Career Opportunities for Political Science Majors

Once somebody hears that you’re a political science major, the automatic questions that you’re going to be asked are: Are you going to law school? Or do you want to hold a political office? I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been asked that and my answer to both is just simply no.          

While these two professions are options for political science majors, they’re not the only options out there. Remember that political science deals with the systems of government, and analyzes political behavior and activity, this leads to a wide variety of career opportunities.

Here are just a few:

Government & Advocacy Jobs

· working at local, state or federal level

· range from being in the human resources department at city hall to legislature to CIA Intelligence

· According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), about 55% of political scientists worked for the federal government in 2015

· some political scientists advocate for a cause or community, this can be done through working at a particular organization that advocates for that issue

Lobbyist Professions

· lobbying the government on behalf of interest groups & nongovernmental organizations

· work closely with various stages of the government

· negotiates with elected officials

· influence policy to advance their agenda

Business Field

· this degree can lead to careers in business

· with banking, advertising, public relations, etc.

Journalism

· Graduates with interests in media can pursue journalism

· report on domestic/international policy

· political correspondents, editors, news directors, etc.

Teaching

· teacher certification is also required to be a teacher

· at any level (elementary, middle, high, college) teach a subject regarding government/political science

There are many jobs for political science majors, and these are only some of the more popular options besides becoming a lawyer or an elected official. It's important that people know that there are a variety of career options associated with this major, then what they see on the surface because that could change their career path, you never know.

-Riley

Sources:

                    " (2008) President-Elect Barack Obama's Election Night Victory Speech, Nov. 4th, 2008 | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed." (2008) President-Elect Barack Obama's Election Night Victory Speech, Nov. 4th, 2008 | The Black Past: Remembered and Reclaimed. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

                   "What Can I Do with a Political Science Degree?" Study.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2016.

 Yacucci, Ted. "Exploring a Career Choice to Be a Lawyer..." Delaware Family Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2016.