[LS1toSVT]

Hey all,

I'm bombing this semester and don't think I want to stay with Economics right now for my major. I would like to get a degree in it one day, but not right now, for a few reasons.

Regardless, I'm considering political science. I took Intro To as well as another PS class, and my mind absorbed it and I liked it. But I'm having a hard time finding out what jobs one gets with a BA in Poli Sci. I have a meeting with someone at my school next week but I was just wondering if anyone had any insight?

Thanks!

[questions987]

Well, most poli sci students end up getting a masters and become a professor. Or they go teach at a highschool, or more often then not - they end up in law school. Poli sci majors (depending the emphsis: International relations, American politics, Consitutional Law) usually go into law school or working for the goverment depending on their emphasis.

IR majors get good jobs working for the UN or US as an embassy employee but they also need to speak a different language most of the time.

My Poli Sci major is doubled with an Econ in Business major so that I can move into an MBA program or law school. Gotta have my back ups.

[LS1toSVT]

Thanks for your reply

Do you think the major would be usable to get a job right after college (no master)? I plan on working on my Econ degree after I actually "graduate" with a Poli Sci degree (if I go for that).

Thanks again

[itrayya]

if you like learning about it, etc then it'll be fine.
the major itself is soooo interesting.

IT'S DIFFICULT.
and it's a good difficult.
my teachers know what they are talking about,
even though all those paper and literature review are a little challenging,
it's sooo worth it in the end.

im acutally doing International Studies and hopefully i can get my masters in Intl Studies, Policies.

i LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE polictics/international studies,
and sometimes i find it so weird that some students dont like it.
im so bias.

and yes, IR usually get the jobs in the UN and intl bodies.
that's what i want to do.
imma sign up for the Foreign Service or the Peace Corp.
or go to grad school.

see! now im all excited about it!!!

but i honestly believe that poli sci is soo IMPORTANT.
if you take the courses, things in the real world makes sense.
like, realism, middle east conflict, etc.

GOOD LUCK.
join the club!!!

[ronmexico]

The first thing to realize is that your major doesn't dictate what you will do after college. Most people don't end up doing anything related to their college major. Only a very small fraction of polisci majors become professors, and only a tiny percentage of IR majors work for the UN or a US embassy.

[LS1toSVT]

Thanks for the additional replies.

I know most people wind up getting jobs irrelevant to their majors, but I figure if I major in poli sci, the job I get will be somewhat difference than that job I get with econ. At least that's what I've come to believe at this point. I just don't want to get a degree and wind up feeling like I "should have" done this, or what, or whatever. I know a degree is better than NO degree, but that alone doesn't seem completely reassuring. If that was the case why are there so many options, ya know? I don't know, I'm rambling now. I just am afraid of doing something I'll regret, plain and simple.

[koneee]

You can also try to become a paralegal or an assistant somewhere. Poli Sci major is fun!! I think you can do a lot with Poli Sci because it deals with the law and etc. There are always people making crimes, protesting, trying to pass bills, etc. So the jobs can range from being a teacher to police officer to lawyer or a representative from some sort of agency or international relations. But you know, with the economy the way it is now, it's so hard to get a job .

[LS1toSVT]

^Oh I know, I kind of tried to look for work now, I had a period where I was like "i'm not doing school anymore!" and just nothing happened. Hopefully by time I graduate things pick up.

[itrayya]

i mean... every profession is like...

you can never stop researching for new cases, laws, etc.
even if you're out of school, the work field still requires all those schooling techniques.
things are always changing and new things always need to be learned.

some people dont do jobs that relate to their majors.

but i like IR. the study of it. politics in general.
i like studying it but i know for sure i cant be a politician.
i wanna work with the UN, NGOs, sometimes more hands on than sitting in an office with a suit.
bleh bleh bleh.

let us know how your decision comes out.

[LS1toSVT]

^Thanks

I'm hopefully going to talk to someone in the Poli. Sci. dept tomorrow (before T-day break). Based on what kind of jobs most Poli Sci people get, I'll see. I really, really am hoping I like what whoever in the dept tells me, because I honestly do not want to do economics right now. I want to get out of school and go into the working world. I do like economics and I know I have the mindset for it, but it's something I want to work out later on. My options are kind of limited as far as my major goes. I don't want to go with some degree that is useless and whatnot, and I don't think that's what Poli Sci is but I just need to be reassured like 80 times, haha

Thanks again for all input, I'll keep this updated!