is it unheard of for someone to switch from science degrees to humanities?

When I mean switch I mean I'm in y12 and have written a ps for pharmacology, I do not enjoy science as much as I enjoy geo (I study geo, chemistry and bio) so I was maybe thinking of international relations. However, I feel like it's a generic degree many people in my school apply for? What is that degree's reputation like?

Reply 1

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by t0897

Hi,

It's completely normal and okay to want to switch degrees many students make changes to their courses either before or after they've started their degrees and it's absolutely fine and universities cater for this.

In terms of international relations as a course at the University of Portsmouth the degree received 96% for student satisfaction and also a gold standard teaching excellence framework and as a result of this the courses reputation is great!

If you want more help/information check out this link for the course page - https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/ba-hons-international-relations

Hope this helps - let me know if you have any more questions!

Alex - UoP Rep

Reply 2

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

As above it's not uncommon to change your mind before you apply - and as someone who has switched from actually having been ON a STEM course to a humanities direction now, it's definitely easier (and cheaper!) to make those changes before you apply and start uni!

One thing to note is that international relations is a social science subject more than a humanities subject.

In terms of "degree subject reputation" this is basically a moot point. Most graduates go on to roles unrelated to their first degree, and most graduate roles accept any first degree and contrary to popular belief, employers don't really care what subject you studied usually for those roles that accept any degree. So just pick whatever you find interesting, regardless of external perceptions!