Undergraduate Minors and Certificates

Academic Minor

An academic minor is an approved group of courses required for focused study in an academic discipline that complements a student's current major. The academic minor is not a university-wide requirement. Academic components may establish or abolish a minor requirement for their students.

The number of credits required to earn an academic minor can vary depending on the academic component and the specific minor program. On average, academic minors require around 15 to 18 credit hours of coursework. However, this can range from as few as 12 credits to as many as 24 credits or more, depending on the area of study.  A minor includes a minimum of 6 semester credit hours at the upper level.

No more than three semester credit hours may be applied to both the program requirements and minor requirements in single-content minor (those comprised of courses from a single prefix), and no more than eight semester credit hours may be applied to both the program requirements and minor requirements in interdisciplinary minor (those comprised of courses from two or more prefixes). Half of the upper-level courses planned for a minor must be taken at TWU (residency requirement). See academic components for degree plans.

To apply for a certificate program, students must complete a Minor Declaration form with their advisor and submit it to the Registrar's Office.

Available Minors

Students from any discipline may pursue a minor in the areas of study below unless otherwise noted.

Certificates

To apply for a certificate program, students must complete an Undergraduate Certification Declaration form with their advisor and submit it to the Registrar's Office.

Adapted Physical Education

The undergraduate APE certificate, available to undergraduate students pursuing teacher certification in EC-12 Physical Education, aims to increase the number of entry-level APE teachers in Texas and across the United States. Completion of this certificate will prepare you to deliver effective physical education instruction to students with disabilities and will increase the graduates' marketability; as school districts are able to hire them to fulfill more than one need for the district (i.e., certified to teach general and adapted PE). Students who complete this certificate program will be eligible to take the exam to earn a National Certification in Adapted Physical Education through the National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities (NCPEID).

AI Literacy

The Undergraduate Certificate in AI Literacy equips students from any major with a fundamental understanding of artificial intelligence technologies and their impact on society, along with practical skills to ethically apply AI in various contexts. Rooted in TWU’s mission of empowering leaders and aligned with our liberal arts tradition, this interdisciplinary program helps students become critical and informed consumers of AI and its effects on communities and global systems rather than just passive users.

Students in the AI Literacy certificate will explore core concepts of AI in accessible terms, learning how these technologies work and what their limitations are. They will examine the societal and ethical implications of AI – for example, issues of bias, privacy, the future of work, and environmental impacts – to develop a well-rounded perspective on intelligent technologies. The curriculum emphasizes critical thinking and communication, ensuring that graduates can not only use AI tools, but also analyze and discuss their outcomes responsibly. Through a combination of existing courses (enhanced with AI-focused projects) and a new culminating seminar course, students gain hands-on experience with AI applications while reflecting on broader questions like: How can AI be used to solve real-world problems?

A distinctive feature of TWU’s program is its culminating course, ENG 4383 "Fostering Critical AI Literacy." In this course, students synthesize what they have learned by undertaking a project or research paper that addresses an AI-related challenge in their field of interest (for instance, developing a lesson plan that integrates an AI tool for education majors, or analyzing how an AI application could improve patient outcomes for health studies majors). This culminating project serves as both an assessment of their learning and a showcase of their ability to apply AI literacy in practice.

The certificate is designed to be completed alongside a student’s major and requires no prior computer science background. All courses are offered on the Denton campus in face-to-face or hybrid formats. Students can finish the program in as little as one year (with careful planning), or spread the courses out over their undergraduate career. There are no additional fees for this program beyond normal tuition; it is an accessible pathway for all interested students to enhance their degree.

 

Biological Research

This certificate program is designed to encourage and recognize students who engage in a substantial and coordinated program of undergraduate research in the Division of Biology.

Business Leadership

For students pursuing a major in any discipline at TWU, a Certificate in Business Leadership is offered. This certificate program is designed for individuals who are interested in improving the knowledge and skills they will need as leaders in a variety of careers in a dynamic 21st century.

Musical Theatre

The Music Theatre Certificate program is offered to Theatre or Music majors only. It is a certificate program designed to offer additional training in the realm of music theatre. It is not meant to serve as conservatory-style training in musical theatre performance but rather allows the Music or Theatre student to further specialize in a field of theatre that continues to grow in popularity.

This certificate program may appeal to students interested in directing for the musical theatre, acting in the musical theatre, music directing in the musical theatre, or even designing for the musical theatre. The Music Theatre Certificate Program accepts Music and Theatre students on an audition-only basis. Auditions will be announced by the Music Theatre Certificate Program administrator. Once accepted into the certificate program, students are expected to participate in the biennial music theatre production as well as the Music Theatre Cabaret.

Professional and Public Writing

Now, more than ever, employers are seeking students with strong communication and critical thinking skills (see, e.g., AAC&U 2018 and 2021 surveys). Unfortunately, far too many students leave their degree programs with the specialized skills they require but not the so-called “soft” skills that stand to set them apart from their competitors on the job market. This Public & Professional Writing Certificate will meet a growing need in the Texas job market for professional writers, technical writers, and editing professionals. This certificate, which is complementary to any degree a student can earn at TWU, will equip students with the skills employers seek and help students translate knowledge from their degrees to a wide range of audiences. 

Spanish-English Medical Interpreting

The Undergraduate Certificate in Spanish-English Medical Interpreting trains, qualifies, and provides clinical experience in Spanish-English medical interpreting. Students will complete the Garcia-Shilling Language Proficiency Assessment for Medical Professional certification as part of the program and will be considered qualified bilingual medical Spanish-English translators upon completion.

Thought Leadership

Thought leaders are those people in communities and organizations that others turn to for their expertise. They inspire and influence others with their grounded knowledge and innovative thinking. This undergraduate certificate program prepares students to take the knowledge and skills developed while earning their degrees and translate them to the public, teaching them ways to enhance and communicate their credibility as leaders. Through a combination of MWGS coursework focused on social justice and advocacy; English  coursework in rhetoric and writing; and a faculty-mentored, student-led community advocacy project, students who complete this certificate will be poised to put their degrees to work as leaders in their communities.