I’ve always been 100% a language arts and history person, and I’ve always been set on majoring in political science. Recentlly, on a school trip to Catalina I fell in love with Marine Biology. I absolutely love the idea of the undiscovered ocean and delving further into what it has to offer. But the problem is, I don’t want to give up pursuing political science. Is there any way to cross these two majors, or would I have to pick only one? They seem competely on the opposite ends of the spectrum to me and I can’t imagine a career that would incorporate elements of both of them.
Lots of students love the idea of marine biology. There are some practical considerations, however. First, if you’ve always been a 100% language arts and history person, do you have the necessary science and math background for this major? Second, many marine biologists recommend not to specialize in it as an undergrad since it is more important to get a broad-based science background for this interdisciplinary field.
As for your questions about combining marine biology and political science, it is possible to do so, but the workload in a science major (including research/field work and required courses in supporting sciences) might make it difficult to do a double major. A major-minor combination would be more do-able.
As for fields/careers that incorporate aspects of both marine biology and political science, some schools offer major, minor, or certificate programs in marine policy/marine affairs. Some of these programs are at the graduate level, however. Some schools that come to mind are Delaware, U Washington, Rhode Island, U Miami, and possibly, Duke.
Relevant topics that combine aspects of the science and policy side include fisheries, tourism, environmental protection/marine pollution, shipping, natural hazards/emergency management, maritime transportation and ports, energy and climate policy, national security/foreign policy (naval & maritime aspects), and coastal and ocean management.
You also might consider major, minor, or certificate programs in environmental science/studies, environmental/natural resources economics & policy, geography, or international relations (with a track in environmental aspects). At the graduate level, law school (with a specialty in maritime or environmental law) is a possible direction to consider.