“Oh really? I was an Architecture major, but I minored in Political Science.”

You're at a friend's party. You're talking to someone who you just met for the first time. He tells you that he studied Political Science in college. You have some similarity with him. You say:

Oh really? I was an Architecture major, but I minored in Political Science.

Oh really?

The phrase "Oh really?" expresses a feeling of interest. Use it when someone tells you something new, unexpected, or interesting:

A: I'm thinking of buying a house.

B: Oh really?

an Architecture major

Architecture is a field of work and study that deals with designing buildings. An architect creates plans, called blueprints, which tell workers how to build a building.

You should notice that:

• an architect is a person. "Architect" is a job title that people have.
• Architecture is a field. It's something that architects study.

In American universities, students choose a "major", which is the main subject that they study. Students usually have to take a few classes in a variety of different subjects: science, math, English, social sciences, etc. But most of their classes are within their major. So if you're an Architecture major, you might have to take 10-15 classes (which equals 30-45 "hours" in the American university system) on different Architecture-related topics.

You can say that you "are" or "were" a certain major:

I was an English Literature major.

You can also say that your major "is" or "was" something:

What's your major?

Biochemistry.

minor in (a subject)

A "minor" is like a "major" in college, but it takes fewer classes to complete. It usually requires that you take about 5-6 classes in one subject.

You can use the words "major in" and "minor in" as verbs:

I majored in Art History.

I considered minoring in French, but I would have had to stay an extra semester to finish it up.

Because a college minor is not as important as a major, it's not as common to say that you "are" a (something) minor or that your minor "is" something. People usually use the verb form instead.

Political Science

Political Science is a school subject and a field of study. It deals with ideas and theories about how politics works.

You should note that school subjects are capitalized:

Political Science

Art History

Architecture

English Literature