Biochemistry I).
Minor in Chemistry
A minor in Chemistry is available to students in any degree program. To obtain a minor, a student must complete the following course requirements.
| Category I (9 credits): | Category III (3 credits): | ||
| CM241 | Organic Chemistry I | CM371 | Physical Chemistry I |
| CM242 | Organic Chemistry II | Category IV (3 credits): | |
| CM244 | Organic Laboratory I | CM312 | Survey of Inorganic Chemistry |
| Category II (6 credits): | or | ||
| CM221 | Spectroscopy | CM460 | Biochemistry I |
| CM223 | Spectroscopy Laboratory | ||
Students may substitute up to six credit hours of undergraduate research (CM391 and CM392) for an equivalent number of credit hours for the courses in Categories II-IV.
Minor in Cognitive Neuroscience
Required Basic Science Courses (29 credits)
| PY151 | Introduction to Psychology (3 cr.) | BY162 | Biology II Laboratory (2 cr.) |
| BY140 | Biology I: Inheritance, Evolution and | CM131 | General Chemistry I (4 cr.)1 |
| Diversity (3 cr.) | CM132 | General Chemistry II (4 cr.)1 | |
| BY142 | Biology I Laboratory (2 cr.) | PH141 | Physics for Life Sciences I (4 cr.)2 |
| BY160 | Biology II: Cellular and Molecular | PH142 | Physics for Life Sciences II (4 cr.)2 |
| Biology (3 cr.) | |||
| Required Cognitive Neuroscience Courses (9 credits) | |||
| PY458 | Cognitive Neuroscience (3 cr.) | ||
| BY/PY454 | Physiological Psychology3 (3 cr.) | ||
| BY/PY460 | Neurobiology (3 cr.) | ||
| Elective Psychology Courses: 2 courses (6 credits) chosen from the following: | |||
| PY317 | Psychology of Psychoactive | PY359 | Perception (3 cr.) |
| Drugs (3 cr.) | PY360 | Learning and Memory (3 cr.) | |
| BY/PY340 | Animal Learning and | PY462 | Abnormal Psychology (3 cr.) |
| Cognition (3 cr.) | PY463 | Health Psychology (3 cr.) | |
| PY357 | Human Cognitive Evolution | ||
| Elective Biology Courses: 2 courses (6 credits) chosen from the following: | |||
| BY360 | Physiology (3 cr.) | ||
| BY312 | Cell Biology (3 cr.) | ||
| BY214 | Genetics (3 cr.) | ||
| BY310 | Developmental Biology (3 cr.) | ||
| BY350 | Comparative Anatomy (3 cr.) | ||
1CM103/105 and CM104/106 will also satisfy the Chemistry requirement.
2PH131 and PH132 will also satisfy the Physics requirement.
3Biology majors taking the cognitive neuroscience minor cannot use PY/BY454 as one of their Biology elective courses.
Minor in Communication
Clarkson University offers a minor in Communication that is available to all undergraduate students with the exception of Communication majors. Courses used to fulfill the requirements of the minor include writing, speaking, graphic design, and theory. To achieve a minor in Communication, students must achieve a 2.0 grade average in six three-credit courses, distributed in the following fashion:
Students must take one course from each of the four groups below, plus any other two communication courses:
| Writing | |
| COMM210 | Theory of Rhetoric for Business, Science and Engineering |
| COMM220 | Writing for New Media |
| COMM313* | Professional Communication |
| COMM414 | Science Writing |
| COMM428* | Public Debate and the Environment: Reading and Writing Environmentally |
| Speaking | |
| COMM217 | Introduction to Public Speaking |
| COMM417 | Business and Professional Speaking |
| COMM313* | Professional Communication |
| Graphic Design | |
| COMM214 | Computer Applications in Media |
| COMM221 | 2D Digital Design |
| COMM320 | Photography |
| COMM327 | Digital Video Production I |
| COMM345 | Information Architecture |
| COMM409 | Introduction to Instructional Design |
| COMM427 | Digital Video Production II |
| COMM440 | PHP/My SQL Interactive Design |
| COMM442 | Advanced World Wide Web Interface Design |
| COMM444 | Unix Web System Administration |
| Communication | Theory |
| COMM310 | Mass Media and Society |
| COMM410 | Theory and Philosophy of Communication |
| COMM412 | Organizational Communications |
| COMM426 | Gender and Communication |
| COMM428* | Public Debate and the Environment: Reading and Writing Environmentally |
* Course may be used for one of two groups but not both.
NOTE: Students may transfer no more than six off-campus credits towards the minor. The chair of the Department of Communication & Media must approve transfer courses.
Minor in Computational Science
The minor in Computational Science and Engineering, or CSE, is available to students in any major. The minor allows students to develop an expertise in CSE while pursuing a conventional major, which provides the context wherein they apply their computational skills. The requirements are:
| MA277 | Introduction to Computational Science* |
| MA377 | Numerical Methods |
| At least two of: | |
| MA232 | Differential Equations |
| MA239/339 | Elementary/Applied Linear Algebra |
| STAT282/383 | General/Applied Statistics |
Application area electives to make a total of 21 credits. (These are computational courses in departments other than Mathematics.)
*MA277 may not be taken after, or concurrent with, MA377. Successful completion of MA377 implies satisfaction of this requirement for the minor in CSE.
Minor in Computer Science
A minor in Computer Science is available to students in almost all degree programs. The requirements for the minor are:
- Core courses:
CS141 Introduction to Computer Science I CS142 Introduction to Computer Science II MA211 Foundations CS344 Algorithms and Data Structures - Electives:
Three additional CS courses, one numbered 200 or higher, one numbered 300 or higher, and one numbered 400 or higher. Each course must be worth at least three credits. Certain courses cannot be used for the minor and some substitutions are acceptable. Details are available from the Department.
Exclusion: The Minor in Computer Science is not open to students majoring in Computer Science or Software Engineering.
Minors in Humanities and Social Sciences*
The Department of Humanities and Social Sciences offers minors that consist of a coherent set of five courses beyond the Clarkson Seminar, plus completion of a “Minors Portfolio.” There are three different types of minor: “Thematic Minors,” “Disciplinary Minors,” and “Student-Designed Minors.” Forms for declaring one of these minors are available.
Thematic Minors. These interdisciplinary minors consist of five related humanities and social sciences courses that address a common theme. The currently available thematic minors are:
- International and Cross-Cultural Perspectives
- Science, Technology and Society
- American Studies
- Literature and the Arts
- War Studies
The list of courses in each of the thematic minors, as well as other information about them, is available from the Chair of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Disciplinary Minors. These minors consist of five courses in one of the disciplinary areas in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, for example, Anthropology, History, Sociology, Literature, Philosophy, and Political Science. A list of disciplinary areas, as well as other information about these minors, is available from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.
* Courses taken to fulfill requirements for a Humanities/Social Science Minor cannot be used to fulfill requirements for a Humanities and Social Science Major.
Student-Designed Minors
Students propose these minors through the office of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences to a faculty committee for approval. The proposal lists the courses that a student will take for his or her minor and articulates the coherence among the courses. Students are encouraged to design their minor in collaboration with a faculty advisor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. Guidelines for developing and submitting a proposal for a student-designed minor are available from the department office.
Minors Portfolio. Under the guidance of a faculty advisor in the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, a student completing one of the above minors will compile a portfolio that represents his or her learning experience in the minor. The portfolio will be completed within the appropriately designated 499, “Humanities/Social Sciences Minor Portfolio,” a zero-credit hour course under the direction of the student’s minor advisor in the department. A student must receive a P in the minor portfolio in order to complete the requirements for the minor. Additional information about the Minors Portfolio is available from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences office.
* Courses taken to fulfill requirements for a Humanities/Social Science Minor can not be used to fulfill requirements for a Humanities and Social Science Minor.
Minor in Information Technology
A minor in Information Technology is available to students in any degree program. The requirements are 21 credits consisting of:
- two courses in problem solving and programming: CS141 or EE261, and CS142 or EE361
- one course in computer systems: CS241 or EE360
- one course in database administration: IS314*
- one course in computer networks: EE407/CS455
- two courses concerned with Web technologies and administration: COMM442 and COMM444
* For School of Business Majors for whom IS314 is not a required course, IS211 may be used to fulfill this requirement.
Minor in Mathematics
A minor in Mathematics is available to a student who achieves a 2.0 grade-point average in seven three-credit courses from the following list:
| MA131 | Calculus I | CS345 | Automata Theory |
| MA132 | Calculus II | CS447 | Computer Algorithms |
| MA211 | Foundations | CS448 | Advanced Algorithms |
| MA230 | 3-D Space and | CS456 | Cryptography |
| Projective Geometry | CS540 | Combinatorics for | |
| MA231 | Calculus III | Computer Science | |
| MA232 | Elementary Differential | CS542 | Theory of Computation |
| Equations | |||
| MA239 | Elem. Linear Algebra | ||
| Any three-credit courses numbered MA/STAT300 or above. | |||
Minor in Physics
A minor in Physics is available to students in any degree program. To obtain a minor, a student must complete the following courses:
| PH131 | Physics I (4 cr.) | One of the following basic courses | |
| PH132 | Physics II (4 cr.) | (1 credit): | |
| PH231 | Fundamentals of Modern | PH121 | Physics Freshman Seminar |
| Physics (3 cr.) | PH232 | Modern Physics Laboratory | |
| PH221 | Theoretical Mechanics (3 cr.) | PH435 | Physics Seminar |
| PH331 | Quantum Physics I (3 cr.) | PH470 | Directed Study Experimental |
| Any two 3-credit Physics courses | PH474 | Directed Study Theoretical | |
| at the 300-400 level (6 credits). | |||
| These can include: | |||
| PH371 | (CM 371) Physical Chemistry I | ||
| PH372 | (CM 372) Physical Chemistry II | ||
Minor in Psychology
A minor in Psychology is available to students in any degree program. To obtain a minor in Psychology, a student must complete six courses, PY151 Introduction to Psychology and five PY courses selected from PY255, PY253, or any PY course numbered 300 or above, only one of which can be a directed research or internship.
Minor in Software Engineering
A minor in Software Engineering is available to students in any degree program. To obtain a minor, a student must complete the following course requirements:
- (CS141, CS142, and CS344) or (EE261, EE361, and EE363)
- CS242 or EE408
- EE368 — must have at least junior status when taking this course
- One restricted elective chosen from a list of courses maintained by the Software Engineering Program Committee.
- One business course selected from a list of Business School courses maintained by the Software Engineering Program Committee.
Minor in Statistics
A minor in Statistics is available to students in almost all degree programs. The requirements are:
At least 21 credits, distributed as follows.
- One calculus course (MA181 or MA131 or equivalent)
- One linear algebra course (MA239 or MA339 or equivalent)
- One introductory statistics course (STAT282 or STAT383 or equivalent)
- A total of at least 12 additional credits from statistics courses or projects including at least two statistics courses, or projects, from departments other than Mathematics and Computer Science. (The current list of approved courses is maintained by the Mathematics and Computer Science Department.)
Exclusion: Applied Mathematics and Statistics majors, and majors in Mathematics (Statistics option) are excluded from this minor.
