<p>How hard/easy do you think it would be to double major in psychology and Russian? Majoring in Russian will be useful to me, since I could get a Type I AFROTC scholarship, and it would help me get the federal govt jobs or military jobs I want. I also love the language and am fascinated by the culture. However, I don’t want to only hold a degree in Russian, and I’ve always wanted to study psychology. So, I’d like to go for both.</p>
<p>Anyone who has doubled in psych and a language, could you share your experience?</p>
<p>I’m hoping to do this at GW, AU, or GU.</p>
<p>I’m not a psych and language double major, but I’d like to help. Unless you have experience in either of those fields (i.e. Russian language classes or AP Psych), I suggest that you major in Russian since you have more sound reasons for it and minor in Psychology. In other words: I think that it’s hard to double major in two subjects, like Russian and psychology, where there isn’t a lot of course overlap. If you’re going to be in AFROTC, that’s another demand on your time. Majoring in Russian and minoring in psychology ensures that obtain knowledge in both areas (what you want) without the risk of burning out, having a completely full schedule each semester, sacrificing your social life or precious downtime, or going through college without taking nonrelated elective classes.</p>
<p>Here’s a blog post that touches on double majoring:</p>
<p>[Study</a> Hacks Blog Archive How Double Majors Can Ruin Your Life: Two Arguments for Doing Less](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/09/27/how-double-majors-can-ruin-your-life-two-arguments-for-doing-less/]Study”>How Double Majors Can Ruin Your Life: Two Arguments for Doing Less - Cal Newport)</p>
<p>I guess what I’m worried about is what I would do if being a linguist/translator/interpreter for the government doesn’t work out. I’d like to be an intel analyst who has the benefit of also knowing a critical language. My end goal is to background check + interrogate with the NSA, but I’d like to spend some time in the military first. And there is always the possibility that the nation’s need for people who speak Russian will keep declining, which would leave me without a degree in anything else. Would a minor is psych qualify me for jobs? My main concern is what would happen if my ability to speak Russian becomes useless 
</p>
<p>And thanks for the article – raises lots of important points.</p>
<p>Do you think a minor in a language typically get you to proficiency?</p>
<p>Have you ever thought about majoring in computer science? It would provide the job security that you want and aid you in your efforts to become an intel analyst. Combine that with a minor in Russian (it might benefit you to look for a program that focuses more on the language than culture/society) and you most likely won’t be left out of a job and your language studies would be an asset. </p>
<p>I’ve heard that you need graduate study (nine times out of ten at the PhD level) in order to really reap the benefits of psychology. A minor would only show employers that you understand the human thinking process and know how to deal with people of all backgrounds.</p>
<p>The degree of proficiency that a language minor provides relies on the curriculum- some focus entirely on the language with a few courses on culture while others provide basic language proficiency and focus more on culture and society.</p>
<p>I’ve definitely considered it, but the problem is, I’m pretty bad at math/science. I’m much better with soft sciences, and I’ve always wanted to study psychology/political science. But of course, getting a college degree in that area isn’t the only way to quench my thirst for knowledge, haha. I’ll look more into computer science and see if I could potentially do well in it.</p>
<p>I’ve heard the same thing about psychology =/ It seems like the only “useful” bachelor’s degrees are the technical ones…</p>
<p>edit: What do you think about double majoring in psychology and Russian, doing some time in the Air Force, going back to get my Master’s or PhD in Psychology, then doing some more time in the Air Force?</p>
<p>Some other comments:
-Are Type I AFROTC scholarships primarily for technical fields, or do they apply for majors in critical languages, too? idk, just asking.
-To achieve proficiency in Russian, you most likely will require an extended period of study abroad in Russia. This may make it difficult to complete the requirements for a second major, especially one in an unrelated field.
-You should consider a Russian Flagship program:
[The</a> Language Flagship - Russian](<a href=“http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/russian#UW]The”>http://www.thelanguageflagship.org/russian#UW)
These programs are geared to language proficiency and permit a second major. Since only a few schools offer a Russian flagship program, this will limit your choices of schools, however.
-At the schools you listed, I believe the AFROTC program is hosted at Howard U, which might cut into your available time.
-The other OPs are correct that good career opportunities in psychology would require a graduate degree. There is some relevance of certain areas of psychology for certain military and intelligence fields. While you can complete an undergrad degree in psychology without a great deal of math and science background, such a background is increasingly important for certain areas of psychology and gives a decided advantage for graduate admissions.
-There is a fairly extensive literature in Russian psychology, much of which has not been translated for Western researchers. This is a potential research area for someone proficient in Russian, though most likely at the graduate level.</p>
<p>Type I scholarships also apply to critical languages.</p>
<p>How “good” do you need to be with math/science? I have an A in BC Calc and I didn’t find the AP too bad, and will be taking AP Bio next year, but I don’t feel like I would do well in a computer science class. I can learn mathematical concepts, but I’m AWFUL at applying them.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information! I’ve always wanted to study psychology and get my Master’s in forensic psychology, but it appears this wouldn’t be as useful. I wonder if I could design my own major in Russian psychology? Maybe not. Could I have your opinion on what to major?</p>
<p>Careers in the AF I’d love to pursue are: intelligence officer, special investigations officer, security forces officer, etc. As far as I know there is no linguist position, but knowing a critical foreign language in any military / government position is helpful. I eventually want to work for the federal government.</p>
<p>I guess my hesitancy to major in Russian is this – would that actually qualify me for the careers I’m hoping for? Russian will be a useful asset, but I don’t want it to be my only one. I’d like to analyze intelligence, or conduct investigations, or help with interrogations, regardless or whether or not it is related to Russia. Will a major in Russian limit me to only things related to Russia?</p>
<p>What major would you recommend for me?</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help 
I really appreciate the feedback!</p>
<p>For what it is worth: my parents have a gardener who speaks French, Portuguese, Spanish, and somewhat dodgy English. With all of these language proficiency he still picks up dog poo and plants flowers. Why am i saying this? Because the truth is that there are tons of people who speak different languages, many of whom have advanced degrees in useful stuff, however it is the degree in something useful and not the fact that they can speak another language that gets them the job. If you have never hired an interpreter when you went overseas, they are very cheap, and very plentiful.</p>
<p>I personally would concentrate on anything but language. Majoring in a foreign language, unless you are planning on teaching it in a junior high or high school, is next to worthless.</p>