Suggested majors/minors???

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

Currently I find myself torn between certainty and what some would call a pipe dream. Going into engineering would be the solid, certainly rewarding choice for me as I excel in math and science and much of it is interesting to me. If I was asked today to pick a major I would undoubtedly select nuclear engineering but as this decision creeps closer for us juniors who are currently in the preface of our college decision phase, I’m curious as to what my options are. I’m gifted with math and science as aforementioned but I’m not too shabby at english either and if I got to pick my career without chance of failure I would love to enter into politics as possibly an environmental or energy advisor for a candidate running for a larger city or even national position. Luckily nuclear engineering can fit somewhat with this aspiration and I was wondering if someone with a degree in nuclear engineering(or perhaps environmental engineering) could make a career leap into politics if paired with strategic minors.

Some Majors and Minors im currently considering:
•Majors: (commonly focused around energy sector)

  • Nuclear Engineering
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Electric Engineering

Minors:

  • Environmental Policy
  • Economics
  • Political Science
  • Environmental Science

Any suggestions? If I sound like I don’t know what I’m talking about that’s probably the case, please let me know if this just all seems ridiculous.

2

Bump

Any suggestions on something I should look into?

3

You’re probably going to have to work in energy/engineering for many years to become a competent advisor. If you move into management in engineering over time, you will have on-the-job training in those minor subjects. A minor in anything on your list isn’t going to make it any easier to leap into politics, at that point. It’s not like that political candidate will run through a list of potential advisors and say, this guy’s professional experience looks good, but I wonder if he has that requisite minor in poli sci. It’s the networking you’ve done over those 15+ years that will get you into politics. You have to connect and position yourself for it.

You could major in one of your proposed minors to possibly enter politics sooner, but why risk underemployment if you have the technical acumen and passion for engineering? There’s nothing wrong with minoring in any subject on your list or a host of other subjects, but do it because you’re interested in the subject matter and you feel it will round out your knowledge.