I. POLITICAL SCIENCE - A LIBERAL EDUCATION

                Political science is a liberal education major. At GVSU, political science students learn to analyze political phenomena from perspectives of the four major disciplinary subfields: political theory, American politics, comparative politics, and international relations.

A political science degree is not a professional degree program like nursing or engineering. Majoring in political science does not imply that students are trained to work in politics the way that nursing students are trained to practice nursing, so one disadvantage of majoring in political science is that students are not preparing for one particular career.  

The advantages of majoring in political science are several. One is that students learn ways of thinking, a core aspect of liberal education. Students gain critical thinking, analytic and research skills that can be applied to understanding significant concepts, institutions, political actors and debates in American and international politics. In political theory, students use analytic and philosophical approaches to understand and think normatively about political and ethical concepts and debates that have been part of political life from the times of Plato and Aristotle to today. A second advantage is our emphasis on communication skills. Not all college graduates are good writers. At GVSU, our small class sizes enable us to emphasize writing and give students opportunities to refine their skills. Students also develop verbal communication skills through class discussions, simulations, and debates. A final advantage is that political science majors have a variety of career paths that they may pursue, as we detail in the next section. Employers in the business, government, non-profit and education sectors all value communication and critical thinking skills.

 

II. CAREER OPTIONS

                Political science majors, due to their education, have the ability to be flexible in terms of future career options. Workers commonly switch careers over the course of a lifetime. Due to economic, political, environmental and social trends, the future of the economy is always in flux. Some of the major career options available to political science majors upon graduation are in the following sectors: government, political campaigns, lobbying, law, business, non-profit, public policy, communications, and education. Government is an increasingly large sector of the economy. Graduates may start out as a legislative aide or research assistant and progress from there, or seek a job in the government bureaucracy at the local, state or federal level. Graduates with an interest in international politics may wish to take the Foreign Service exam and work for the U.S. Department of State. Political campaigns are a great opportunity for students to get involved in politics and build their network of contacts. Lobbying firms provide opportunities for researchers, assistants and activists. Many political science students attend law school and work as attorneys. Businesses and corporations value the analytic and writing skills of political science majors, and are willing to train students in more particular, job-focused ways; certainly there are many connections between government and business, from compliance with regulations to international trade to lobbying. Businesses are sometimes willing to support students’ graduate study. Non-profits often have a public focus and provide opportunities for graduates to work in grant making, fundraising, and administration. Americorps, Teach for America and other service jobs may lead into careers in the non-profit sector. Public policy is a sector which straddles the government, business, lobbying and non-profit sectors and is another good fit for political science majors. Graduates seeking to go into communications have the ability to help politicians and government communicate to the public, and assist the media to cover politics and government. Some political science majors teach about government, civics and social studies; to teach at the college level usually requires a PhD, while teaching high school and lower grades usually requires an education degree.

                For more detailed information on career options and specific jobs, we highly recommend that students purchase and read the following books, detailed below in section III E. Career Resources:

                What to Do with Your History or Political Science Degree. Sarah Dunham, Lisa Vollmer and the Staff of The Princeton Review. 2007. The Princeton Review.

                Careers in International Affairs. Maria Pinto Carland and Candace Faber. 2008. Georgetown University Press.

 

III. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO ENHANCE YOUR CAREER PROSPECTS

A. GRADES & CLASSROOM PERFORMANCE

                Grades matter a great deal to employers. If you need to bring some career motivation to your studies, you could try think about each class as an audition for a potential employer. Employers will be impressed by good grades in all of your classes, not just the ones you like. Show professional behavior and a strong work ethic in your interactions with your professor and your peers. Demonstrate your analytic, writing and verbal communication skills in the classroom and in your assignments. Keep in mind that you may need to count on your professors as references when applying for jobs or internships, so make an effort to introduce yourself and make a good impression in their class.

 

B. INTERNSHIPS

                An internship is a great opportunity to build your resume, gain practical experience and strengthen your network of contacts while earning college credit at the same time. In fact, especially for those students who do not plan to go on to graduate or professional school, an internship or similar practical experience is increasingly indispensable in the job market. Internships are also a good idea because they can help a student determine if he or she is on the right professional track. It is just as useful to have a career goal disconfirmed as confirmed by doing an internship while still in college.

GVSU political science and international relations majors have access to our "PLS and IR Internships Gateway" on Blackboard (go to the “Community” tab), where we list current opportunities and provide guidance on how to find an internship. If you are a current student, to get started, visit the Blackboard site or click on the internships link on the political science website:

                The GVSU Political Science has also developed some special opportunities for Washington, DC, based internships. For more information, visit the “GV in DC” website:

 

C. EXTRACURRICULARS AND NETWORKING

                Extracurricular activities can give you practical experience, build your resume, help with networking, provide leadership opportunities, and demonstrate commitment and responsibility. In addition to options like athletics, Greek life and student clubs, some options related to political science at GVSU include:

Student Senate
College Democrats
College Republicans
International Relations Organization
Law Society
Amnesty International

There are many more. For more information, check out:

                You could also pursue volunteer opportunities outside of GVSU. Volunteering for a cause or a group that you believe in shows passion and commitment, and gives you the benefits of being involved with an extracurricular activity.

                Networking is a huge advantage in any job search. During your time at GVSU you have the opportunity to meet many people and form new and lasting relationships. You never know where a job opportunity may come from. Getting involved with a student group, meeting people in your residence hall, and getting to know your classmates are all great opportunities for networking. As you move into the professional sphere, seek out new mentors as well as new colleagues. Networking sites like Facebook and Linked In can be great ways to aid in networking, but be careful not to post anything that may reflect negatively on you.

 

D. STUDY ABROAD

Study abroad can help you to prepare to work in an increasingly diverse and international workplace, understand political science and international relations from an international perspective, expand your cross-cultural communication and problem-solving skills, broaden your academic horizons, and improve your language skills. GVSU is one of the top-ranked U.S. universities in terms of percentage of students who study abroad, thanks to the Padnos International Center. There are many study abroad programs that do not require a language.  Even a program with a short duration can add valuable depth to your resume. To get started, check out our Study Abroad Guide, available via the Study Abroad link on the political science website:

 

E. CAREER RESOURCES

                There are so many career resources available to undergraduates that it can be a bit overwhelming. To get you started, we recommend that you take advantage of GVSU's Career Services office, and read two books.  GVSU's Career Services site can be found at:

The Career Services office has a very helpful Career Guide available at this site that is mandatory reading for anyone at GVSU contemplating a career. The office offers practice interviews and assistance with building and refining your résumé. They also sponsor periodic career fairs, which are chances to meet directly with potential employers.

We also recommend that you purchase and read the following inexpensive books:

What to Do with Your History or Political Science Degree. Sarah Dunham, Lisa Vollmer and the Staff of The Princeton Review. 2007. The Princeton Review.

This book is timely and helpful. It contains chapters covering what you can do with your degree, opportunities for advanced degrees and fellowships, popular jobs for political science majors, how to choose a path that is right for you, how to land the job (advice on networking, résumés and interviews), and lists a variety of websites containing job, internship and career resources.

                Careers in International Affairs. Maria Pinto Carland and Candace Faber (editors). 2008. Georgetown University Press.

                This is a recent and useful edited volume. It contains advice on how to obtain a job (networking, interviewing, finding a mentor), graduate school, and chapters on many different types of employers including the U.S. government, international organizations, banking, business, business-related organizations, consulting, international development and relief, non-profit, education, and university research institutes.

 

F. OTHER DEGREES AND MAJORS

                At 36 credits (plus BA or BS cognate) GVSU's political science degree is designed to work in conjunction with another major or minor. Your minor or second major can help to broaden your career options. If you plan ahead, you can usually incorporate at least a minor without going beyond the 120 credits necessary to graduate. Going beyond 120 credits is not necessarily desirable. If you wish to balance the liberal education aspect of your political science degree, you might consider business, public administration, computer science or statistics. If you are serious about working internationally, fluency in a second language is desirable. 

                An undergraduate degree in political science gives you with a number of options for graduate school, including pursuing a law degree (JD), Master's of Business Administration (MBA), Master's of Public Administration or Public Policy (MPA or MPP), Master's of International Affairs, or Master's of Education (MEd). If you want to become a political science professor, you should seek to be admitted to a top-ranked program in political science. Typically a master's degree alone will not be sufficient for a tenure-track professorship. For more information on graduate options, read the books mentioned above, look online at particular graduate programs, and talk with your faculty advisor. If you are contemplating law school, check out our helpful prelaw FAQ available via: