Majors & Minors

[To view a program list of Major and Minors use the Majors & Minors button]. Declaration of a major program begins with the Admission application. A major is defined as sequential study in a subject or field of at least 30 semester hours that provides knowledge of breadth and depth in that subject or field. Courses are completed in accordance with a plan devised by the department, also known as, suggested program of study.

• Students must complete at least one half of the major program in residence as Sage institutional credits.
• Students must achieve a major GPA of 2.200 (minimum) in order to graduate. *Note: some academic programs have higher GPA requirements. See GPA chart below.
• 120 total credits are required for a bachelor's degree (minimum). See Graduation Requirements for additional information.
• Double major or dual major: is a program of study in which a student meets the requirements of two distinct majors in a single bachelor’s degree.
• Linked & Accelerated Programs - UG to GR
• Major Change Requests: students wishing to change their major or add/change/drop a minor may do so by sending an email message from their Sage email account to [email protected] indicating. In the email, students should indicate the new major or minor they wish to declare. Please see the Major Program Admission Criteria chart for academic programs that have distinct admission criteria and/or limited space availability
• All academic program changes require the approval of the Advising Office.

Minors

A minor is a cohesive group of courses that allows students to explore, in a structured way, an area of interest outside the major. Each minor is defined by one or several academic departments and consists of at least six courses usually totaling 18 to 24 credits. Minors are commonly declared at the end of the sophomore year. Upon declaration of a minor, students are assigned to a faculty advisor in that program. 

• Successful completion of at least one course in the discipline is a prerequisite to such declaration. 
• Minors may be declared any time before the completion of the drop/add period in the first term of the senior year or before completion of 87 credit hours, whichever comes later.
• Only two of the required minor courses may also count toward major or another minor’s requirements.
• At least one-half of the required credits for the minor must be completed at Sage.
• Minors are designated on student transcripts if all requirements are met, including a GPA in the minor of at least 2.200.

Chart of UG Major Programs

Major Programs	Major GPA	Cumulative GPA	# of Credits Required in Major	# of Credits Needed in Gen. Educ.* (FF)	Campus Albany or Troy
Academic Exploration (AEX)	na	na	na	na	(A)(T)
Art + Extended Media (B.F.A.)	2.200	2.000	87 cr.	33 cr.	(A)
Biology (B.A.)	2.200	2.000	54-56 cr.	30 cr.	(T)
Biology (B.S.)	2.200	2.000	78-88 cr.	30 cr.	(T)
Business Administration (B.B.A. or B.S.)	2.200	2.000	60 cr.	30 cr.	(A)
Childhood Educ - English (B.S.)	3.000	3.000	102-103 cr.	21 cr.	(T)
Childhood Educ- History (B.S.)	3.000	3.000	98-99 cr.	21 cr.	(T)
Childhood Educ - Life Sciences (B.S.)	3.000	3.000	102-106 cr.	21 cr.	(T)
Criminal Justice, Law, & Behavioral Science (B.S.)	2.200	2.000	54 cr.	30 cr.	(A)
English, Writing, and Culture (B.A.)	2.200	2.000	43 cr.	33 cr.	(T)
Expressive Arts in Mental Health (B.S.)	2.200	2.000	54-55 cr.	27 cr.	(A)
Graphic + Media Design (B.F.A.)	2.200	2.000	78 cr.	33 cr.	(A)
Health Sciences (B.S.)	2.750	2.000	64-65 cr.	21 cr.	(T)
History (B.A.)	2.200	2.000	46 cr.	30 cr.	(T)
Interdisciplinary Studies (B.A. or B.S.)	2.200	2.000	36+ cr.	tbd	(A)(T)
Interior + Spatial Design (B.F.A.)	2.200	2.000	84 cr.	33 cr.	(A)
Musical Theatre (B.S.)	2.200	2.000	75 cr.	30 cr.	(T)
Nursing (B.S.)	3.000	2.000	85-86 cr.	27 cr.	(T)
Nursing RN-BS (B.S.)	3.000	2.000	54-55 cr.	27 cr.	(T)
Nutrition Science (B.S.)	2.200	2.000	82 cr.	24 cr.	(T)
Organizational Studies (B.P.S.)	2.750	2.000	45-46 cr.	30 cr.	(A)
Physical Education (B.S.)	2.750	3.000	95 cr.	27 cr.	(A)
Psychology (B.S.)	2.200	2.000	43 cr.	30 cr.	(T)
Public Health (B.S.)	2.200	2.000	63-65 cr.	21 cr.	(A)
Sociology (B.A.)	2.200	2.000	35-37 cr.	30 cr.	(T)
Sport & Recreation Management (B.S.)	2.200	2.000	58 cr.	27 cr.	(A)
Theatre (B.A.)	2.200	2.000	42 cr.	33 cr.	(T)

^{*Courses required in general education may also fulfill a requirement in the major program except where noted. The course credits are only counted once in your overall credit total.}

Linked & Accelerated Programs: UG to GR

Academic Exploration

Freshman students who are undecided or do not wish to declare a major at the time of matriculation (undeclared) may enter the Academic Exploration program (AEX) and will be assigned an advisor who specialize in academic and career counseling. Students in the Academic Exploration program will take a combination of courses in satisfaction of General Education requirements and in areas of potential academic interest. Students may stay in the Academic Exploration program up to the completion of 45 credit hours or first year of study, at which point, they will be expected to declare a major program. Because many programs at Sage are dedicated to preparing students to enter professions that have specific course requirements and prerequisites, Academic Exploration students work closely with the Office of Academic Advising to select courses in a potential major that will allow them to integrate seamlessly into a particular discipline. In addition to academic advisement, students are encouraged to speak with faulty, career planning staff and alumni. Students may also benefit in completing the Focus 2 Career Assessment program. Important Note: Diplomas are not granted for academic exploration. In order to earn a bachelor’s degree, students must successfully complete a major program.