Programs of Study: Programs of study are cohesive arrangements of college-level credit courses and experiences that are designed to meet identified learning goals and outcomes, leading to the awarding of a credential (degree or certificate) upon satisfactory completion.  Students must formally declare programs of study to have the credential listed on their transcript and tracked in their degree audit.

Major: In order to graduate from Concordia, students must complete a specified amount of work in an approved major area of study and must maintain at least a C average (2.0 GPA) in these courses. A minimum of 50 percent of the major requirements must be Concordia coursework. Concordia coursework includes all delivery methods including on-campus, online, and study away courses for which a student registers and pays tuition at Concordia. A student cannot obtain a combination of majors or  minors within the same department or program, unless the programs have different subject-code prefixes.  Majors should have 32 to 40 credits; however, this number may be exceeded because of program accreditation, professional program requirements, supporting or prerequisite course requirements, etc.  Typically, 50% of credits in a major will be at the 300- or 400-level.  Students may declare no more than four majors and may only declare multiple majors within the same degree.  Some majors have concentrations (see below).  Majors are tracked in the college's degree audit system and listed on the academic transcript.

Concentration: A concentration is a specified group of courses within a major designed to give a student specific specialization knowledge within the major.  Not all majors have concentrations.  Some majors contain multiple concentrations from which a student can choose no more than two and formally declare those choices.  Concentrations are listed along with the program in the degree audit system and on the academic transcript.  Majors with concentrations must include a common set of required major courses, typically consisting of at least 50% of the major requirements.

Option, Focus, Track, or Emphasis:  Options, foci, tracks, and emphases are groupings of courses within a major or concentration that are not formally declared by the student and are not reflected on the academic transcript.  These differ from concentrations in that they are an extension of the advising process and serve as recommendations, assisting students in choosing courses based on interest, occupation, or graduate school requirements.  Options, foci, tracks, and emphases are not tracked in degree audits nor listed on the academic transcript, though individual courses are listed.

Minor: A minor is not required for graduation. A minor, like a major, is in a concentrated field but requires fewer semester credits. Minors are available in most areas where a major is given and in some areas for which a major is not offered. Requirements for minors are also listed in the department entries. At least a C average (2.0 GPA) must be maintained and a minimum of 40 percent of the minor requirements must be Concordia coursework. Concordia coursework includes all delivery methods including on-campus, online, and study away courses for which a student registers and pays tuition at Concordia. A student cannot obtain a combination of majors or minors within the same department or program, unless the programs have different subject-code prefixes.  Minors are typically 18-21 credits, though some minors may exceed this number due to supporting or prerequisite course requirements.  Minors should include 300-level course options.  Students may declare no more than four minors.  Minors are tracked in the college's degree audit system and listed on the academic transcript.

Undergraduate Certificates: An Undergraduate Academic Certificate Program is a grouping of three to four courses (3 to 4 credits each) and 12-16 credits total in a focused topic. A certificate is not required for graduation. A minimum of a C average (2.0 GPA) must be maintained in an Undergraduate Academic Certificate Program. At least 8 credits used to complete an Undergraduate Academic Certificate Program must be unique from any major, minor, or other Undergraduate Academic Program Certificate.  Undergraduate certificates are tracked in the college's degree audit system and listed on the academic transcript.

Endorsements (available for Education Department only): An endorsement is a series of standards-based requirements that prepares students to be recommended for teaching licensure in a particular subject or content area per state requirements.  Endorsements are tracked in the college's degree audit system and listed on the academic transcript.