International Relations vs. Economics vs. Political Science

College Majors
1

<p>I can't decide between these three majors, and one of my college apps requires that I select one. I don't want to just check off "undecided." </p>

<p>A little bit about me:
Great at history, writing, politics, human geography.
Fluent in Russian, learning French.
Have lived in Russia, as well as the Netherlands.
Definitely above average at math, though it isn't a strength.
I am taking AP Econ right now, and so far, I like it and I am doing very well in it.
Overall, I do very well in social sciences. </p>

<p>I plan on getting a JD after college and becoming a lawyer. However, working in foreign service or for the government sounds fairly intriguing as well. </p>

<p>Colleges I am applying to:
UC Berkeley (no IR major)
UC Davis
University of Texas - Austin
University of British Columbia
University of Oregon
Lewis & Clark College
Reed College
Willamette University </p>

<p>My parents won't be able to pay for any of my tuition, so I will have to rely on financial aid and, inevitably—loans. Debt is unavoidable, but I would like to be able to pay it off as quickly as possible. </p>

<p>So, international relations vs. economics vs. political science. </p>

<p>Based on all of this, which of the above majors would be most worth it for me? </p>

<p>I have heard international relations is very broad, and getting an actual job in foreign service is difficult without a masters degree and a great school to back it up (such as Georgetown, for instance). </p>

<p>Economics is broad too, but from what I hear, it is in demand even without any further education and the average salary is relatively high. Also, an economics degree is very valuable for law students to have. </p>

<p>Political science is similar to international relations, however it is more focused and molded towards a career in public service.</p>

2

<p>I think, with the specifics about each subject you gave, you already know what makes more sense.
Economics is great for lawyers to have and has more job prospects (even without graduate school) than the other two.
An important question is if the economy and it’s trends interest you, though. Ask yourself that through your AP classes!</p>