Where Do You Go From a Political Science Major?

NakaNaka

Diamond Member
Aug 29, 2000
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What kind of firms will hire you? Do you break in as an aide to a lower politician? Any thoughts/comments/advice would be helpful. Thank you.
 

Waveslidin

Senior member
Apr 28, 2002
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I was a political science major and now own my own computer company. Found my choices were kind of limited. Have you thought about Grad school, or maybe teaching?
 

xuanman

Golden Member
Oct 5, 2002
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as long as you do well and network, you can go into a lot of fields: from working for a politician, govt organization, ngo, consulting firm, finance (as long as you show good analytical skills), grad school, etc..
 

Waveslidin

Senior member
Apr 28, 2002
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Originally posted by: xuanman
as long as you do well and network, you can go into a lot of fields: from working for a politician, govt organization, ngo, consulting firm, finance (as long as you show good analytical skills), grad school, etc..

very true, from everything I have experienced, networking is the key. It really is about who you know....
 

Ben50

Senior member
Apr 29, 2001
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Generally you would want to look into politics or possibly science. Or maybe a combination of the two.
 

Kelvrick

Lifer
Feb 14, 2001
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I'm also interested in this major. Is it a good major to use to jump into law? Like say, get a political science degree, then go into law and come out say a legal advisor? I don't really wanna do anything that involves courts and suits and stuff like that, I'd lke to do something where I just kinda sit there and tell people what they should/could do. Something along those lines, or go into foreign relations for a company or something of the sort.

Damn, postng from the school comp lab on an iMac. The keyboard is hurting my fingres. stupid keys...

<== monkey dance
 

Cyberian

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2000
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..... I'd lke to do something where I just kinda sit there and tell people what they should/could do. Something along those lines .....
Sounds good to me!
Will you be needing an assistant?
 

Kelvrick

Lifer
Feb 14, 2001
18,422
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Originally posted by: Cyberian
..... I'd lke to do something where I just kinda sit there and tell people what they should/could do. Something along those lines .....
Sounds good to me!
Will you be needing an assistant?

Yes, yes I do. But, you should know that I'll be passing on to you any real work that actually needs to be done. :)

<== monkey dance
 

KokomoGST

Diamond Member
Nov 13, 2001
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Originally posted by: Waveslidin
I was a political science major and now own my own computer company. Found my choices were kind of limited.

Pretty much ditto fer me... I worked in IT since I had m4d web skillz but nobody cares about web programmers anymore. I'm actually trying to go back into law. Political Science was one of the majors at my Uni that allowed for Pre-law studies... but everyone knows that Pre-law curriculums don't do diddly squat for getting you a JD unless it's a combination program where you're immediately admitted to law school at your said institution.
 

axelfox

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
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hehe, i don't think anything can REALLY prepare for law school. Its alot of reading and writing. Reading and writing that is different from what you have or are doing now.

Everything from english to bio majors are in my class. I don't even plan to be a practicing attorney, and most of the attorney work is outside of the courts. But with a JD, you can do a bunch of stuff.

I plan to be the most over qualified couch potato :)
 

xuanman

Golden Member
Oct 5, 2002
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Originally posted by: axelfox
hehe, i don't think anything can REALLY prepare for law school. Its alot of reading and writing. Reading and writing that is different from what you have or are doing now.

Everything from english to bio majors are in my class. I don't even plan to be a practicing attorney, and most of the attorney work is outside of the courts. But with a JD, you can do a bunch of stuff.

I plan to be the most over qualified couch potato :)

i agree. i don't think a polisci degree gives you a leg up at all in law school...if anything, it makes you less unique b/c there are so many poliscis. but having a polisci degree definitely doesn't preclude you from law school
 

Babbles

Diamond Member
Jan 4, 2001
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When I was a undergrad I got burned out study real science (bio major) and took a semester off and became a poli-sci major.
I tested out of the low level prereq classes (AP exams) so I jumped into some senior level Constitutional Law class.

I loved it and had a blast. As far as I know, everybody in the class were pre-law students and I did better than the majority of them.
Not that I was uber smart or something, but I think my more analytical science mind and those type of studies served me well when it came to poli-sci stuff.

I quickly bored of that, though, and went back to the science field.

So, guess my little point to my story is for law school you may be better off being diversified in some way.
I do know this, reading thru science journals is way more complicated than legal citings.