What should every student know before majoring in political science, economics, or international relations?

Hi Tinni,

Congratulations on narrowing it down to these three options, as someone who majored in Political Science/International Relations with a minor in Economics I applaud you. I suppose your fondness and aptitude for mathematics should play some role in your decision as Economics is going to lean more in that direction however all three options will cover the basics of social sciences and I would guess that you will end up studying all three to get a truly well rounded education. Personally I would lean more toward economics if you can as the degree has a higher perceived value and is more transferable to finance and business thus leaving you more options at graduation. However I would also consider the program at your chosen university, or if you're still choosing a university look closely at the faculty and alumni for each of these programs as they will guide your experience and future.

What to know...

If you're bent on a career in politics specifically international relations take some time to consider a move to DC post graduation- its likely in the cards for a career in the field at a prominent level.

Alternatively if you're considering Law or an MBA all of these routes will get you there but take some business classes as an undergrad either way.

Lastly take all three options with one as a major and the other as electives/ a minor. They're close enough that you will have plenty of overlap and you can try all three without straying to far out and extending your stay as an undergrad.

good luck! good choices all the way around.

Hello Tinni,

The above answer has some good suggestions so I do not have too much more to add. Choosing a major among those three really depends on (1) how much math you are willing to do and (2) what your career interests are. Going from most math usage to least math usage, I'd order those majors: econ, international relations, political science. IR and political science are related, but IR definitely has more econ and is a bit more diverse that political science in terms of courses. If you do not like math, the perhaps econ would not be the best choice as it uses the most amount of mathematics.

Your career interests should also play a role in your decision making. If you are leaning towards an MBA, then the econ major would make a little more sense. This is not to say that you can't get an MBA with an IR under graduate degree, just that you will be more familiar with the concepts as well as more comfortable if you major in econ.

If I were you, I would choose between IR and econ; political science is pretty narrow and IR has political science courses in the curriculum to begin with. IR is more well rounded and borrows elements from other majors.

I hope this helps and I wish you the best!!

Best,

Austin