Technically it would be mass communications with a concentration in public relations. i want to get a minor in social work and a history minor since I’m only one class away from it.
I’m in my third semester and i went into history because i enjoy it, but always intended on switching to social work. my school just came out with their bachelor’s degree program in social work this fall. I wasn’t able to switch this fall because they had several requirements I didn’t know about (they only came out with the course list at the end of last spring so there’s no way I would’ve known my first year). It included classes like stats, biology, and economics I hadn’t taken.
My issue is that I’m really terrible at math and science. It took me two tries to pass college algebra and right now i’m taking biology and failing with a 54. I want to drop bio, but you can’t even declare social work as a major until you pass bio. My GPA is already low from other math/science ged eds so i don’t want to lower it further by barely passing bio with a c- or a d.
This semester I started working on the student newspaper and i really enjoy it. I’ve always been really good at reading/writing (hence my interest in history) and I’ve also always worked really well with people. I enjoyed my job as a restaurant server so much that i was actually considering getting a hospitality degree but my school doesn’t have that. Anyway, I feel like mass com/public relations would combine my talents of writing, working with media, and networking with people. The course load is very specific and contains a lot of classes specific to mass communication so unlike social work you’re not required to take bio or other classes like that. The gen eds align more closely with the classes i’ve already taken for history and the other requirements seem like things I would do well in.
here’s the deal though: I’m pretty sure I still want to eventually be a social worker. but i would have to go to grad school for that anyway, and I would have a better chance of getting in if i major in something that I can get a higher GPA in. i would still be getting a SW minor. And I feel like I would be increasing my options, not limiting them. I know with law school they prefer to have people who major in random things like theatre rather than the typical history, english, philosophy majors because it demonstrates how well-rounded you are. I don’t know if grad school is the same way.
My sister-in-law (who is a social worker) thinks differently. she doesn’t understand why I would major in anything besides social work if i want to be a social worker. But let’s face it, either way I’m not going to get paid a ton coming out of college with a PR or a SW degree. But I would really enjoy PR also and could do some sort of entry level job while I’m in grad school, or who knows, i might change my mind and go with something in the mass communication field. Besides that, I feel like PR is more versatile whereas social work is targeted towards a specific profession.
So what should I do? Am i being lazy by trying to avoid the hard classes? I don’t know if I should stick it out and struggle through a social work bachelor’s or go with this new idea. Ideally I could get both majors because I really am torn between the two right now, but that would take on extra years because I’m already almost halfway through college and they have different coursework.
So in conclusion, I’m asking for thoughts on that situation and also which degree would you consider more “useless” a PR degree or a SW degree? (because I know they are both soft majors, but I want to know which one would generally be considered more practical by others and open itself up to more entry level jobs)