In essence, the minor represents a
means for you to organize the content of your free elective courses around
a traditional subject area. It also provides a succinct way to communicate
this emphasis on your resume. The question of whether to declare a minor
can be a difficult one. Clearly it organizes and communicates your educational
experiences concisely. The question is whether you want to limit the
breadth of these experiences to just one subject area. The range of possible
minors includes virtually the entire roster of Millikin’s offerings.
Consider what knowledge and skills that you currently possess. A minor
can be used to build on these strengths or to develop new proficiencies
in alignment with your career goals.
The declaration of a minor is recommended
for students who have a high level of proficiency in an area outside
music and wish to continue to pursue
it in an organized and documented fashion short of declaring a second
major. A minor can also be used to develop new skills that will complement
your
career goals and increase your employment opportunities. Most academic
minors require at least 21 credits. This usually means that taking additional
credits beyond those required by the major will be required. Areas outside
of music that integrate well with the goals of the degree include: foreign
language; literature classes, especially poetry; philosophy and history;
acting, movement, dance; business classes, especially entrepreneurship
and marketing; biology and physiology; almost any area taught at Millikin
can become added value to the vocal performance degree in some way.
It
is true that the main focus of the degree program is preparation for
graduate school, but a carefully planned minor can greatly enhance
opportunities for those who decide that graduate school is not the best
option for
them. |