Majoring in Political Science/International Relations?

Question

What sort of jobs are available for people taking that course who are also interested in traveling and public speaking? What should I expect in those classes? Some high school students have to take international relations, is it any different from what will be taught in a university? What sort of knowledge should I have before going into those classes?

Answer 1

I am doing a degree majoring in International Relations also, You should expect alot of politics about where ever you are located in the world, I'm in Australia so most of it focuses on the Asia pacific region, you will learn about the theory's in IR, realism, liberalism etc. You will look at the political economy, terrorism, history, your country's foreign policy, prominent governments - US, Japan, China. International Law and International Organisations- UN, WTO, NATO, cultures, some anthropology classes, globalisation. Expect to write a lot of essays. Before you start I recommend knowing your current events well and history like the cold war and how it has effected the world. When you are done you can get work in diplomacy, foreign affairs, MNC's, international organisation like the red cross, world vision, lots of areas, if you really like public speaking you could lecture on IR at different uni around the world.

Answer 2

if you graduate with a BA in polisci there are TONS of jobs available to you, the problem is that the vast majority are in DC and some in NYC also. Just go to the Washington Post's website and search for jobs and you will see hundreds of entry level jobs, especially with lobbyist firms.

Many grads also go on to law school. Some become diplomats. You can look at the federal gov't for a lot of jobs, especially in the state dept. The state dept. is a good place if you enjoy travelling and feel ok with living overseas for a few years at a time. The CIA is also a big employer of polisci grads, especially if you know a language like Arabic, or focus on Middle East or Asian politics, then you can do some analyst work. You can also go into public policy and a ton of private firms hire those people, but i went to grad school for international relations so i'm less familiar with that area. Also a small amount specialize in political analysis, which is like statistics for politics. You can get hired by firms to do polls and analyze data and politics trends, etc. Basically, there are immense opportunities. Some bad things about polisci is that the vast majority of jobs are in DC and NYC. If you are living in Missouri or Idaho or somewhere, you probably don't see much around you. If you are really into IR, then focus on a specific region of the world, like Latin America, Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, etc. Learn the language, arabic, spanish, mandarin chinese, etc. Take some trips there if it isn't too dangerous. Books are great, but there is no education like meeting the people and finding out things for yourself. The key is to become an expert in your region, even if it is an obscure region.

Answer 3

There are very, very few jobs that would require one of those or the double major. IR and poli sci are pretty closely related (IR is generally considered a branch of poli sci) and I can't think of any way the double major would be an advantage in applying for a job or for grad school. If you are interested in both, go for it, but it is absolutely not worth the extra semester or year in school. My recommendation would be to pick one as a major, take as many classes as interest you in the other, and pick up a language minor, as that will be far more useful than another class in "The Development of the US Presidency: Washington through Lincoln." Whatever you do, graduate in four years, especially if you'll have loans. I assume you're also aware that you'll need a graduate degree to get any "traditional" IR or polisci job. If you are not interested in graduate studies, plan accordingly.

Answer 4

That was my major good luck finding a job I have been out of college for 4 years and still have not found one.

Answer 5

One of my friends is a poli sci major and she is planning on going to law school. Maybe you could do international law if that interests you.