9 answers
Ryan
Student
Dalton, Massachusetts
1
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Minors that complement psych major?
I want to major in psychology but I'm not sure what to minor in what are some minors that could complement majoring in psychology?
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9 answers
Vianne Phan
Youth Development Teacher
62
Answers
San Diego, California
Updated
Vianne’s Answer
Psychology is a really flexible major, giving you lots of great minor options based on your interests. Choose a minor that either boosts your skills, helps you understand people better, or supports your future plans for grad school or a career.
If you're leaning towards therapy, counseling, or social work, consider minors like social work, sociology, human development, or family studies. These focus on systems, relationships, and practical skills. Public health is also a good choice if you're interested in mental health on a larger scale. For research or grad school, statistics, data science, or neuroscience are valuable because they improve your analytical skills and make you more appealing to programs and labs.
If you want something that offers career flexibility or relates to business, consider communications, marketing, business, or human resources. These pair well with psychology and can lead to opportunities in corporate, nonprofit, and organizational settings. Criminal justice is a good fit if you're interested in forensic or legal psychology, while education is ideal if you want to work with children or in schools. There's no single "best" minor—pick one that aligns with your future goals and that you’ll enjoy studying.
If you're leaning towards therapy, counseling, or social work, consider minors like social work, sociology, human development, or family studies. These focus on systems, relationships, and practical skills. Public health is also a good choice if you're interested in mental health on a larger scale. For research or grad school, statistics, data science, or neuroscience are valuable because they improve your analytical skills and make you more appealing to programs and labs.
If you want something that offers career flexibility or relates to business, consider communications, marketing, business, or human resources. These pair well with psychology and can lead to opportunities in corporate, nonprofit, and organizational settings. Criminal justice is a good fit if you're interested in forensic or legal psychology, while education is ideal if you want to work with children or in schools. There's no single "best" minor—pick one that aligns with your future goals and that you’ll enjoy studying.
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1205
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Ryan!
Great question. Selecting a minor is more about expanding your application of psychology than it is about earning more credits. The ideal minor depends on the type of work you see yourself doing after college; there isn't just one "best" minor. I'll explain this in a way that makes sense so you can decide what best suits you.
Minors like sociology, social work, human development, or family studies complement psychology well if you're interested in mental health, counseling, or social services. They help in your understanding of individuals in context, including families, cultures, and systems, which is necessary for practical application. If you're considering graduate school in social work, clinical psychology, or counseling, these minors are very helpful.
Think about minoring in statistics, data science, or research techniques if you're interested in research, data, or graduate studies. Strong quantitative abilities can make you far more competitive for research positions and graduate programs, as psychology mainly relies on data and proof. Minors in biology or neuroscience are also excellent choices if you want to know more about the relationship between behavior and the brain.
Minors in business administration, management, economics, or communications are highly strategic if you see yourself in business, HR, marketing, or organizational responsibilities. They help you in using psychology in settings other than therapy, such as the workplace, consumer behavior, leadership, and decision-making.
Education, early childhood development, or special education minors are practical options for students who are interested in community service, education, or child development. They provide you with a useful understanding of children's behavior and learning environments, which is a wonderful addition to psychology.
Additionally, minors in communications, media studies, writing, philosophy, or even anthropology might be very effective if you're interested in human-centered or creative fields. They improve critical thinking, storytelling, ethics, and an understanding of the human condition—all of which are fundamental to psychology.
Don't choose a minor just because it "sounds impressive," is the last piece of advice. Pick one that either supports the kinds of problems you wish to zero in on or develops a distinct skill set. The right minor helps transform psychology's flexibility into direction.
Best wishes!
Great question. Selecting a minor is more about expanding your application of psychology than it is about earning more credits. The ideal minor depends on the type of work you see yourself doing after college; there isn't just one "best" minor. I'll explain this in a way that makes sense so you can decide what best suits you.
Minors like sociology, social work, human development, or family studies complement psychology well if you're interested in mental health, counseling, or social services. They help in your understanding of individuals in context, including families, cultures, and systems, which is necessary for practical application. If you're considering graduate school in social work, clinical psychology, or counseling, these minors are very helpful.
Think about minoring in statistics, data science, or research techniques if you're interested in research, data, or graduate studies. Strong quantitative abilities can make you far more competitive for research positions and graduate programs, as psychology mainly relies on data and proof. Minors in biology or neuroscience are also excellent choices if you want to know more about the relationship between behavior and the brain.
Minors in business administration, management, economics, or communications are highly strategic if you see yourself in business, HR, marketing, or organizational responsibilities. They help you in using psychology in settings other than therapy, such as the workplace, consumer behavior, leadership, and decision-making.
Education, early childhood development, or special education minors are practical options for students who are interested in community service, education, or child development. They provide you with a useful understanding of children's behavior and learning environments, which is a wonderful addition to psychology.
Additionally, minors in communications, media studies, writing, philosophy, or even anthropology might be very effective if you're interested in human-centered or creative fields. They improve critical thinking, storytelling, ethics, and an understanding of the human condition—all of which are fundamental to psychology.
Don't choose a minor just because it "sounds impressive," is the last piece of advice. Pick one that either supports the kinds of problems you wish to zero in on or develops a distinct skill set. The right minor helps transform psychology's flexibility into direction.
Best wishes!
Luna Monet
Member Services
8
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Luna’s Answer
Hello Ryan:
Good to meet you. (: Psych is a field that is versatile and is buildable. I would say sociology compliments psychology well because it focuses on the social behaviors, aspects and manner of societies. It also gives you room to learn about other societal and cultural practices. This ties hand in hand well with understanding the mind because ecological developments are impacted different based on environmental and societal factors.
If you love music, you can look into music therapy. Spirituality based minors are also a nice touch because being at peace and internally connected with yourself are vital for making it through each day. if you love sports or anything health related, you can also minor in sports and health psychology. Nutrition is also a nice pairing because how you eat affects how you feel.
There's honestly a lot of options you can go with. I would suggest taking your time to see what route you want to go with psychology and start looking into what studies and involved with that. I wish you the best!
Good to meet you. (: Psych is a field that is versatile and is buildable. I would say sociology compliments psychology well because it focuses on the social behaviors, aspects and manner of societies. It also gives you room to learn about other societal and cultural practices. This ties hand in hand well with understanding the mind because ecological developments are impacted different based on environmental and societal factors.
If you love music, you can look into music therapy. Spirituality based minors are also a nice touch because being at peace and internally connected with yourself are vital for making it through each day. if you love sports or anything health related, you can also minor in sports and health psychology. Nutrition is also a nice pairing because how you eat affects how you feel.
There's honestly a lot of options you can go with. I would suggest taking your time to see what route you want to go with psychology and start looking into what studies and involved with that. I wish you the best!
Magda Hitchcock
Human Resources
2
Answers
Lutz, Florida
Updated
Magda’s Answer
That's a great question—I was in your shoes when I was in college! I believe Psychology is a highly versatile major that provides a strong foundation and can be paired with many different fields to create a variety of career paths. For example, if you're interested in child development, counseling, or school psychology. you could major in Psychology and minor in Early Childhood Education. Alternatively, if you're drawn to Human Resources or you're aiming for a career in Human Resources, organizational psychology, or management pairing a Psychology major with a Business Administration minor can be a great option. Ultimately, the best minor depends on what areas of psychology you want to explore and your long-term career interests. Psychology provides a great foundation, and combining it with a complementary minor can open many doors.
Shirley Wang, CPA
Senior Manager
6
Answers
Cranford, New Jersey
Updated
Shirley’s Answer
Hi Ryan!
This is a question that I wondered myself when I was starting my college career! I echo a lot of what has been said already in that there is not one "best" minor. It ultimately comes down to what your interests are and where you can see yourself starting your career.
Sharing my own personal experience - I majored in Accounting and Psychology and I started my career as an external auditor. I felt that having a background in Psychology would allow me to be a better professional. It would give me the soft skills needed to navigate challenging situations, improve my communication skills, and drive better collaboration between my team and my client.
Fast forward a few years, I made a career change and pivoted to a role in Human Resources. I enjoyed the human interaction and wanted to hone in on that. Coupled with the skills I had gained as an auditor, it felt like a natural transition as I needed a strong understanding of human behavior, motivation, and communication.
Regardless of what you select as your minor, the knowledge and skills you will gain are going to be transferable. And even if you select one minor, there is always the opportunity to be flexible and change course down the road if ultimately it was not the right fit.
This is a question that I wondered myself when I was starting my college career! I echo a lot of what has been said already in that there is not one "best" minor. It ultimately comes down to what your interests are and where you can see yourself starting your career.
Sharing my own personal experience - I majored in Accounting and Psychology and I started my career as an external auditor. I felt that having a background in Psychology would allow me to be a better professional. It would give me the soft skills needed to navigate challenging situations, improve my communication skills, and drive better collaboration between my team and my client.
Fast forward a few years, I made a career change and pivoted to a role in Human Resources. I enjoyed the human interaction and wanted to hone in on that. Coupled with the skills I had gained as an auditor, it felt like a natural transition as I needed a strong understanding of human behavior, motivation, and communication.
Regardless of what you select as your minor, the knowledge and skills you will gain are going to be transferable. And even if you select one minor, there is always the opportunity to be flexible and change course down the road if ultimately it was not the right fit.
Tara Wilkerson
3
Answers
Updated
Tara’s Answer
Hey Ryan, choosing a minor can be an exciting step! It really depends on what part of psychology you find most interesting. I started out thinking I wanted to be a therapist, but after taking some abnormal psychology classes, I realized it wasn't quite right for me. I talked to my professors about my interest in business, and they suggested I look into Industrial/Organizational Psychology and Human Resources courses. It was amazing to discover that I could use my degree in the business world. I recommend exploring different psychology courses to see what you enjoy most, and then pick a minor that matches your interests. You've got this!
Urvi Patel
Thought Leadership
2
Answers
Los Angeles, California
Updated
Urvi’s Answer
If you're interested in how humans process information and various 'black box' capabilities (memory, language, vision, etc.), consider cognitive science for a deeper dive into the brain sciences. I took cognitive psychology and that was my segue into the minor. I wasn't interested in pursuing the clinical/client focused route and loved the rigor of the minor.
Research cognitive science
Confirm the minor is offered
Talk to a student who has this minor
Urvi recommends the following next steps:
Megan P. Harris, M.S., PMP, SHRM-SCP
Human Resources
1
Answer
Jersey City, New Jersey
Updated
Megan P.’s Answer
Hello Ryan!
My psychology degree has been such a great asset to my career in how I collaborate, learn, and lead others. Depending on what you want to do with a psychology degree will determine what a good minor will be. See some examples below.
1. If you are looking to do research or have a role in academia, a good minor would be in statistics or data science or biology (if you plan to work with animals).
2. If you are looking to work as an industrial/organizational psychologist, a good minor would be something that helps you build better business acumen for organizations, such as areas like accounting, finance, data science, marketing, communications, or business.
3. If you are looking to do a career that focuses on providing clinical services to children and families you may want to do something like child development, education (if you are thinking about being a school psychologist), addiction studies, or religion.
Think of minors as something to help provide support in the direction that you want your career to go.
Good luck!
My psychology degree has been such a great asset to my career in how I collaborate, learn, and lead others. Depending on what you want to do with a psychology degree will determine what a good minor will be. See some examples below.
1. If you are looking to do research or have a role in academia, a good minor would be in statistics or data science or biology (if you plan to work with animals).
2. If you are looking to work as an industrial/organizational psychologist, a good minor would be something that helps you build better business acumen for organizations, such as areas like accounting, finance, data science, marketing, communications, or business.
3. If you are looking to do a career that focuses on providing clinical services to children and families you may want to do something like child development, education (if you are thinking about being a school psychologist), addiction studies, or religion.
Think of minors as something to help provide support in the direction that you want your career to go.
Good luck!
Melanie Arntsen
Learning & Development professional at PwC focused on digital learning design and development
2
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Melanie’s Answer
Hi. If you have a particular interest in another field, consider minoring in that. Almost every discipline could compliment your Psychology major depending on what ultimate aspect of Psychology you choose. You can't go wrong!
Good luck.
Good luck.