Do you find yourself intrigued by current events, how leaders obtain and maintain power, or how governments among other institutions are run?
A Political Science Degree is what you need if you wish to learn more about all the concepts mentioned above. Political Science majors study the parallel structures of governments globally, public policy formulation and the impact of the policy on both economic and social status of the population as well as how laws are made, among other areas.
Read on for more information about the course, possible career paths and specialization for a Political Science Degree.
Basically, Political Science revolves around the state and the systems of government as well as the analysis of political behavior and activity. It is a field of study that deals with politics and power from a comparative, international and domestic perspective. It involves understanding political ideologies, institutions, processes, policies, institutions and behavior of diplomacy, war, strategy, social classes, government and so on.
Students learn about the allocation and transfer of power, the roles and systems of governance, public policies, political behavior, as well as how to measure the success of specific policies and governance by evaluating various factors such as stability, peace, public health, justice, material wealth and so on.
Generally, Political Science is offered as a social science in most universities under a Bachelor of Arts program. Find the best universitiesu00a0for a Political Science Degree here.
Requirements for entry into a Political Science degree program varies depending on region and the institution you wish to enrol in. However, a basic understanding of mathematics, statistics, economics, database management and computer science is essential.
What are the key skills for Political Science?
Political science is a versatile field with numerous options for specialization. The first year of a Political Science course will focus on equipping students with a general overview and foundation of the course. Later, students get to delve deeper into specialized branches of this field of study. Below is a list of topics you are most likely going to cover:
Here are some specializations:
American politics
In this program, students focus on political practices of the United States. Topics that may be covered under this program include the political role of mass media, constitutional law, policymaking, state politics, the politics of race and ethnicity, among others.
Comparative politics
This program focuses on comparing contemporary political systems to determine the types that best provide specific values such as order, freedom, equality, well-being or economic stability for the population. In general, students in this program will get to understand how and why various societies establish specific types of political institutions as well as the prevailing laws and theories that explain political behavior and its inconsistency. However, there are two branches within this program that students can choose to specialize in, one offers a comprehensive analysis of the primary political institutions and processes within a single country or group of countries while the other provides comparisons of a specific set of institutions or issues in a group of different countries.
International relations
In this program, students learn about the how and the why of the interactions between states and non-states international organizations such as multinational corporations and the United Nations. Additionally, students learn about global conflicts and the reasons behind why they started in the first place as well as how to best mitigate them among others. In this program, you are most likely going to cover topics on world trade, foreign investment, foreign policy decisions, international finance, national security policy, defence spending decisions, arms control, among others.
Political theory
This course focuses on the foundations of political institutions and communities, human nature and the moral purposes of political association. Here students learn how to quantify concepts based on ancient Greece to contemporary society while drawing viewpoints from different writings of moral philosophers. Additionally, students will learn how political institutions function through empirical research.
Political methodology
This program focuses on the philosophical aspect of political science, experimental research design, social science and analysis. Here students will cover philosophical problems concerning the potential of political science, the similarities and differences between social and political sciences, alternative methods of explanation and the truth of knowledge claims.
Besides the myriad of opportunities of political science jobs or jobs in politics, there are numerous other career options to consider as a political science major.
During your studies, political science majors learn how campaigns are waged, how power is obtained, and how public opinion is influenced. With a political science major, there is a wide variety of political science jobs among other related career options open. Below is a list of job options for political science majors:
1. Policy analyst
Policy analysts are responsible for influencing political and social events as well as raising public awareness on various issues. They conduct research, evaluate current policies, analyze the effects of proposed legislation and report on findings.
2. Legislative assistant
Legislative assistants work under the lawmaking branch of the government. Their role revolves around making changes to existing laws, drafting and editing rules including bills and other items. They also develop ideas for legislation, write speeches to introduce new laws, among other duties.
3. Public relations specialist
These professionals are responsible for establishing and maintaining good working relationships between the public and an organization or government. They act as the point of contact by communicating an organizationu2019s stand to the public and creating press releases to shape the public opinion of the organization or government while increasing public awareness of its objectives and work.
4. Social media manager
Social media managers oversee the general planning, implementing, managing and monitoring of an organizationu2019s social media strategy to increase brand awareness and improve both sales and marketing efforts. Social media managers with a political science major can help political candidates, interest groups, officials and parties in shaping the opinion of the public as well as monitor the public views of the constituents about current affairs and the administration.
5. Marketing research analyst
Marketing research analysts are responsible for conducting research and collecting data to assist an organization to market its products and services similar to how political science majors evaluate the reactions of potential voters to candidates. They help a company to determine their position in the market and analyzes the organizationsu2019 competitors including their marketing techniques, prices and sales.
6. Political consultant
Political consultants support the election of particular candidates by devising strategies to influence voters and gain support for their campaigns. They create campaign strategies, coordinate campaign staff, organize meetings to publicize the candidates as well as act as managers, public relations specialists and salespeople.
7. Attorney
Attorneys or lawyers represent clients in civil and criminal litigation as well as other legal proceedings, prepare legal documents, manage or advise clients on legal transactions. Lawyers working for political institutions assist in drafting and editing language for bills, research about legislative and policy issues as well as evaluate the legal proceedings for pending legislations.
8. Intelligence analyst
Intelligence analysts are responsible for collecting and evaluating information from different sources such as intelligence networks, law enforcement databases, geographic information systems, surveillance. They use this information to forecast and prevent organized criminal activities. You can work for a National Security Agency and provide information about particular groups that pose a potential threat to security, evaluate patterns of leadership or power and the widespread support systems.
9. Political campaign staff
Political campaign staff are responsible for formulating and implementing strategies required to win an election. They work to build a suitable public image for a particular candidate by evaluating a votersu2019 reaction to a candidateu2019s cause. Similar to communications officers, political campaign staff duties revolve around acting as the liaison between the candidate and the public and ensuring the candidateu2019s brand remains top of mind.
10. Diplomat or foreign service officer
Diplomats are responsible for representing a countryu2019s interest, foreign policy and service delivery overseas. Generally, foreign service officers are in charge of dealing with issues revolving around conflict resolution, trade and investment, climate change, human rights, counter-terrorism, among others.
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