Pages

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

What Does One Do With a Political Science Degree?

There is a song for English majors, thanks to Avenue Q, but not for Poli Sci types.

This figure is suggestive:

jobs for political science majorsjobs for political science majors
Methodology
Jobs ranked by popularity among graduates. Annual pay for Bachelors graduates without higher degrees from all colleges.  See full methodology for more.

See here for the longer list.

What this really shows is that the major does not create a set path (interesting to note that lawyer is not listed here).  Lots of sales type positions listed as well.  No mention of being a multimedia star for ESPN

The basic implication is that Political Science provides a set of skills that are handy for a variety of jobs: to think analytically, to argue, to write, etc.  The other implication is that Political Science is a good default major--it is for those who do not have a clear idea of what they want to do but is relatively easy: read a lot, but not much math.  Usually Political Science has the least prerequisites and requirements.  So, it can be a path for the confused or the lazy.  No, I am not insulting my students, just identifying my own basic traits.  Actually, it is also a good major for people who want to understand the world around them.  Not the biological world or chemical world but the world of politics, which matters in the workplace, at home, and everywhere else.  Does not hurt that the usual one stats course requirement does not require calculus.

1 comment: