Majors and MinorsAcademics

Find Your Focus, Choose Your Major

You need a major - a focus - to graduate from Gustavus. About one-third of the courses you'd take are for your major and one-third are for your general education requirements. That leaves one-third for electives. You can use your electives to declare a second major or do a minor, or just choose courses that sound interesting to you.

Because of our liberal arts curriculum, you have the freedom to explore a variety of different topics before you go deep into your major. You've got time - you don't need to declare a major until spring of your sophomore year. Finding the intersection between your passions and interests is a key step towards a fulfilling career and life!

 
25%  of students double major
13%  of students enter as Undecided
#1  in MN for Best Colleges in the U.S. (Wall Street Journal)

Explore Your Interests: Customizing Your Education with Minors

Minors are mini majors! Typically just four or five courses, minors let you follow your interests and can be complementary to your major (like a Political Science major + a Civic Leadership minor) or seemingly different (such as a Biology major + a Theatre minor). Some of Gustavus' minors have matching majors and others are distinct.

Pre-Professional Programs

Our specialized pre-professional programs prepare students for graduate or professional school and are designed for any major. Together with an academic advisor, students strategically select coursework that fulfills the prerequisites for a designated graduate program, while also working towards a major grounded in the liberal arts. This combination helps prepare students for a variety of careers.

 
18  average class size
1830  courses taught in a year
48%  of students have a minor

Choose Your Courses

Each year, our faculty teach more than 1,800 courses. Wondering what they teach? See our course catalog to look at specific major requirements, general education requirements, and all your options for electives. When we call ourselves a “liberal arts college,” that means you can take a broad (“liberal”) range of courses, giving you a strong knowledge base and an adaptable college degree.

Explore the full Course Catalog

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