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Should I do a Music/Psych double major?

Hi! I'm currently in grade 12 and have been wondering a grave amount of what to do. I have been always interested in both psychology and music, and was wondering if a double major in both would be worth it? I'm not exactly sure what career I would want to do or if I even want to pursue one of them for a job. Is it too high of a risk? I really just want to explore and take the chances while I can.

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Elizabeth’s Answer

As someone who did a double major, I can say it absolutely is doable. The first thing you need to do, if you are serious about this, is apply to schools that have good programs in the fields you want. You also want to talk to the counsellors there and see if they are okay with you doing two majors. Some schools are more encouraging than others when it comes to that. Once you find a school that works for you, talk with an adviser and make a class schedule that works with both majors. Try to find classes that will satisfy requirements for both degrees as this will lower your overall credit load. Work with the adviser to see how long the degrees will take to earn. Can it be done in 4 years? Will you need a 5th or work through summers? What added expenses will this be? Once you figure that out and you have some classes under your belt, see if you still want to pursue a double major. Most colleges don't make you declare a major until sophomore year so you do have time. Just remember to keep your options open and do your research before you commit. Good luck.
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Rebecca’s Answer

Hi Angela,

I would have to agree that a double major is doable! You just need to be prepared for a lot of work. If you are passionate about both subjects then it is entirely worth the effort. One thing I want to encourage you with is that you don't really need to have this figured out yet. You can go into college with this declared so that you will get into those foundational classes early, but you don't need to stay there if you feel overwhelmed or you realize that studying music or psych academically is not for you. You are free to change majors at any point. If you want to explore and take academic risks, freshman year of college is the time to do it.

One side note about participating in music in college: It is very much like doing a sport. The time commitment for rehearsals and personal practice is a lot, but even if you don't end up sticking with a music major you will have the opportunity to build a diverse community through the ensembles you may participate in. I found that making friends through playing music meant that I knew folks from all over campus, I never had to eat alone in the dinning hall, and I had the chance to create something beautiful no matter what my other classes were throwing my way.

Best wishes!
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Amy’s Answer

Congrats on almost completing high school! Like you, I wasn't sure what I wanted to pursue as a career but I was interested in Psychology and helping people so I went with Psych. I now have a BA in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. I have found that both are helpful in life, however to pursue a career in either area I would have needed to pursue a masters and doctorate. There are many areas of Psychology. For example, are you interested in being a therapist, a school psychologist, a researcher? With music there are many areas as well. Do you want to write and produce music? Are you a singer or do you play an instrument? To really determine if your choices are a good idea, you will need to do some soul searching about what you think you want to pursue in those areas.
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Kelsie’s Answer

Angela ,

Congrats on your senior year ! Being a double major is 100% achievable . With Psychology , further education is necessary when trying to carve out a career because the major is so broad . Im assuming that music is you passion and Psychology is a choice to provide more stability . If this is so , remember Music as a major can also provide you with a fruitful career , You just have to decide where you want it to take you . Art Majors arent risky . Follow you passion ! 1st lets start with selecting a college that has strong programs in music and Psychology . Then with you counselor go over how you can do this efficiently. Speak with your professors in college on careers and how to maximize these majors . I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck on this exciting journey
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Lauren’s Answer

Hi! Choosing a major is a very big tough decision. You are on the right path & I would highly encourage you to go to school for something that your are passionate for. The only thing you want to consider is that while those are two great majors, they arent quite career oriented. Its a gift to love music and psychology as two, and its not uncommon. If you major as a psych you would definitely in fact take a course related to music.

Music is therapy. Psychology is mental. I really would love if you did consider to double major, I know it seems wrong but you wont regret it in the end. The end goal of college is to make sure you end up with a career that is based on your major.

There are some considering factors, if you want to make the most out of these fields you would be looking at being a psychologist or psychiatrist to make decent or the most money. And in the music industry Im not 100% sure, but that would be getting into the media/entertainment world.

If your wanting to go to college to find a suitable career always aim for the top paying job in that field! If your going for an art that your passionate about look into schools based soley on Music! Both are really great fields but its gonna take some networking & hard work to get the money its worth! Good luck, you got this.
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Tommy’s Answer

Hey Angela, I have a degree in Psychology (B.S) and my advice to you is to evaluate why you want to pursue a psychology degree. If you want to become a counselor or work with mental health patients then go for it, just note that you will need to do a bunch of research during your undergraduate degree and will want to pursue a master or PHD afterwards. Job opportunity in this field is mediocre and pay is not the best but if this is what you really want then go for it. However, if you're pursuing psychology because you think it's interesting than i would advice against it. A psychology degree will not get you a job in another field regardless of the many comments saying how broad of a degree it is and how it can help you get jobs in other fields. If you are undecided, I would suggest doing internship during your senior year, this will include career exploration. Try looking into tech (Software engineering, Data Analysis, Web development) or if you're not a big tech person, then try looking into healthcare. These two fields are what you would want if you want to have a secure job out of college. Other than this, I would say college isn't worth it if you aren't planning on getting a job in your related degree out of college. A degree in Psychology will not get you a job after college. I know this is kind of harsh to say but realistically Psychology is only a stepping stone for what you want to do. If you want to be pre-pa, pre-dent, pre-med, than psychology is great but other than what I've suggested above, I wouldn't go to college for a Psychology degree. Also note that if you find Psychology interesting, you can take a class or two during college while you're pursuing an engineering degree because an engineering degree is what will make your money spent in college worth while when you graduate. I am open to more questions if you have any. Please let me know
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Heather’s Answer

Most likely you'll need an advanced degree (masters or higher) once you finish schooling in music/psych, but they both will prime your brain for learning more easily--especially music... And the field of psych is exploding rn. Also, no better time than the present to pursue your dreams!

Heather recommends the following next steps:

Talk to a college counselor about job/employment prospects in your field of interest
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