4 Exploring and Declaring Specializations and Minors
Finding Your Academic Focus
As a sophomore, you’re now positioned to make informed decisions about specializations that align with your interests and career goals. This chapter will guide you through this important decision-making process.
Luddy Specializations: Tailoring Your Degree
Specializations allow you to develop expertise in a particular area within your major:
- Computer Science: Options include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, foundations, Game development, Software engineering, systems.
- Data Science: Foundational, Design, Networks and Data Anaylsis, Bioinformation and Health Science
- Informatics: Choose from an approved minor.
- Intelligent Systems Engineering: Focus on bioengineering, computer engineering, or cyber-physical systems
Each specialization has specific course requirements and may offer unique career preparation advantages. Most specializations require 15-18 credit hours of coursework.
Declaring Your Specialization
Most students should declare their specialization by the end of sophomore year:
- Review the requirements for each specialization that interests you
- Discuss options with your advisor to understand how they align with your goals
- Submit your declaration through the Luddy Student Portal under “Forms”
- Update your semester-by-semester plan to incorporate specialization courses
Minors and Certificates: Complementing Your Major
Minors and Certificates offer a structured way to develop skills outside your primary major. Minors often have fewer requirement than Certificates
- Popular minors for Luddy students: Cybersecurity, Data Science, Game Design, Business, language, Earth and Atmospheric sciences, Math, Virtual Reality, creative writing
- Popular Certificates: Informatics, Rock History, Accounting
- Benefits: Demonstrate specialized knowledge, explore interdisciplinary interests
- Workload consideration: Most minors require 15-24 credit hours
When planning a minor, consider how the additional coursework will fit with your major requirements and graduation timeline.
Timing Your Decision
While you don’t need to decide immediately, keep these considerations in mind:
- Some specializations have prerequisite courses that should be started early- like cybersecurity
- Declaring by the end of sophomore year gives you enough time to complete requirements
- Changes are possible later, say something so they feel okay to pick and it is normal to have interests change.