Masters In Political Science Jobs
As a liberal arts degree, political science offers a wide array of career options. Aside from learning about American government, international relations, and political theory, political science majors gain analytical, communication, and research skills during their undergraduate and graduate studies. The most popular masters in political science jobs include lobbyists and post-secondary educators.
To become a lobbyist, an advanced degree is not required but it can give a candidate the competitive edge. Lobbyists work with, not for, the government through roles in nonprofit organizations. Through their communications with elected officials, they try to sway these individuals to vote or create legislation that the nonprofit supports.
There are plenty of career opportunities for Master in political science.
Finding employment as a lobbyist is easier for those who have large networks. Job opportunities may be found through a grad school internship, networking through the college or university alumni association, or by developing relationships with organizations that have public policy or political interests. Masters degree holders interested in working with or for a certain cause or group should look on their Web sites for career opportunities.
With a master’s degree, these individuals should also be able to teach at a community or junior college. If they are interested in teaching at a four-year college or university, they usually must further their education by obtaining a Ph.D. Some people approach this situation by teaching at the junior college level and taking advantage of tuition reimbursement benefits to pursue their doctoral studies at the same time.
Lobbyist is one of the best paying master in political science jobs.
A good way to find a teaching job is to visit the Web sites of junior and community colleges because these usually contain employment openings. State Department of Labor sites often feature postings for positions at both public and private institutions. Connections made when working as a graduate assistant during the grad school years may also pave the way for some opportunities. Job search Web sites that focus on higher education are other good sources of leads.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes employment outlook and salary information for these and other masters in political science jobs. Lobbyist positions are considered advertising and public relations services jobs, which are expected to grow a bit slower than average through 2018. These workers earn an average of $98,850. Postsecondary education is expected to experience faster than average employment growth due to increases in college enrollment. Postsecondary political science teachers, including those with Ph.D.s, earned a mean annual wage of $78,620 in May 2010.
