This sounds stupid but I am deathly agonizing over making a decision. I’m an econ major, and have enough credits to finish either a history minor (semester) or a polisci minor (1 year). Initially I chose polisci, not because I liked it but because it seemed most practical for combining with economics in public work.
The problem is, I’m in classes now and realize how completely useless what I’m studying is. Looking at history, I am a straight-A student and could finish with a history minor an blink. IF minors are basically irrelevant in the post-secondary job market, it shouldn’t be a big deal that I took history over polisci.
But is it? I liked studying history, but I also realize it isn’t a very well-respected major. I can’t help but feel like I’m making a personal mistake by choosing an easy road rather than sticking it to something equally stupid but potentially more useful as a credential.
No your minor is of less than minor importance. Out in the world, people don’t care about your major except as the mechanism they have for assuming a knowledge base. Being able to list yourself as an econ major provides potential employers wtih information about what basic knowledge they can assume you have. But a minor does not do that. There is no agreed upon definition of a minor. Naturally the number of credits required and even the specific courses required also differ for majors across universities. But even so, potential employers can assume you know certain things based on your major. Not so for minors. Further, anyone can say they have a secondary “concentration” in a 2nd area, right. Listing a minor would be read in about the same way-someone would know you have interest in that 2nd area. And that minor area might be useful if it suggests that the person has an unusual (or particularly useful) combination of skill sets-as might be the case if your second area was CS, for instance. But I can’t imagine a situation where it would make much difference if your minor (or secondary skill set) were in Poly Sc or history.
I think it is clear in government these days that it is important to know what has happened historically!
Do your history minor, but take some extra classes in Political science as well if you think that is useful.