POLITICAL SCIENCE
WHAT IS POLITICAL SCIENCE?
Political science is the study of government and political institutions and how those bodies work. Political scientists examine public policy and how it gets made. They study campaigns and elections, leadership and leaders, and the interrelationships of political systems all over the world.
WHAT COURSES DO YOU NEED TO TAKE?
Political science majors are often combined with minors in supporting disciplines, depending upon area of interest and career direction. In addition to a school's core requirements and major requirements, courses in analytical skills, writing and speaking, and computer technology are important. Courses for major emphasis include:
- American Political System
- Microeconomics
- Early Political Thought
- Modern Political Thought
- Introduction to Political Science
- Principles of Economics
- Law, Politics, and Justice
- Research Methods
- Macroeconomics
- Western Civilization/U.S.
- History
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH A DEGREE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE?
Political science graduates find careers in law, government, urban planning, and journalism. There are public service jobs in any branch or agency of the federal, state, and local governments. There are positions in the federal government as interns with Congress, foreign and domestic teachers, intelligence personnel, inspectors, and Congressional staff members. State and local governments offer positions on staffs of executive departments and agencies that deal with zoning, public and highway safety, welfare, traffic control and transportation, resource management, and industrial development.
Private interest groups employ political science graduates as lobbyists to represent their interests. International organizations and businesses employ graduates to serve as liaisons between private and public interests. Graduates find work within political campaigns, and those with excellent writing skills enter journalism as political reporters.
Advanced degrees offer the opportunity to teach at the university level, participate in research projects, and work for Congressional committees as staff and research members.