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How versatile is a degree in political science?
I am looking to either go into poli sci or law and want to know if I can do both.
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Doc’s Answer
In addition to jobs in politics, there are many other career options to consider. Political science majors develop strong writing and research skills. They discover how to make a convincing argument and back it up with facts.
Studying political science can lead to a variety of career paths and industries, including:
ATTORNEY: An attorney is a lawyer who represents individuals and organizations in the court of law. They analyze evidence, create narratives that support their client's case and present facts to persuade a jury and judge of their client's case. These professionals typically specialize in one type of law, including constitutional, immigration, property and corporate law.
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: A social media manager writes posts, plans content campaigns and communicates with a company or organization's audience using a variety of social media platforms. These professionals also use analytics and metric tools to optimize post content, brand voice and publishing time. Many organizations in a variety of industries hire this role, including government officials and agencies and nonprofits.
PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER: Public relations managers use press releases, sponsor corporate events, and interviews to explain their client’s opinions to the public. They also monitor current social, economic, and political trends that might affect their customer and then, based on those trends, recommend ways to improve the client’s image.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER: Human resources managers are responsible for the management and overall well-being of a company’s employees. They oversee an employee’s entire lifecycle at a company, from helping recruit and interview candidates to managing things like payroll and engagement and conducting exit interviews. While not a job related to government politics, human resources specialists are the gatekeepers of employee politics. They need impeccable communication and interpersonal skills to communicate with employees at all levels.
POLITICAL SCIENTIST: Political scientists research political systems, specifically governments and their development and operations. Their goal is to understand the effect of different government systems on the people they serve. Sometimes, political scientists will offer insights on improving a political system. This job’s focus is similar to what you might study as a political science major, with an added level of research. Often, political scientists need a master’s degree in political science, public administration, or a related field.
Studying political science can lead to a variety of career paths and industries, including:
ATTORNEY: An attorney is a lawyer who represents individuals and organizations in the court of law. They analyze evidence, create narratives that support their client's case and present facts to persuade a jury and judge of their client's case. These professionals typically specialize in one type of law, including constitutional, immigration, property and corporate law.
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: A social media manager writes posts, plans content campaigns and communicates with a company or organization's audience using a variety of social media platforms. These professionals also use analytics and metric tools to optimize post content, brand voice and publishing time. Many organizations in a variety of industries hire this role, including government officials and agencies and nonprofits.
PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER: Public relations managers use press releases, sponsor corporate events, and interviews to explain their client’s opinions to the public. They also monitor current social, economic, and political trends that might affect their customer and then, based on those trends, recommend ways to improve the client’s image.
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER: Human resources managers are responsible for the management and overall well-being of a company’s employees. They oversee an employee’s entire lifecycle at a company, from helping recruit and interview candidates to managing things like payroll and engagement and conducting exit interviews. While not a job related to government politics, human resources specialists are the gatekeepers of employee politics. They need impeccable communication and interpersonal skills to communicate with employees at all levels.
POLITICAL SCIENTIST: Political scientists research political systems, specifically governments and their development and operations. Their goal is to understand the effect of different government systems on the people they serve. Sometimes, political scientists will offer insights on improving a political system. This job’s focus is similar to what you might study as a political science major, with an added level of research. Often, political scientists need a master’s degree in political science, public administration, or a related field.
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Amber’s Answer
Hi Rin, if your ultimate goal is to go to law school, PoliSci is an excellent choice for your undergraduate degree. A lot of my classmates came from PoliSci before attending law school, and most of them have done well for themselves. However, if law school is not your ultimate goal, I would also encourage you to consider other undergraduate degrees that can offer the best chance at navigating the job market post-graduation. This is not to say that PoliSci is useless; on the contrary, some PoliSci folks have found rewarding careers in government and think tanks. So if PoliSci is something you're passionate about, then go for it! It would just be wise to be informed about your future career options and manage your expectations from there. Any degree could get you into law school if you have a good LSAT score and undergraduate GPA, so it wouldn't hurt to pursue an undergraduate degree you're passionate about or one that will serve as a backup in case you decide against attending law school.
One last thing: I'm not advocating for any specific educational path here, but let me just say that law school often opens a lot of doors to practice areas/careers you never think you might even be interested in. A good friend of mine started law school with the goal of becoming a prosecutor, but he ended up working as a real estate finance attorney. I started law school wanting to be an intellectual property attorney, but now I work in tax consulting. It's rare for pre- and first-year law students to know exactly which area of the law they want to specialize in. In my experience, people tend to figure that out as they gain more exposure through legal internships.
Good luck on your future endeavors!
One last thing: I'm not advocating for any specific educational path here, but let me just say that law school often opens a lot of doors to practice areas/careers you never think you might even be interested in. A good friend of mine started law school with the goal of becoming a prosecutor, but he ended up working as a real estate finance attorney. I started law school wanting to be an intellectual property attorney, but now I work in tax consulting. It's rare for pre- and first-year law students to know exactly which area of the law they want to specialize in. In my experience, people tend to figure that out as they gain more exposure through legal internships.
Good luck on your future endeavors!
Thank you so much for the advice.
Rin
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Jerry’s Answer
First, consider Doc's answer.
Getting a degree in Political Science is a traditional approach to ultimately applying to law school. Actually just about any degree has been used in order to apply to law school. But Political Science is one of the most common. And successful.
On the other hand, basing a career on Political Science is not as easy as it once was. The job market has moved on to tech and investments. May universities are actively discarding many courses in the social sciences. Not just Political Science.
That stated, if you can find a good university Political Science program as the avenue to attaining law school I would do it. You have an interest in the field.
But then law school, in my opinion, should be your ultimate goal.
And you live in an excellent state to pursue both Political Science and ultimately law school.
Getting a degree in Political Science is a traditional approach to ultimately applying to law school. Actually just about any degree has been used in order to apply to law school. But Political Science is one of the most common. And successful.
On the other hand, basing a career on Political Science is not as easy as it once was. The job market has moved on to tech and investments. May universities are actively discarding many courses in the social sciences. Not just Political Science.
That stated, if you can find a good university Political Science program as the avenue to attaining law school I would do it. You have an interest in the field.
But then law school, in my opinion, should be your ultimate goal.
And you live in an excellent state to pursue both Political Science and ultimately law school.
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Neil’s Answer
Political Science doesn't hold as much use as a law degree, practically speaking. Do you want to get into Government? Do you know someone who can help "sponsor" you for a job in it? Did your Cadidate win?
As for Law, I have heard that you can take that degree to a lot more places of employment. Also, should you go into law, is there a particular specialty of law that you have always been fascinated by and would love to have as a career? The reason I ask is this; about 98% of people who practice law, end up hating it. But as long as you think you really are in the 2% category, I think you'll be fine.
Whatever you choose to do, I wish you great luck.
As for Law, I have heard that you can take that degree to a lot more places of employment. Also, should you go into law, is there a particular specialty of law that you have always been fascinated by and would love to have as a career? The reason I ask is this; about 98% of people who practice law, end up hating it. But as long as you think you really are in the 2% category, I think you'll be fine.
Whatever you choose to do, I wish you great luck.
I am simply interested in political science and wanted to take a couple of classes before going into law, but seeing how it isn't as handy regarding job hunting, I may shift gears. Also, I am not too sure what I want to specialize in regarding law yet. I interned at a housing court and found paralegal and clerk work pretty interesting but am open to other specializations, like corporate law, and becoming an attorney. I am money driven and find court cases and law interesting, which hopefully lands me in the 2% category.
Rin