Students select a minor field according to their research interests. Students have the option of taking either: a second major field in O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, an external minor field, an internal minor field, or a self-designed or individualized minor approved by the Indiana University Graduate School.

• Doctoral students from other programs must secure an advisor from the faculty of the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. The faculty advisor will serve as the representative of O’Neill in all examinations and other requirements of the student’s Ph.D. program that pertain to the minor.
• Minor Field. Students select a minor field according to their research interests. Students have the option of taking either: a second major field in O'Neill, an external minor field, an internal minor field, or a self-designed or individualized minor approved by the Indiana University Graduate School.
• External minor field:  For an external minor field, a three to five course sequence is negotiated between the student and the Progress Review Committee, following the requirements of the department or school offering the minor.  Among the external minor fields chosen by students in the program are Economics, Finance, Political Science, Sociology, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Statistics, and Geography.
• Internal minor field:  For an internal minor field, students may choose any one of the four major fields (public management, public finance, public policy analysis, and environmental policy) or one of the four minor fields (environmental studies, nonprofits and civil society studies, regional economic development, urban affairs) offered by SPEA. A four-course sequence (12 credit hours) is negotiated between the student and the Progress Review Committee. Students choosing a third major field for their minor field must take the required courses in that field.
• Self-designed minor field.  Students have the option of a self-designed minor field to provide opportunities for specialized training without requiring the creation and approval of a defined minor field. A four-course sequence (12 credit hours) is negotiated between the student and the Progress Review Committee. Students may combine courses from SPEA and other academic units for their self-designed minor. The University Graduate School must approve a student's proposal for a self-designed minor field (see the University Graduate School Bulletin at http://bulletins.iu.edu/iu/gradschool/2022-2023/requirements/phd/major-minor.shtml).
• A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0(B) must be attained in all courses used for the minor.
• Special requirement for 500-level courses. Students taking a 500-level course (and SPEA-M 602) are required to show that they have completed doctoral-level work in conjunction with the course in order to count the course for the minor. Students must alert the instructor to their doctoral status and request additional/alternative assignments. If the instructor is unwilling to do this, the student should select a different course in conjunction with the candidate’s advisor.

Courses taken as part of any minor field cannot count toward a major field.