<p>I must admit that it was already quite hard enough for me to focus on two fields that interest me, despite the fact that I still love all other subjects, too, but these are - let's say - the most realistic fields I would pursue with continuity;</p>
<p>What I'm looking for is to understand the roots of human behaviour and apply them to different fields of life - not only individual, such as psychotherapy does - but also at political/international level (e.g. analyzing propaganda techniques, subliminal communication etc.). </p>
<p>What I'm sure about is that I want to work in an international environment/organization, and I'm also quite sure (unless I am forced to do so out of financial necessity) that I don't want to do individual therapy.
I like a lot of neuroscience research and cognitive sciences.</p>
<p>My question is... which undergraduate degree should I choose [first]?</p>
<p>you can easily double in psych and IR</p>
<p>Which one should I start with? Which subject is more "challenging" and namesworth?</p>
<p>I'm from Europe (Italy), where it's absolutely impossible to do two courses, but I would like to transfer to the U.S. after my first year.
Would it be possible to enter second year and then choose to double?</p>
<p>Altero86, I like the way you've identified your interests first. College is nothing if you don't have an academic focus. That said, do not be concerned about having multi-disciplinary tastes or fear that it might dilute your energy. You're not alone, and the world is certainly in need of people with multi-faceted perspectives.</p>
<p>There are any number of schools that can meet your needs, however they develop. One school I can recommend highly is Emory University, which has a terrific program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, which is a multi-disciplinary program. Emory also has focused "studies" that relate to world regions, with flexibility to shape a unique academic program. As well, the influence of various research centers at Emory provide impetus to discovering the kind of scholarly linkages that might appeal to you. Double-majors are certainly feasible. See the following site for more information:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.college.emory.edu/departments/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.college.emory.edu/departments/index.html</a></p>
<p>Thank you Norcoldad;</p>
<p>You understood my interests and the course you suggested is definitely a model in bridging biology with social sciences.
I have seen similar courses in other U.S. universities, too.</p>
<p>What I'm not sure about is: could I do my first year in Italy at an Economics course (which also studies "behaviour") and then transfer to the second year of a course like the one you suggested?</p>
<p>The fact is that there aren't many good universities in Italy; psychology is still dealt in the traditional way, whereas Economics (especially at Bocconi University) is more developed and I think I would have more chances to enter a U.S. university.
What do you think?</p>
<p>Alero86, each college has its own policies regarding transfer credit for previous college courses taken. Yours is a situation I am not familiar with, so I would defer to others who might be familiar with transferring from a college outside of the U.S. Perhaps what you might do is to make contact with the admissions department of a couple of selected colleges and ask an admissions counselor. I do know that your concern is in fact a concern for a lot of U.S. universities/colleges. Because of uncertainty about appropriateness of course content/standards, U.S. colleges look very closely at whether or not to extend credit for courses taken outside of the specific institution. For example, courses taken at "study abroad" programs in other countries are scrutinzed carefully. Good luck to you!</p>
<p>an interesting interdisciplinary program at the graduate (phd) level that you might want to look into is political psychology. i know suny-stony brook, george washington and several other schools have dedicated programs.</p>
<p>my suggestion for your immediate future--should you decide to transfer to an american university--is to take courses in all of the fields you mentioned. if it means you can only major in one field and minor in another, youll be better for it so long as you make note of your academic breadth on any future resumes. also, many universities now offer opportunities to design your own major, something to consider given that your academic interests are very well suited for an individualized course of study.</p>