Career Pathways in Political Science
There are many career pathways in Political Science, whether you have a BA or plan to obtain your MA or PhD a variety of oportunities exist! The fields and jobs listed below are a starting point for your consideration - job outlook data is linked when available (links will be red while regular text is black), provided by the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) maintained by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Talk to your advisor or a faculty member about your interests and figure out where you're going next!
What do Political Scientists study?
- Concepts of ethics, justice, democracy
- Systems of governance
- Political behavior
- How to applying theory to current events
What skills will I learn to help me succeed?
- Critical thinking
- Writing skills
- Speaking and persuasive argumentation
- Policy evaluation
- Data analysis
- Qualitative methods
- Quantitative methods
Public Sector Careers
- Politician
- Campaign staffer
- Lobbyist
- Policy analyst
- City planner or manager
- Legislative assistant
- Public affairs specialist
Legal Services & Law Careers
International Relations & Diplomacy Careers
- Diplomat
- Foreign Service Officer (FSO)
- International development specialist
- Human rights advocate
Campaign & Consulting Careers
- Public opinion polling
- Political consultant
- Campaign manager
Media & Journalism Careers
- Reporter
- Editor / Writer
- Political commentator
Intelligence & National Security Careers
- Intelligence analyst
- Homeland security officer
- Law enforcement
- US Marshal Service
Business & Private Sector Careers
- Data analyst
- Data scientist
- PR specialist
- Content policy associate
- UX researcher
- Public policy manager
- Community operations manager
Academia & Research Careers
- Political science professor
- Research analyst for think tank
- Government agency researcher
Non-Profit Organization & Advocacy Careers
- Program director
- Grant writer
- Advocacy coordinator
Additional Links
Working in Politics, Colleen D. Teixeira, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, 2008
Careers in Homeland Security, Elka Jones, Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Summer 2006
Employment in Political Organizations, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020
Political Science Teachers - Occupational Employment and Wages, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2023
