I’m a college freshman trying to make some choices about potential majors and what classes I want to take in the upcoming semesters. I was originally planning on a political science major, but I found out I could graduate a semester early and save some $$$. The problem is that the political science department at my school requires you to take a course in both the fall and spring semesters of your senior year to work on your thesis. And while the poli sci department at my school has a good reputation, I’m not really loving my experience with it so far.
I have, however, been really enjoying my experience with the French department. The program here is incredibly well-respected and alumna have become college professors, businesswomen, teachers, NGO employees, and lawyers. I’m not naive, though, and I know a French major by itself would not be the best choice, even if my French major involves much more than just speaking the language (the major has either a literature or political/sociological track, and I would pursue the latter). I was thinking of a double minor in Political Science and Health Studies, or perhaps a double major in French and International Studies.
The advantage of that double major would be that the International Studies department doesn’t require a thesis, and the French department’s thesis can be completed in my fall semester. There is also a possibility, if I continue with the French department, that I could be invited to their 5 yr B.S./M.A. program.
tl;dr: Is International Studies a good major to pair with a French major, or is there something else I should consider?