How to Make a Sure-Shot Career in Political Science

Aristotle defined Political Science as a practical science constantly working on the happiness of people. It is a subdivision of social science that describes the need, functions, and responsibilities of government bodies at the national and international levels. History, Public Administration, Public Policy, Sociology, Geography, Economics, and International Relations are essential parts of this field. Hence, the list of careers in Political Science is quite long. Let’s discuss how to make a career in Political Science and a list of political science careers you can pursue in this blog!

What is Political Science?

In simple words, Political science deals with the study of political institutions, or of the principles, organization, and methods of government. It is also regarded as an analytical study of political institutions, or of the principles, organization, and methods of government. It includes topics such as: 

• Political Theory
• Public Administration
• Comparative Politics
• International Relations
• Public Laws
• Public Policy 
• Social Work 

“Politics is more difficult than physics.” – Albert Einstein

Why Pursue a Career in Political Science?

A student pursuing higher education in political science helps them to delve deeper into issues relating to the nation. A degree in Political Science can lead to powerful careers in state and local governments, law, business, international organizations, associations, and non-profit organizations (NGOs), campaign management and voting, journalism, elections politics, research, university, and college education. If world politics and the politics of your nation excites you then you must consider a career in political science as:

Make a Difference: A career in political science allows students to initiate change in policymaking, analysis as well as at the academic front. It is a great opportunity to make a major difference in society. Students can be a part of jobs that look after the issues of government, society, and public policies. 

Lead the Nation: A career in Political Science is meant for changemakers and leaders. Political science is a gateway to job profiles like diplomats, bureaucrats, policymakers and politicians. There are many instances where one has to lead and take charge. These jobs are high-profile and stakes can be as high. You could be the leader of a district, a city, the state, or the whole nation.

Unparalleled Experience – The list of Political science careers are endless, students can enter unique fields which may not be a regular 9-to-5 job with the same responsibilities every day. Students no matter which career path they choose will face a unique situation every day that will never bring monotony into your job. Also, you will have to be ready to face various cases that will educate you in every field there is.

Prestige and Power: Most job profiles in political science careers are of great eminence. They are prestigious, powerful, and honourable positions. For instance, Being a public servant brings you right into the eye of the people and society’s perspective towards you can bring a lot of prestige to your position. As a journalist, you must commit to truth and free speech or as a diplomat, you will be responsible for managing the affairs of your state in a foreign country. Being approachable is the biggest quality and is desired by people as it allows them to voice their concerns freely and openly.

Skills Required  

Before we get into a list of political science careers. It is important to identify the right skills that are required and are quintessential to make an outstanding career in political science.

• Communication Skills
• Research Acumen
• Proficient Writing Skills
• Creativity
• Planning and Development Skills
• Logical reasoning 
• Organizing people / ideas
• Developing research designs and models
• Programming and systems analysis
• Utilizing survey research methods
• Developing data
• Analytical Skills
• Interpreting data
• Presenting ideas and data clearly
• Influencing and persuading people / groups
• Mediating / negotiating conflicts
• Public speaking
• Critical listening

Must Read: Scope of Political Science

Popular Courses in Political Science 

If you wish to pursue a career in political science, then the following list of famous courses will help you out in building your career in political science in the near future.

Level	Popular Programs	Course Duration	Average Fees
Undergraduate (UG)	BA Political science  BA (Hons) Political Science BA Public Administration  BA Economics, Public Administration and Political Science  BA LLB in Political Science	3-5 years	INR 5,000- 80,000
Postgraduate (PG)	MA in Political Science  MA (Hons) Political Science MA Rural Development and Governance MA in Urban Policy and Governance   MA Public Administration MA in Politics (International Studies)	2 years	INR 10,000- 80,000
PhD/ Doctoral (PhD)	PhD/ M.Phil in Political Science PhD in International Relations and Politics  PhD in Public Policy PhD/ M.Phil in Public Administration	1-5 years	INR 10,000- 1,50,000

Political Science Subjects

• Understanding Political Theory
• Constitutional Government and Democracy in India
• Political Processes in India
• Political Theory-Concepts and Debates
• Perspectives on Public Administration
• Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics
• Perspectives on International Relations and World History
• Global Politics
• Public Policy and Administration in India
• Political Processes and Institutions in Comparative Perspective
• Classical Political Philosophy
• Modern Indian Political Thought
• Colonialism and Nationalism in India
• India’s Foreign Policy in a Globalising World
• Dilemmas in Politics

Also Read: Complete List of Popular Political Science Courses

Best Universities Abroad for Political Science

If you wish to build your career in political science and aim for doing your undergrad and postgrad from abroad, then below is the list of top 20 leading universities from across the world that are providing quality education and courses in the field of political science.

QS World University Rankings (Politics & International Studies)	Universities	Location
1	Harvard University	US
=2	Princeton University	US
=2	Sciences Po	France
4	University of Oxford	UK
5	The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)	UK
6	University of Cambridge	UK
7	Stanford University	US
8	The Australian National University	Australia
9	Yale University	US
10	University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	US
11	Columbia University	US
12	Georgetown University	US
13	National University of Singapore (NUS)	Singapore
14	University of California, San Diego	US
15	King’s College London	UK
16	University of California, Los Angeles	US
17	University of Chicago	US
18	SOAS University of London	UK
=19	Freie University Berlin	Germany
=19	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	US

Best Universities in India

If you wish to pursue your undergraduate from India and then aim for pursuing higher education from abroad then the following Indian colleges and universities will help you to kickstart your career in political science 

NIRF Ranking 2020	Universities	City
2	Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)	Delhi
3	Banaras Hindu University	Banaras
8	Manipal Academy of Higher Education	Manipal
10	Jamia Millia Islamia University	Delhi
11	University of Delhi (DU)	Delhi
15	Birla Institute of Technology & Science	Pilani
34	Tata Institute of Social Sciences	Mumbai
37	Amity University Noida	Noida
51	Guru Nanak Dev University	Amritsar
52	University of Jammu	Jammu

Career In Political Science: A Pool of Choices

If you are still confused regarding what career path to opt for in the field of political science after successfully completing your higher education then here we have provided a list of different career options that you might choose from to kickstart your career in political science. 

1. Advocate/Organizer
2. Budget Examiner or Analyst
3. Banking Analyst or Executive
4. Career Counselor
5. Congressional Officer/Committee Staffer
6. Civil Services (Indian Administrative Services, Indian Foreign Services)
7. Journalist
8. Political Scientist
9. NGO
10. Legislative Assistant
11. Secretary to government departments 
12. Human Rights Activists
13. Legal Adviser to Political Parties
14. Election and Campaign Manager
15. Teacher/ Professor 
16. Politician 
17. Policy Analyst
18. Public Relations Specialist
19. Public Affairs
20. Research Analyst
21. Penologist
22. Psephologist
23. Mediator
24. Foreign Service Officer
25. Corporate Manager
26. Immigration Officer
27. Research Analyst
28. Lawyer

Popular Job Profiles and Salary

Job Profile	Job Description	Average Starting Salary in INR
Policy Analyst	A policy analyst thrives to achieve in-depth knowledge about a subject and is responsible for evaluating the merits of a policy and how it will impact the masses. This career in Political Science is a popular choice and involves extensive research and analytics.	5-6 lakhs
Legislative Assistant	Legislative Assistants responsibilities include providing written and verbal assistance to coordinate with ongoing political activities like policy issues, legislation, brief scripts for campaigns, etc.	3-5 Lakhs
Public Relation Specialist	A Public Relation Specialist is expected to prepare persuasive stories to influence the opinions of the public using media. They simply draft attractive lines keeping in mind the current affairs. When the time arrives, they often organize press conferences and other events to compel the media towards their ideas.	4-6 Lakhs
Market Research Analyst	As the name suggests, a market research analyst usually analyzes how consumers are reacting to a particular party.  They run polls and research campaigns to get an idea of what people are thinking and what their perspective is to certain members or parties.	3-5 Lakhs
Political Consultant	A political consultant advises political parties on how can they gain more attention, support, and votes from the citizens. They suggest ways to brand and fix up the damaged image of the party.	4-6 Lakhs
Attorney	Many lawyers work for lobbying firms, political figures, and interest groups to conduct research based on policy and legislative matters. They shape up and express ideas on behalf of their client to get an agreement on a particular stance from the major decision-makers.	3-5 Lakhs
Intelligence Analyst	Intelligence analyst works for latent agencies of the government. The most famed agencies include the National Security Agency and the CIA. As an intelligence analyst, you will write reports based on your findings and present them in front of your agency.	3-5 Lakhs
Journalism	Political graduates who have an inclination towards the radio, film, television, and any other media often choose this field. Journalists who have majored in political science are able to make a report on the current international and domestic policy. They prepare reports so that the people can judge whether a certain policy is right for them or not.	1-3 Lakhs
University Professor/ Teacher	Political graduates who have an inclination towards reaching politics or political science as a subject or any of its branches such as international law, world politics, public administration often choose this field. One can be a professor of Political Science at a University or College. For that, you should have a degree in B.Ed/M.Ed in order to teach in any University/College/School	1-2 Lakhs
Civil Services	There are 3 types of civil services post under UPSC in India namely: All India Civil Services, Group ‘A’ Civil Services, and Group ‘B’ Civil Services. A political science graduate may further opt for becoming a civil service officer by clearing the UPSC Examination. The most popular civil services are Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Police Services (IPS), and Indian Foreign Services (IFS).	6-8 Lakhs

FAQs

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