Foo - What do you do with a political science degree?

So if one goes ahead and gets a degree in political science....what next?

You get far too much insight into the political process and the so-called people involved, and go mad.

As a Political Mad Scientist, you then run for office. Or even more useless, an analyst or a consultant. *shudder*

Once you are in political office, you have tons of privelages like, hitting on officers in bathrooms, and getting Bjs from ladies named Monica, and being anti-gay marriage, yet being gay yourself. Then at the end of the day, you get to deny everything.

Aweshome.

So if one goes ahead and gets a degree in political science....what next?

One doesn't. Get a BS in something you can apply, then, if you're so inclined, run for office and cheat the people to your heart's content!

You work on campaigns.

Hmmm. No sarcasm or disillusionment in this thread...

So if one goes ahead and gets a degree in political science....what next?

mcdonalds

mcdonalds

No, that position was already taken by maximan1.

to the OP: dunno...:rolleyes: the guy I live with was majoring in PS for a while, but switched to Actuarial Science. Now that sounds like a ****ty thing to be studying. :eek:

So if one goes ahead and gets a degree in political science....what next?

Go to law school.

I'm finishing my degree in poli-sci right now. From there i'll do two things, get a law degree, or get my masters in poli-sci and teach it. It's a pretty specific degree, but if politics interest you, go for it. My friend is a lawyer and his concentration was domestic politics. I'm doing foreign. I love it, but it really depends on the person.....

I was a Poly Sci (or Government, as my school called it) major. Was planning on law school, but just didn't want to go to school any more.

Joined the Navy and have done OK so far.

you work at a bike shop in durham, nc.

Doing political science doesn't mean you have to do politics... At least in my case, I did it because I was interested in it. I think it's sad that people view a liberal arts education as fundamentally useless. IMHO, university should be more than training for a particular job. That said, a political science degree would be a good background for any of the following:

- Political office (obviously) -- but it's important to realize this isn't just at the federal or state level
- Media
- Public relations / communications / marketing
- NGOs (anywhere from local grass-roots organizations to UN agencies)
- Law
- Teaching
- Urban planning
- Economics

That's a fairly short list off the top of my head. Beyond these possibilities, I think a political science degree could prove useful anywhere that prizes clear communication and critical analysis of ideas.

but switched to Actuarial Science. Now that sounds like a ****ty thing to be studying. :eek:

Except for the part where you get rich after you graduate. Acturarial is high demand, high wage job.

get a job bagging groceries

My BS in Poli Sci got me my job as an Analyst. Probably get richer at Mcdonalds but I like my job. :)

mcdonalds

No. Wendy's.

wait until you get it and start the "jsharr for president in (insert year here) campaign!" time well spent! a chainring on every plate!

maybe pete fagerlin can run against him. you can run that campaign too!

It...

My BS in Poli Sci got me my job as an Analyst. Probably get richer at Mcdonalds but I like my job. :)

if you know any openings in your field, send me a PM. haha.

if you know any openings in your field, send me a PM. haha.

Here you go: http://www.fbijobs.gov/121.asp

... I think a political science degree could prove useful anywhere that prizes clear communication and critical analysis of ideas.

But you're from Canada, where there is occasionally real discussion of issues. Much less opportunity for that here in the States. :p :D

But you're from Canada, where there is occasionally real discussion of issues. Much less opportunity for that here in the States. :p :D

Point taken :D

I have a Political Science degree and I currently work in Sales and Marketing.

I was going the law school route, but quit to pursue medical school.

Phantomcow, are you considering going polisci? I think that would be a huge mistake. You are an engineer, there's no getting around it.

I can't think what would be worse, grad school in poli sci or law school. Both seem like miserable endeavors over the long run.

Undergraduate courses in poli sci are great, but executing poli sci research is tedious and boring as it involves a lot of busy work and number crunching that no one takes any interest in. You have to really like reading and producing statistical studies to keep your soul from shriveling up.

Someone else can fill in the details about law school and being a lawyer.

Of course you could study political theory which is, by comparison, very interesting.

The truth of the matter is that if you hustle a bit you can do a lot of different things. My roommate in college earned a biology degree and is now a financial analyst for Wells Fargo. Our mutual friend earned a degree in English and is now an IT consultant. One guy from my class with a psych degree now does sales at the corporate level and makes half a million a year. My roommate's ex-girlfriend has a psych degree and is now a buyer/trendspotter for Macy's department store.

Your undergraduate major does not necessarily decide your destiny. it really comes down to who you know and how creative you are in etching out a career for yourself.

Intern, law school...whatever you want, like most other liberal arts degrees

Bus Boy, cleaner of porta potties

http://www.quintcareers.com/marketing_liberal-arts_degrees.html

Phantomcow, are you considering going polisci? I think that would be a huge mistake. You are an engineer, there's no getting around it.

I don't know what I want :(.
One on side of it though, I really dislike a raw match class. And as it is, some of my algebra/precalc skills are less than perfect. Those classes were crap in highschool, and I don't want to subject myself to that in college. I did do quite well on the trigonometry unit though.
Honestly, I don't understand why there is such an emphasis on mathematics for a science degree. FOr a job like engineering, I'd be wanting to promote creativity and concept, leave raw calculations for the calculator.

You could own a web site like this (http://www.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news).... or this (http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/4124/). :D

Ask people if they want fries with that.

I don't know what I want :(.
One on side of it though, I really dislike a raw match class. And as it is, some of my algebra/precalc skills are less than perfect. Those classes were crap in highschool, and I don't want to subject myself to that in college. I did do quite well on the trigonometry unit though.
Honestly, I don't understand why there is such an emphasis on mathematics for a science degree. FOr a job like engineering, I'd be wanting to promote creativity and concept, leave raw calculations for the calculator.

sounds like you are confusing engineering for architecture.

Well, I work with 3 mechanical engineers all day at work. They use solidworks to do the math:p

look at Monster or CareerBuilder for jobs requiring that degree

I don't know what I want :(.
One on side of it though, I really dislike a raw match class. And as it is, some of my algebra/precalc skills are less than perfect. Those classes were crap in highschool, and I don't want to subject myself to that in college. I did do quite well on the trigonometry unit though.
Honestly, I don't understand why there is such an emphasis on mathematics for a science degree. FOr a job like engineering, I'd be wanting to promote creativity and concept, leave raw calculations for the calculator.

I believe the emphasis is because math teaches you some great problem solving skills.

sounds like you are confusing engineering for architecture.

Engineering Design, esply Mechanical and Electrical involves a lot of creativity.

So if one goes ahead and gets a degree in political science....what next?
I got one of those. My basic impression -- it's your ticket to the unemployment line.

Seriously, you need to add something to it. Law is the traditional route, but burnout is high. If you get a graduate degree, getting a job teaching or as a researcher isn't that tough. Pay is crap. If you don't want to go to get more schooling, life will be a bit hard on you, but that might give you the perspective you need to find out what you really want to do. In the meantime, you can probably get a gig in technical writing or publishing presuming you can write. Anyone can get a job in sales.

Eventually, I switched to IT. I have discovered that formal schooling in that field isn't a prerequisite to getting ahead if you're a good learner.

Like many other people, I studied what interested me in while I was in college. Why they let you choose a path that doesn't prepare you to do anything other people need is beyond me. Being well rounded is good, but you need a bread and butter skill to fall back on.

Doing political science doesn't mean you have to do politics... At least in my case, I did it because I was interested in it. I think it's sad that people view a liberal arts education as fundamentally useless. IMHO, university should be more than training for a particular job. That said, a political science degree would be a good background for any of the following:

- Political office (obviously) -- but it's important to realize this isn't just at the federal or state level
- Media
- Public relations / communications / marketing
- NGOs (anywhere from local grass-roots organizations to UN agencies)
- Law
- Teaching
- Urban planning
- Economics

That's a fairly short list off the top of my head. Beyond these possibilities, I think a political science degree could prove useful anywhere that prizes clear communication and critical analysis of ideas.

99% sure my Stockbroker has his degree in political science.

Not many of the political science majors I've met found jobs related to politics. Those who did mostly work for non-profit organizations. I think one or two became police officers.

If you really want to know about policy and proper public decision making, just go economics. Its a major you can actually use and you will be better at analyzing policy than you would be with a poli sci degree.

Seriously, you can go anywhere with an economics degree. Finance, law, policy(politics), marketing, consulting, accounting (with a few extra classes), public relations, business strategy, so many different possibilities.

99% sure my Stockbroker has his degree in political science.

If he does then he took atleast as many finance/economics courses as he did poli sci courses, or you need a new stockbroker.

99% sure my Stockbroker has his degree in political science.

sounds like a very well educated stock broker.

Phantomcow, are you considering going polisci? I think that would be a huge mistake. You are an engineer, there's no getting around it.

Not necessarily.

PC - you could continue to study physics/math or whatever as a minor or even double major if you're that motivated. Then go on to law school to specialize in Intellectual Property Law - a very lucrative field, but one that requires a solid background in technical material.

Just one option.

Well, I work with 3 mechanical engineers all day at work. They use solidworks to do the math:p

And what happens when you have no clue how the math works and you enter the wrong data into the electronic brain du jour - you get garbage results with no clue that the results are garbage. If you don't understand how to do the math yourself without aids, you can't tell if you're even orders of magnitude off. That doesn't mean you don't use the tools available that can do the math better and faster - that would be foolish - but you need to be able to at least do "eyeball" reality checks.

Learned that one from dear old Dad. The one with the PhD in physics who blew up thermonuclear bombs. (Hey, it was a living . . . .) Suffice to say, the margins for error there were prety darn small.

As for what to do with a PoliSci degree - anything you want, limited only by your imagination and initiative. It's that simple - and that incredibly hard.

Same is true of pretty much any bachelor's degree.