<p>I've been thinking about what I might like to major in and after some research I've found that what I'm interested in typically falls into the broad spectrum of Cognitive Science, but I've been told that it isn't necessarily a very marketable major. So, as a minor I was thinking international affairs? International Affairs is also something I'm very interested in so it wouldn't be something that I'm forcing myself just to be more "marketable". </p>
<p>I've talked to a few of my counselors and other adults and they say they seems like an interesting combination that compliment each other in a weird way, but when I ask what jobs would be up the alley of these degrees, no one can really say clearly. </p>
<p>I know this is the science majors area, so expertise on IA oriented jobs might not be extensive, so anything you can imagine for a CogSci major and IA minor is welcome. </p>
<p>Also, do you think my schedule would be too overwhelming? Most of the schools I've been looking at offer IA as a minor, so I know it's available, but would I be digging myself into a hole by adding it to Cogsci?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Hey! I was actually going for international law/affairs before I made the switch to the sciences. International affairs is very marketable these days, and perhaps you should consider it as a major if you are really interested, as you would be able to get ANY job post in the United Nations, for instance, in any country around the world. I think cog. sci. would serve nicely as well as either another major or a minor for you, since it would show that you are well-rounded and are knowledgeable beyond poli sci/humanities…Trust me that having a science along with humanities will STRONGLY serve you today. </p>
<p>Hmm…if you are really considering cognitive science as a major, you have several career options; just check out this link: [Brain</a> & Cognitive Sciences Majors Guide - MIT Careers Office](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/science/braincog.html]Brain”>http://web.mit.edu/career/www/infostats/science/braincog.html)</p>
<p>I don’t think you would be digging yourself into a hole if you decided to choose cog sci as a major and IA as a minor–you are expected to work hard but I don’t think that cog sci is very demanding so don’t worry too much! IA would mostly be reading and perhaps writing some papers–also, since you’re interested in IA, it would also be a pleasant experience for you. Again, as a person who has gone from the humanities to the sciences, I have found that they are NOT as separate or as different from each other as people make them out to be, and I have found that the skills I have developed from the humanities have served greatly and have given me a leg over even people who have been studying only sciences. </p>
<p>I wish you the best of luck!</p>
<p>Thanks so much! </p>
<p>I definitely agree that the sciences and the humanities are not as separate as people make them out to be! Especially with Cog Sci, which really tends to lend itself to psychology, just with a more biological standpoint.</p>
<p>Switching the major and minor might not be a bad idea, actually, since I’m pretty much equally interested in both fields equally. Looks like I’ll be doing more research!</p>
<p>“International affairs is very marketable these days, and perhaps you should consider it as a major if you are really interested, as you would be able to get ANY job post in the United Nations, for instance, in any country around the world.”</p>
<p>IA is a liberal arts major like those of major other social science majors. It is not some sort of “pre-UN” major. Jobs with the UN, with the State Dept., etc. are highly competitive. You will NOT be able to get ANY job post in the UN in any country around the world. In fact, if you wanted to work internationally, you be well advised to look into technical and applied fields, e.g., international agriculture, applied economics, nursing, public health, etc.</p>
<p>“Hmm…if you are really considering cognitive science as a major, you have several career options…”
Cognitive science is probably not considered as a science in the same sense as more typical STEM fields. It is an interdisciplinary field drawing on coursework in psychology, linguistics, philosophy, neuroscience, and computer science. Most positions would require graduate or professional training.</p>
<p>Cognitive science and IA are hardly related to each other (except possibly remotely in some research topics on international decision-making or simulations). Nonetheless, if both areas interest you, there is nothing that says a major/minor combination need to be closely related.</p>