My goal is major in international relations, but if I were to go to a college that only has international studies and political science which one should I major in? I want to have a career in intelligence. Could you also tell me the differences/similarities between the three?
I’m not in the field, but I’ve heard that it’s better to get a polysci major because IR is effectively a concentration of polysci, meaning your degree applies to less jobs.
If there is some sort of priority of which degree is more important first, I would choose the degree that is broader in its content and application. The maybe get a graduate degree in the other.
International studies is not always a concentration of political science. At many colleges, international studies is actually an interdisciplinary major that includes coursework from political science, economics, sociology, anthropology, language and culture, history, and sometimes even literature. There’s not necessarily a huge difference between international relations and international studies, so if you want to major in IR and the college you want to attend only has IS, IS would be the closest analogue.
I also wouldn’t say it’s better to get a political science major because it’s broader. Broader isn’t always better. Depends on the context. I would say major in whatever you want.
If you want to work in intelligence (as in a 3 letter agency that deals with foreign affairs or the military), international studies would be beneficial. However, it largely depends on what sort, working in a domestic intelligence capacity wouldn’t really benefit from an International studies degree.
The name of your major isn’t going to matter nearly as much as the internships you get during college. The names are not uniform, and all signify some broad political element. One school’s IR is another schools IS is another schools PS. Don’t sweat the name, chose the one that has the most courses that are interesting to you. Hand on heart, the people that you want to employ you are not going to parse the difference.
I agree, another thing to look out for is getting scholarships from the state department, CIA, etc. I know a kid who is getting scholarships for international studies and language studies from the state department.