I’m an admitted UC Irvine freshman for the 2025-26 school year, and had some questions regarding how doable it is to complete an International Studies and Political Science double major in three years? I’m trying to cut down on costs as an OOS student (please don’t reply to this post by telling me I should just not go to a UC school, I plan to establish residency by my third year, and yes I know it is difficult lol), and want to see if it’s actually possible to complete the double major with a year less? I figured it wouldn’t be as difficult as my other major combination that I am considering, that being IS and Econ, since a lot of the IS classes and Poli Sci classes overlap.
Or, am I better off just doing a major and minor? If that is the case, do minors even actually help in the job market? I plan to go into a government or nonprofit position right out of school (for the PSLF), and want to maximize my chances of landing something.
Given what you wrote about trying to finish in 3 years, trying to get California residency (difficult), and looking for PSLF-eligible jobs (note that national government jobs are being cut back), it really looks like your financials are being stretched to or beyond the limit.
It will be difficult to complete two majors in 3 years unless you have a lot of AP credits. Getting a minor instead of second major may not save you time/money depends on course requirement. You may want to check with the department. Lastly, minor generally does not help in job market, unless you and the other application are very close in stats/experience. Then having an additional minor may make you stand out more. Good Luck.
I’m an IB Diploma candidate, so I’m in all IB classes, not AP. Additionally, I’m more than happy to overload courses and take summer courses if necessary. And no, my parents are staying in Nevada.
Definitely, that’s why I’m wondering if it’s even worth the struggle. I’ve been looking for apartments and roommates for this upcoming year so I could get residency by sophomore or junior year, but the financial independence is by far the hardest requirement to meet and with having to pay for my own health insurance, rent, food, and general living, I’m not sure if it’s feasible so soon. Hence, why I’m looking for alternatives.
Given the majors you will require grad school or will likely get a low paid position. These are my daughter’s majors. She will make $60k which is frankly fortunate.
Since I’m in Nevada, I have UNR which is 16k the first year and probably around 22k subsequent years. However, UNR is just not somewhere I want to be. The city, fact that I’ll just be going to a larger version of my high school, and school environment are all things I’d rather avoid if possible.
Alternatively, I am considering SDSU. It’d be expensive, and at that point I probably wouldn’t even try for residency, but it’s another school I got into that I’d like to go to. Admittedly, prestige is getting to my ego, and it’s just getting difficult for me to realize I might not be able to attend schools I “respect,” in a way. I know this is a flawed way of thinking, but I just can’t dispel it from my head.
The cheapest schools for me to attend would be UNR, University of the Pacific, and Rochester Institute of Technology, but even then, the debt I’d have to take on wouldn’t even be that much cheaper than SDSU. If you couldn’t already tell, I am struggling hardcore determining where to go. I’ll probably make a separate post laying out all of my options to get some outside input.
Poli sci plus fluency in a strategic language (check the State Department website for the list) is just as good- if not better- than International Studies in the job market. And if you are good at languages- or can take a class while you’re working during the summer-- is likely a less stressful/expensive option for you.
What language did you study in HS? Students often fetishize double major/major plus minor. Employers don’t care. If they need someone who can read the Russian Press (plus social media) and create short, well written summaries in English for senior management (I actually did this not long ago- found a new grad who was fluent in Russian and had terrific writing and editing skills) then nobody cares about minors, second majors, etc.
Would it make sense to take a gap year to save money? I’m worried you’re walking into a very tight financial situation…
It’s just always spoke to me, and I think the connections and experience it would give me the opportunity to take advantage of would be worth it. But maybe not that worth it. However, my significant other is also in California and is transferring from a CC to a university, most likely in the LA area, so I’d like to stay relatively close, if I can.
Good to know regarding your daughter, I need to keep my expectations reasonable. Thank you!
Was going to say this - they often limit how many classes you are allowed to double dip on.
You are very optimistic to believe that this will still exist in three years…
You can certainly try, but you should plan based on the likelihood that this will not be possible. If somehow you manage it, it will be an unexpected blessing. But don’t make plans around the belief that this will work. (Unless you are a nontraditional student.)
I can’t speak to government work, but I work in nonprofit and have done some hiring. A minor is certainly fine, if it is relevant to the position. I wouldn’t really care much if I saw a minor vs a double major on someone’s resume.
I could take a gap year, or even do CC and transfer or just go to my state school, the hardest part would be getting over the comparisons to my classmates and the FOMO. As an IB kid, a lot of my classmates are getting into Ivy or Ivy-adjacent or T50 schools and it’s just hard to get over the desire to be like them, even if it doesn’t make sense for my financials.
Noted on all of these. Yes, I have my worries regarding the PSLF, so I’m by no means hitching my future on it, just keeping it in the back of my mind in terms of options for later down the line.
Thanks for your help regarding the nonprofit space, that’s very helpful!
Who is paying and can they afford it ? Or you need loans.
It’s a Poli Sci degree. There is no UCI or SDSU prestige. Sorry.
My kid goes to College of Charleston and interned for the state and a DC major think tank.
You, and your hustle will matter.
I don’t see this path to residency.
But if you take loans, you’ll likely be living at home after graduation because the loans will strangle a Poli Sci kid financially.
UNR may not be in your heart but unless your parents can afford four years at UCI or SDSU, UNR should be in your head.
If you have a strong SAT or ACT there are schools in the south that could be $20kish still taking apps if that’s an interest. Ole Miss is OUTSTANDING for IS with its Croft Institute.
I live with a single mom and her boyfriend, and my mom can contribute a flat 40k to my tuition. Everything else will be loans. That’s part of the reason why I’m still trying to make other schools besides UNR work because I’ll inevitably need loans regardless of where I go, even if it’s UNR, and they’re all relatively the same (anywhere from 80-150k in loans for the schools in CA that I actually want to go to, closer to 60k for UNR).
I am also considering Rochester Institute of Tech, which is on the complete opposite coast that I want to be at and is a tech school while I’m not directly in a stem field, but they’re a pretty good school that offered me over 50k in aid. They’re my second-cheapest option. I’d consider going if Irvine and SDSU are simply out of the question.
My third-cheapest is U of the Pacific, who offered me over 40k in aid including a housing grant. However, I’m not sure if the location is great for what I want to do post-grad, and its IR program doesn’t seem particularly special.
I’ve attached what my overall choices are. Tuition values left blank are due to the fact that I haven’t received my aid package yet.
My mother’s boyfriend is from Ireland, so doesn’t have experience with the US school system, and my mom went to her flagship state school when she was my age, so I overall lack any guidance. I’m trying to not dig myself into a hole of debt, but I don’t know where my best bets are.
