General Advisement FAQ
What is a major? What is a minor? How do I choose?
Why am I listed as a "pre-major"?
What is the difference between a B.S. and a B.A.?
What does "General Education" mean?
Do I have to take math and English my first semester?
My welcome email doesn’t list a class in my major. What does that mean?
What is a pre-requisite, co-requisite, or placement score?
What is a credit hour vs. a class?
What does "interdisciplinary" mean?
Q: What is a major? What is a minor? How do I choose?
A: A major is your main academic focus your Bachelor's degree. A major is typically 34-36 credit hours, but may be more. All majors in A&S have some core course requirements, but most give you flexibility to tailor your program of study to your interests. Some majors have optional or required concentrations, giving you deeper expertise in a specific area.
Most majors require a minor, but some majors with more credit hour requirements do not. A minor is a secondary area of academic focus (typically 18-24 credit hours). It often complements your major or is in a related field, but it doesn't have to be! You may choose to complete two majors (double major) instead of a major and a minor.
You might know what you want to study right now, or you might be completely undecided. Deciding your major is up to you, and you might choose based on which classes you enjoy the most, which professors have research interests that match yours, or what career goals you have. Remember, we're here to discuss the options with you, so contact us if you need help!
Example: You are interested in a career in reproductive law. You might choose to major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and minor in Political Science, or vice versa. Both prepare you for your future goals.
Example: You want to work for Doctors Without Borders in Latin America. Because your interest is focused on a specific geographic region, you major in Latin American Studies and minor in Chemistry, along with taking the other required pre-med coursework. This prepares you scientifically as well as culturally for international medical work.
Full list of A&S majors and minors
Major and minor requirements are available under each department page in the UNM catalog
Q: Why am I listed as a "pre-major"?
A: All students intending to major in an A&S program come in as pre-majors. A&S Departments have requirements that students complete in order to transition to major status:
- A minimum of 26 credit hours; 23 credit hours must be in courses acceptable toward graduation
- A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 on all work.
- Transfer students must have a 2.0 transfer grade point average.
- Continuing UNM students must have a 2.00 institutional grade point average.
- Completion of GenEd in the following areas:
- Communication (Area 1)
- Mathematics and Statistics (Area 2)
- Second Language (Area 6)
- Completion of department-specific coursework with grade(s) of "C" or better. See the UNM catalog page for your major department's required coursework.
Transfer students: you may have completed this work, but still see pre-major status and 0.00 for your GPA. You need a UNM-specific GPA to transition to major status, which you establish after your first semester of UNM coursework.
Q: What is the difference between a B.S. and a B.A.?
B.S. - Bachelor of Science
B.A. - Bachelor of Arts
Almost all majors in A&S can be B.A. degrees, and all Natural Science and Mathematics fields offer B.S. degrees as well. B.A. degrees tend to be in the Humanities and Social Sciences, but not exclusively. In Physics, for example, you might choose a B.A. if you really enjoy physics, but you're not looking to do physics research as a career. You might use the knowledge you've gained through your physics training to become a writer or a patent lawyer. Most Natural Science departments (and Psychology) recommend the B.S. degree if you want to go to graduate school and do research in that area. In A&S, B.A. degrees typically have fewer requirements than B.S. degrees, and if in a Natural Science, will require a minor whereas many B.S. degrees do not. If you're not sure which route to take, talk with your advisor or your department!
Q: What does "General Education" mean?
A: General Education, or "Gen Ed", are 10 courses (31 credit hours) spread across seven different areas:
- Communication
- Mathematics and Statistics
- Physical and Natural Sciences
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Humanities
- Second Language
- Fine Arts
This is not High School Part II where your curriculum is decided for you! Each area offers many options, and all students at UNM take their own version of GenEd depending on their interests. All undergraduate degrees at UNM, regardless of major, require completion of GenEd because we want our graduates to be prepared to better understand and fully participate in a rapidly changing world. You will learn how to frame questions and solve problems while considering a variety of viewpoints.
Q: Do I have to take math and English my first semester?
A: Everyone will have a math and an English (or core writing and speaking) course on their suggested courses list. These courses are suggested based on GenEd requirements, your intended degree program, and your placement. They are suggestions so you do not have to take them, but we do recommend you start to get some GenEd under your belt starting your first semester. The math and English courses in GenEd are at specific levels, and if you are not prepared for those levels, you will need to take a lower-level courses to prepare for them. Sometimes students who wait to take math have to push their graduation date further into the future - this costs time and money. Additionally, many science courses, including biology, have some math prerequisites and it is important that you take care of them so you can stay on track to get your degree!
Placement is based on any recent test scores we have from you (we take the highest of any scores on our system) and any dual credit we have in our system. If you have recently taken an AP exam or an Accuplacer, WE MAY NOT have these scores yet. If you are taking classes over the summer at CNM, we don’t know what these are either. Please inform your advisor about these so we can review your placement.
Math sequencing, placement into Foundational Math: FYEX 1010 - Foundational Math (one semester) ⇒ MATH 1215X/Y/Z - Intermediate Algebra (one semester) ⇒ GenEd Math (confirm with your advisor the best math course for your major)
Q: My welcome email doesn’t list a class in my major. What does that mean?
A: This is very common! It doesn’t mean that you won’t ever take a course in your major, it just means there are some pre-requisites that you first need to complete. For example, if you are a Biology Major and want to take BIOL 2110C, you will first need to complete Math 1220 and then CHEM 1215/1215L before taking your first Biology course.
Q: What is a pre-requisite, co-requisite, or placement score?
A: A pre-requisite or, "pre-req" is a required benchmark you must complete before enrolling in a course. The course with a pre-req builds on knowledge you would have by completing the pre-req. This is often another course, but can also be a test score. For example, for MATH 1350 (Introduction to Statistics), the pre-requisite math classes are MATH 1215X/Y, or placement by exam. Placement is not meant to gatekeep you from higher levels, but to make sure you can be successful and have the strong skills needed for the class.
Co-requisites are courses linked in content that you must enroll in simultaneously. Some courses list both a pre- or corequisite. For example, CHEM 1215 lists CHEM 1215L as a pre- or corequisite, meaning you either have to take 1215L before or in the same semester as 1215.
Placement is based on any recent test scores we have from you (we take the highest of any scores on our system) and any dual credit we have in our system. If you have recently taken an AP exam or an Accuplacer, WE MAY NOT have these scores yet. If you are taking classes over the summer at CNM, we don’t know what these are either. Please inform your advisor about these so we can review your placement.
Q: What is a credit hour vs. a class?
A: Classes at UNM have specific credit hours depending on the expected time commitment outside of class. Classes are worth 1 - 6 credit hours. Most academic classes are worth 3 credit hours. Classes with labs are typically 4 credits, or the lab is a separate 1 credit class. Physical Education (PENP/PHED) classes are usually 1-2 credits.
Q: What does "interdisciplinary" mean?
We use this word a lot in A&S! When we say we emphasize "interdisciplinary thinking", we mean that we encourage our students to engage with the knowledge they've learned from different areas and integrate these ideas. For example, in a political science course discussion about political views and factions, you might draw on what you've learned in your psychology, sociology, or linguistics courses to illuminate the behavioral aspects of political division. Or, some programs in A&S are specifically interdisciplinary. Sustainability Studies, for example, brings together ideas and knowledge from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.
