What is the difference between a major and a minor in the United States?

In the United States, a major and a minor refer to the fields of study that a student chooses to specialize in during their undergraduate degree. The main difference between a major and a minor is the number of courses required to complete each program. A major is the primary field of study and typically requires students to take a higher number of courses, while a minor is a secondary field of study and usually requires fewer courses.

Students can choose their major at the beginning of their undergraduate degree and often need to complete specific courses and maintain a certain grade point average (GPA) to graduate with that major. Minors, on the other hand, are often declared later in a student's academic career and may require fewer courses to complete.

Choosing a major and minor is an important decision that can impact a student's future career and academic path. Majors are often directly related to a specific career path, while minors can supplement a major and provide additional skills and knowledge in a related field.