Majors, Minors, and Other Programs of Study

Columbia University School of General Studies offers the following majors and other programs of study. GS students must complete a major to receive a bachelor’s degree. Most GS students graduate with one major.

Occasionally, students may opt to pursue two majors. Or students may opt to pursue a minor, in addition to their major. Minors provide students the opportunity to focus some of their elective coursework on exploring a secondary field of interest. Many academic departments offer both a major and a minor.

Majors

GS students may choose their majors from the following areas of study.

Minors

The following programs are offered as minor programs of study.

Special Programs

​The following  areas of study are offered exclusively as special programs.

​Concentrations and Special Concentrations

Students who matriculate in Fall 2024 and thereafter have the option to pursue a minor and/or a special program, in addition to their required major. 

Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2024 may have already declared or intend to declare a concentration. These programs of study are being phased out of the curriculum for GS students in the 2024-25 academic year. Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2024 will still be able to declare concentrations if they so choose, but they must do so by May 2025. After that point, GS students will no longer be able to declare concentrations. Students who matriculate in Fall 2024 and thereafter may not declare concentrations. 

Students who matriculated prior to Fall 2024 may have already declared or intend to declare a special concentration. Special concentrations that were developed in partnership with Columbia’s professional schools or affiliated programs, e.g., in Business Management and Public Health, will be renamed special programs starting in Fall 2024. Other special concentrations will be phased out and, in many cases, minors in these areas will be offered instead. However, as with the concentration, students who matriculated prior to Fall 2024 will still have the option to declare special concentrations in these areas but must do so by May 2025. Students who matriculate in Fall 2024 and thereafter may not declare special concentrations. 

The following programs have been offered as concentrations and special concentrations and will continue to be available to students who matriculated before Fall 2024. Many of these programs now offer minors, and continuing students who have not already declared these concentrations may find it makes more sense to declare minors in these areas, as minors tend to be smaller programs of study. These continuing students who have not already declared concentrations or special concentrations must do so before May 2025.