Majors, Minors, and Concentrations

Students interested in an academic major, minor, concentration, or other programs of study should talk with the relevant program coordinators or department chairs.

Students are responsible for noting and fulfilling all prerequisites for each individual course. All courses in the regular session with enrollments of five or fewer students may be canceled. The listing of a course in this catalog does not obligate the College to teach the course unless there is sufficient enrollment to justify it. Courses are subject to change without notice.

Declaring a Major, Minor, or Concentration

We encourage students to explore their interests in different programs and electives across the curriculum. In order to graduate, all students must complete a major and the general education curriculum at minimum; students may also choose to add additional majors, minors, and/or concentrations to suit their unique interests and goals. Students may declare a major, minor, and/or concentration at any time once they begin at the College. Transfer students are encouraged to declare a major immediately. A student must declare a major, using the online form, no later than when they rise to Junior standing (by unit count/registration status). Declarations must be approved by the program. In some cases, majors, minors, and/or concentrations will have specific requirements for a declaration to be approved; we encourage students to check the requirements for approval on the program’s checksheet. Majors, minors, and/or concentrations are changeable until a student applies for graduation, by using the online add/drop program form.  

In general, students are to be governed by the Catalog which is current at the time they begin their studies at Roanoke College. However, a student has the option of declaring to be under jurisdiction of a subsequent Catalog except in cases where core requirements have been changed and the College has stipulated those eligible to declare the new curriculum.

Students will be assigned an advisor within their major, minor, and/or concentration once they are accepted into that program. Transfer students will be assigned to advisors in their area of interest upon their enrollment at the College. For new, first year students, course advisors serve as the primary advisor throughout the first semester and, should the student remain undeclared, through their second semester. If a student declares a major by or in their second semester, the course advisor will serve as the student’s secondary advisor beginning that spring semester.   

Minors Program

Although all students are required to complete the requirements of a major, such is not the case for the Minors Program. The program is optional for students and for academic departments. The purpose of the program is, in part, to provide students with a broader based liberal arts background by studying a second field in some depth. The minors offered by Roanoke College can be found on the Minor Programs page.

Each minor represents an organized program of study consisting of at least six units from among those which may be offered for a major. The specific requirements are selected by each department which participates in the Minors Program.

At least one-half of the minimum number of units required for a minor must be completed at Roanoke. A cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.0 is required in the minor courses taken at Roanoke. Courses used to satisfy a minor requirement may not be taken under the pass/fail option. Specific requirements for each minor are described under the appropriate academic discipline. Upon completion of all requirements for the minor, the Office of the Registrar will certify the minor field on the official transcript.

To declare a minor, a student must major in a different discipline or multi-disciplinary program. A student’s intention to pursue a minor may be declared at any time, provided that there is enough time to complete all courses. The student must submit an application to the chair of the department in which the student wishes to obtain a minor using the online declaration form in the Roanoke College webpage. After approval, the chairperson forwards the application to the Office of the Registrar. With the concurrence of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a department may refuse a student admission to, or continuance in, a minor program.

Concentrations

In addition to the major and minor programs, the College offers students further opportunities to acquire specialized skills and knowledge useful in career development. Such a program of study is known as a concentration. Each concentration consists of prescribed pattern of course work approved by the faculty and totaling at least five units. Courses used in a concentration may not be taken under the pass-fail option. At least one-half of the minimum number of units required for concentration must be completed at Roanoke College. Successful completion of this program with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 will be recognized, upon certification of the Office of the Registrar, by entry on the student’s permanent academic record at the time of graduation from Roanoke College. The list of concentrations available can be found on the Concentrations Page in this catalog.

Each concentration consists of a prescribed pattern of course work approved by the faculty and totaling at least five units. A concentration may be taken only in conjunction with or in addition to a major. Courses used in a concentration may not be taken under the pass/fail option. At least one-half of the minimum number of units required for concentration must be completed at Roanoke College. The prescribed courses in a concentration must include at least three units which are not used to satisfy the student’s major requirements. Successful completion of this program with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 will be recognized, upon certification of the Office of the Registrar, by entry on the student’s permanent academic record at the time of graduation from Roanoke College.

To declare a concentration, a student must major in a different discipline or multi-disciplinary program. A student’s intention to pursue a concentration may be declared at any time, provided that there is enough time to complete all courses. The student must submit an application to the chair of the department which coordinates the concentration using the online declaration form on the Roanoke College webpage. After approval, the chairperson forwards the application to the Office of the Registrar. With the concurrence of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Administration, a department may refuse a student admission to, or continuance in, a concentration.