Policy Governing Proposed Minors, Academic Credit-Granting Certificates, and Concentrations

VPAA 21-06

Academic Policies Committee

Applies to: All new proposals for minors, academic-credit granting certificates and concentrations. 

Supersedes: Curricular Guidelines for Minors at HSU (4/10/2011) and amends the Guidelines for Approving New Certificate Programs (3/11/2014 - #29-13/14-ICC).

Purpose of the Policy

This policy revision intends to make more clear what minors, academic credit-granting certificates and concentrations are at HSU. The policy also provides guidance for new and proposed minors, academic credit-granting certificates and concentrations including assessment and requirements for submitting new minors, academic credit-granting  certificates and concentrations.

Table of Contents

I. Definitions

II. Policies governing new proposals for minors, academic-credit granting certificates and concentrations

III. Specific guidelines for proposing new minors

IV. Specific guidelines for proposing new concentrations 

V. Specific guidelines for proposing new academic credit-granting certificates I. Definitions

1. Definitions

Minor. A minor is a course of study designed to emphasize a disciplinary or  multidisciplinary specialty, or area of special interest, for a matriculated student pursuing a bachelor degree. Minors will be 12-24 units and offer a sustained course of study that  complements academic work. Students are generally prohibited from earning a major and minor from the same degree program. Exceptions can be made in combinations in  which: 1) at least 9 units required for the minor are not already required for the major.  In cases where there are concentrations within the minor or major, a student must take  concentrations such that at least 9 units for the minor are not counted towards the  major, and 2) the major and minor must have different titles.

Academic Credit- Granting Certificate. An academic credit granting certificate is a cohesive course of study,  shorter than a degree program, designed to provide students with training focused to enhance their professional/career opportunities. Academic credit-granting certificates shall be 6-20 units and be primarily for non-matriculated students for the purpose of career enrichment and retraining. CSU Executive Order 0806 provides the example of the goals of certificates: “. . . Providing initial knowledge designed for entering a new career, or making a significant change in an existing career, such as moving from a nurse to a nurse practitioner. . .”. A certificate may  be awarded to a person, matriculated or not, who completes the designated course of  study. Academic credit-bearing certificates are often provided through extended education but may be offered by academic programs at the BA or MA  levels. Academic credit-granting certificates may be used for professional qualifications.  Non academic credit-granting certificates, such as certificates of participation are administered and reviewed by the College of Extended Education and Global Engagement (CEEGE).

Concentration. A concentration is a focus within a major program that is less than half  of the units in a major program that appears on a student transcript. Emphasis is a  subdivision of a concentration that does not appear on a diploma. Prior to  implementation of any option, concentration, or special emphasis (or similar  subprogram) approved under this delegation, the campus shall obtain a Chancellor's  Office confirmation of compliance with CSU policy and applicable law (EO 1071).

Matriculated student.  A matriculated student is a student who has, through normal procedures, been admitted formally at a CSU campus to pursue an authorized degree, credential or certificate (for academic credit) and who is enrolled in or is expected to enroll in courses. A student may be matriculated through state-supported university enrollment or through self-supporting extended education enrollment, or both (1099)

Self support mode. Instruction offered through self-supporting mode does not receive state general fund appropriations and instead collects non-state student fees that are adequate to meet the cost of maintaining operation in the long run. Such fees shall be required pursuant to rules and regulations prescribed by the trustees, including but not limited to fee policies such as Executive Order 1102 and Education Code section 89708 (1099).

State supported mode. State-supported mode is the type of funding structure in which the university receives state appropriations for instruction offered (1099).

Policy Details

II. Policies governing new proposals for minors, academic-credit granting certificates and  concentrations

Minors, academic credit-granting certificates and concentrations are subprograms of  academic units at Humboldt State. Every subprogram will uphold the vision and  responsibilities of Humboldt State University and the California State University  system.

Concentrations shall be less  than half of the major program.

Minors can be proposed as both minors and academic credit-granting certificates if they are career focused and/or offer retraining opportunities. Dually proposed minors/academic credit-granting certificates must meet all the standards for both minors and academic credit-granting certificates.  The proposing department/program must make clear the course requirements, pathways and options for state-supported University enrollment or self-supporting extended education enrollment, the distinctions if any between the minor and academic credit-granting certificate, and clearly outline in which situations a matriculated student could earn the academic credit-granting certificate.  If self-support is necessary an MOU with the College of Extended Education and Global Engagement must also be submitted.

Minors, Concentrations and academic credit-granting certificates proposed by departments and programs  shall be regularly reviewed through the upcoming 7-year  program review cycle.

Academic credit-granting Self-support certificates must meet all current standards for  academic programs at Humboldt State. Credential or academic credit-granting certificate programs can be offered by an  academic department or by extended education.

For a degree, credential, or certificate program, or for individual academic-credit bearing courses to be offered in extended education: (1) CSU Operating Funds shall be  either unavailable or inappropriate for supporting the offering(s), and (2) at least one of  the following additional criteria shall be met:

a. The courses or program is designed primarily for career enrichment or  retraining (Education Code section 89708); or

b. The location of the courses or program offerings is removed from permanent,  state-supported campus facilities; or

c. The course or program is offered through a distinct technology, such as online  delivery; or

d. For new programs, the client group for the course or program receives  educational or other services at a cost beyond what could be reasonably  provided within CSU Operating Funds; or

e. For existing programs, there has been a cessation of non-state funding that  previously provided for educational or other services costing beyond what could  be reasonably provided within CSU Operating Funds. (1099)

Faculty teaching in all programs that offer credit-bearing certificates must be reviewed  through appropriate APS/HR procedure.

Credit granting self-support certificates shall result in a positive impact on HSU facilities,  services, faculty, staff and students as per EO 1099 supplanting policies.

Academic credit-granting certificates, minors and concentrations must be reviewed and  approved by the ICC according to guidelines. Proposals will be submitted using  appropriate curriculum forms and/or online review software such as Curriculog.

Stateside academic credit-granting certificates will be covered by tuition, but self support academic credit granting certificates have additional charges.

Each proposed new minor, academic credit-granting certificate or concentration will be  proposed by the sponsoring academic unit and then must be reviewed and  recommended by each of the following:

Sponsoring department (if appropriate)

Academic dean (if appropriate)

ICC

Senate

Provost

President

Chancellor's office (in the case of new concentrations)

III. Specific guidelines for proposing new minors

The following criteria must be met when proposing a new minor: 

• Describe the program need/rationale for the new minor framed by the institution's vision and strategic goals. Provide evidence that the new minor will  have sufficient enrollment. Describe how the minor will enhance student  education.
• Provide the exact title of the new minor being proposed.
• List of courses and descriptions for all required units for the new minor. All prerequisite courses must be clearly identified. If the minor requires completion of HSU general education courses before entering the minor, these shall be clearly identified as prerequisite courses. If the program allows for the choice of courses, all pathways shall be clearly mapped to ensure consistent application of  minor learning goals.
• Any new courses created for the minor must be clearly identified in the  proposal.  Courses created only for the minor must meet established HSU course enrollment targets and may not be allowable.
• All course work for a minor must be satisfied with an average 2.0 GPA or above. Any additional GPA requirement must be included in the proposal. • Students must have 6 HSU units in residence for any minor or 9 units if the minor  is more than 20 units.
• Students must take at least 6 units for the minor at the upper division (300 and  above) or 9 units if the minor is more than 20 units.
• A maximum of 3 units for the minor can be internships or independent study  unless the minor is designed to include more and has prior approval.
• All courses that meet the requirements of a minor may be used, as appropriate,  simultaneously to meet requirements in general education, credentials,  certificates, or complementary studies.
• The curriculum for a minor course of study must meet at least three of the  Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) for Humboldt State University. Proposals  must include an assessment plan that would allow for the student learning that  met those ILOs to be demonstrated.
• Proposals must include documentation of all campus-required curricular approvals.

IV. Specific guidelines for proposing a new concentration

The following criteria must be met when proposing a new concentration:

• Describe the program need/rationale for the new concentration framed by the  institution's vision and strategic goals. Provide evidence that the new
• concentration will have sufficient enrollment. Describe how the concentration will enhance student education.
• The exact title of the new subprogram and the complete degree designation and  title of the major degree program housing the new subprogram (e.g., Bachelor of  Science in Chemistry with a Concentration in Biochemistry);
• A list of courses and required units constituting that new subprogram; • Total units required to complete the entire degree, including the combination of  subprogram and major program;
• The complete list of courses and required units constituting the major degree  program as approved by the Chancellor’s Office (EO 1071);
• A 4-year major-and-subprogram roadmap for first year students and a 2-year  major-and-subprogram roadmap for transfer students;
• The CSU degree program code (formerly called “HEGIS”) that students use to  apply to the major degree program;
• The campus-proposed CSU degree program code to be used to report  enrollments in the
• concentration (may be the same as the degree code);
• A detailed cost-recovery budget for self-support subprograms to be offered  within state-support major degree programs; and
• Documentation of all campus-required curricular approvals.

V. Specific guidelines for proposing a new academic credit-granting certificate:

The following criteria must be met when proposing a new academic credit-granting  certificate

• Describe the program need/rationale for the new academic credit-granting  certificate framed by the institution's vision and strategic goals. Provide  evidence that the new academic credit-granting certificate will have sufficient  enrollment. Describe how the academic credit granting certificate will enhance  student education.
• Proposals for academic credit-granting certificates shall meet the standards  outlined in the HSU policy on certificates (https://policy.humboldt.edu/policy-certificates).
• Self-support academic credit-granting certificates (in conformance with EO 1099  and EO 1102) must include:

○     specification of how all required EO 1099 self-support criteria are met;

○        assurance that the proposed program does not replace existing state support courses or programs;

○        evidence that the academic standards associated with all aspects of  academic credit-granting certificates are identical to those of comparable  state-supported CSU instructional programs;

○        explanation of why state funds are either inappropriate or unavailable;

○        a cost-recovery program budget;

○        the student per-unit cost;

○        the total cost for students to complete the program.

This policy uses elements of the San Francisco State policy on Certificate Programs, the  CSU Channel Islands Policy on Minors, CSU Channel Islands Certificate Requirements,  CSU Monterey Bay Policy on Program and degree concentrations, CSU Executive Order 0806, California Education Code 89708, and CSU Executive  Order 1099. 

Expiration Date 

History 

Revised: 03/08/2018

Edited: 12/04/2021