Area of Focus or Optional Minor Requirement

• All three courses must be noncontiguous to the major field, and may not be used on any other requirements, or toward meeting other requirements. They may be upper division or lower division courses. You may want to take these courses as upper division, so that you will meet the mandatory requirement of 60 upper division units for graduation. These courses may be taken pass/not pass. Advanced Placement credits may be used.

THE NONCONTIGUOUS MINOR

• DEPARTMENTAL MINOR - All seven (at least 3 noncontiguous to the major) courses for the minor are taken in one department, and they are chosen with the advice and approval of a minor advisor, in that department. Departments may require specific courses, more than five courses upper division, or a letter grade. Check the UCSD General Catalog to be sure that you meet the department's requirement. Lower division minor courses may overlap with general education requirements, but upper division courses may not overlap with any other requirements.
• PROJECT MINOR - A project minor centers on a topic or period chosen by the student and is often interdepartmental. The project must have the approval of an advisor from the "core" department, who will also be available to assist you in planning the program. You may also use an established project minor such as Dance, Environmental Studies, Health Care - Social Issues, Humanities, Law and Society, or Teacher Education Program. See the UCSD Schedule of Classes for more examples.
  
  Note: If you have already met your non-contiguous area of focus (or non-contiguous minor) you may choose to do an additional contiguous minor.
• You may not overlap Area of Focus with any other requirement.
• Declaration of Area of Focus or minor should be filed during the junior year.
• When questions arise as to which courses are noncontiguous to the major, the Academic Counseling Office will make the determination.
• "Area of Focus or Optional Minor" petitions are subject to the approval of the Academic Counseling Office.
• Check with an academic counselor about developing a project minor.
• If you complete a non-contiguous Area of Focus or a non-contiguous minor, you may also declare a contiguous minor.

Determine Which Areas are Non-Contiguous to Your Major

If your major department is listed in one of the three columns below, cross out the column which lists your major department and choose from either of the other two columns for your Area of Focus or optional Minor.

Those Designated as Minor are not available as a Major.

*If your major, minor, or Area of Focus is from the Interdisciplinary list below, then your selection of courses will determine which columns are non-contiguous.  See academic counselor for clarification.