Concentrations, Minors, Certificates, and Emphasis
When a student is completing more than one program, at least 12 credits in a minor, 24 credits in a major, and 8 credits in a concentration must be unique to each program. There is no overlap/double counting rule applied to certificates.
Concentration. A prescribed set of courses in a sub-discipline of a major or closely related discipline consisting of a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 36 credits. Students may complete the requirements for more than one concentration, as long as there is a minimum of eight unique credits in each concentration. All completed concentrations will be noted in the student’s transcript. See department listings for requirements.
Minor. A minor is a prescribed set of courses which focuses on a particular academic discipline or area of study. The goal is to allow the student to develop some depth of understanding in that discipline or area of study. Students are not required to complete a minor. To earn a minor, a student must attain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 for the courses listed as meeting requirements for the minor, and at least 12 credits must be unique to the minor. A student may complete more than one minor. At least one third of the course work must be taken at Messiah. More information and the appropriate forms are available through the Office of the Registrar.
Certificate. A credit-bearing certificate is a prescribed set of courses leading to a credential that should be focused on a defined set of skills or structured expertise. Often a certificate reflects an emerging area of expertise in demand in the marketplace, or professional development requirements that are necessary to stay current. A certificate does not constitute an entire degree program, but it is a separate credential. As such, certificates are accessible to both degree and non-degree seeking students. Certificates should not be confused with the process of professional certification awarded by governmental and professional agencies for teaching and other fields.
Emphasis. A prescribed set of courses in a subdiscipline of a major or closely related discipline consisting of a minimum of 12 credits of requirements. Emphases will not be noted in the student’s record or transcript.