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Offering of Minor Programmes of Study within Bachelor’s Degree Programmes

The Council of the Cyprus Agency of Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education, within its mission to promote quality and academic innovation in Programmes of Study, and based on its decision taken during the Session of 15 September 2025 (No. 125), informs about the basic quality parameters for the offering of Minor Programmes of Study within Bachelor’s Degree Programmes.

Basic Principles Governing Minor Programmes of Study

1. Optional attendance and Structure

  • Minor Programmes of Study constitute secondary cycles of study (not specialisation tracks) which students may optionally choose in order to broaden their academic and professional horizons.
  • Attendance of a Minor Programme is optional and addressed to undergraduate students wishing to acquire knowledge and skills in complementary or interdisciplinary fields.
  • The structure of each Minor Programme includes 30 to 60 ECTS, equivalent to one or two academic semesters or two summer terms.
  • Exceeding 30 ECTS per semester and increasing the workload for a Minor Programme within the normal duration of studies contradicts the prescribed workload of Bachelor’s degree programmes.

2. Integration into the main programme of study

  • Enrolment in a Minor Programme presupposes the student’s admission and enrolment in a Department for the purpose of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree, along with the obligation to complete all requirements of the main programme. Consequently, students who graduate after the successful completion of a Minor Programme will have, in total, both the ECTS credits of the Bachelor’s degree and the ECTS credits of the Minor Programme.
  • Students choosing to attend a Minor Programme are required to fulfil all requirements of that specific Minor Programme.
  • Relevant courses from the main programme may be counted towards the Minor Programme, provided that their ECTS do not exceed 30% of the total ECTS required for the Minor.
  • Students may not enrol in more than one Minor Programme.

3. Academic coherence and quality

  • Each Minor Programme must have a clearly defined purpose, learning outcomes, a core of compulsory courses, and a sufficient selection of electives, in order to provide coherent and substantive knowledge in the relevant field.
  • Minor Programmes require approval from the competent bodies of the Institution, and they are evaluated by the Agency in the context of programme evaluation at Bachelor’s level and/or the Department’s evaluation under which they operate.

4. Programme commencement and admission

  • Departments offering Minors announce the number of available places at least three (3) months before the start of each semester. Applications are submitted within a period that ends approximately two (2) months before the start of the semester, while decisions on admitted students are taken and announced at least one (1) month before the start of the semester, so that attendance begins normally with the start of the Winter or Spring Semester.
  • Successful completion of a Minor Programme is conditional upon full compliance with the programme’s requirements until graduation.

5. Interdisciplinarity and flexibility

  • Development of Minor Programmes that facilitate the interconnection of academic fields is encouraged. The Agency supports such initiatives, aiming at cultivating a broader academic culture, enhancing the interconnectedness of scientific fields, and increasing graduates’ competitiveness in the labour market.
  • Up to two courses taken by students within a Minor Programme from other Departments may be recognised as electives and counted towards the credits for completion of their Minor Programme provided that the structure of the main programme allows it.

6. Recording and recognition

  • The award of the Minor is simultaneous with the award of the Bachelor’s degree. The same certificate may record both the Major and the Minor. Successful completion of the Minor Programme is recorded in the Diploma Supplement and in the official transcript.
  • The successful completion of the Minor is not recognised as a specialisation track.
  • The relevant degree is issued by the Department/School offering the main programme.
19 September 2025