Complementary Minors

Expanding your marketability

It is easy to be passionate about your major. It is obviously something you are interested in that you hope to turn into a career. However, there are times when you may have a focus in a subject, you want to find a specialty within that subject or to help set you apart from other candidates when you get into the job market. One of the best ways to do that is with a minor! A minor is a way to help supplement your major by finding new applications for what you are researching and learning. This can also ensure that your elective credits are going towards something that will help contribute to your marketability when you enter the workforce.

So, how can your major be paired with a minor to help you stand out?

English and Psychology

For students majoring in Psychology:

Psychologists need to be able to communicate with their patients, researchers, and team members in a clear and effective manner. This can mean writing reports with clarity and authority. Minors in English can help supplement field research with the ability to write clear reports and help process thoughts through the written word. It can also help with critical thinking skills through exposure to different texts. A minor in Professional Writing can help with editing those reports, sure to help you stand out in a field that is dominated by writing that needs to be edited. Interested in Language Development? Supplement your developmental research with a look into Linguistics.

Minors in English:

For students majoring in English:

No matter what field you're going into, you need to have a clear understanding of how the human mind works. If you're a writer interested in creating strong characters, then look into a minor in General Psychology. Or improve your crime novel by getting a minor in Forensic Psychology and learning the psychology behind what makes criminals who they are. Understanding the human mind can help in many fields of English, from writers to teachers to researchers. Why did Shakespeare write the way he did? Maybe combine that research with a look into the Brain, Body, and Behavior.

Minors in Psychology:

Clinical - for a comprehensive understanding
Developmental - for children's novels.
Forensic - for crime enthusiasts.
Health - for understanding psychological fitness.
Psychology - for general understanding.

Psychology and the School of Policy and Government

For Public Policy Majors

When crafting policies, agencies are consistently looking for experts in the field. Knowledge in a variety of subjects can help set you apart in a crowded job market by focusing on a set of legislative issues. Want to focus on health?

The Psychology Department offers minors in Health Psychology and Clinical Psychology. Or prepare yourself for consulting work by looking into the psychology of how workplaces do business by getting a minor in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

Minors in Psychology:

Clinical
Developmental
Forensic
Health
Psychology
Industrial and Organizational

For Psychology Majors

Psychologists should be looking at the policies that will impact their work, and what better way to do this than by getting a minor in Public Policy and Management.

This can help prepare you to look at the whole picture of how your research will help policy, and how they may be affected by policies that are being created. This can be an asset to any laboratory. You can also help with the legalities that may affect your work by getting a minor in Legal Studies.

Minors in SCHAR:

American Government
Global Systems
Legal Studies
Political Philosophy
Urban and Suburban Studies
Public Policy and Management