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CAREERS
IN POLITICAL SCIENCE*
Political
Science majors enjoy a versatility of skills and a marvelous range of
exciting careers. In addition to pursuing a career path, there is
information available regarding continuing education in either a Masters
or Ph.D. degree field.
Finding a Job in Public Service
Federal Government
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www.calltoserve.org.
The Partnership for Public Service maintains this site and provides
a range of information about jobs in the federal government.
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www.usajobs.opm.gov/
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) manages this site,
which has an updated listing of federal job openings.
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www.studentjobs.gov is another OPM site; it
is designed for students looking for job opportunities with the
federal government.
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www.studentjobs.gov/e-scholar.asp
is designed to help students and
professionals find all types of educational experiences.
Experiences including (but not limited to), Jobs, Internships,
Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, Apprenticeships and Cooperative
Education within the Federal Government.
-
www.epa.gov/ohr/eip.html is
a link to the Environmental Careers Program (ECP) website. It
is two year intensive program designed to start participants
environmental careers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
for graduates at al levels.
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www.pmf.opm.gov/HProgramOverview.aspx
The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) is a program
administerd by the OPM that offers two year paid fellowships for
master's, law, and doctoral-level students.
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www.fhwa.dot.gov/aaa/pdp/index.htm
Includes information regarding the Professional Development
Program and jobs with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
Holly Peterson is the PDP Coordinator and can be reached at (202)
366-1169 or at
Holly.peterson@fhwa.dot.gov.
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www.epa.gov/enviroed/NNEMS/ is a link to fellowship
information with the EPA.
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www.fhwa.dot.gov/vacancy/stusum1.htm
includes information about the Summer Transportation Internship
Program for Diverse Groups sponsored by the FHWA.
State Government
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Each state and most local governments have a human resources or
personnel agency or office. You may find websites for these
government offices at
www.statelocalgov.net.
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The
South Carolina Employment Security Commission state employment
website is
www.jobs.sc.gov
Choosing a Career:
Analyze yourself. Consider your aptitudes and
preferences. Do you work best with other people? Do you work
best by yourself? Are you skillful at organizing? Do you
enjoy research and problem solving?
Consider the characteristics of individual jobs. Is this a good
profession for a loner? Are there opportunities for professional
advancement?
Possible Careers:
Federal Government - White House advisor,
overseas school for military and diplomatic children, Congressional
Research Service, budget analyst, CIA, information technology manager,
etc.
State/Local Government - State Department
of natural resources, city planner, labor relations specialist, State
Department of Education, Juvenile Justice, etc.
Nonprofits - Human Rights Campaign,
Institute for Women's Policy Research, National Rifle Association,
Natural Resources Defense Council, etc.
Law - Consumer advocate, Labor union
official, Corporate attorney, Law professor, etc.
Business - Corporate public affairs
advisor, Advertising firm, political action committee, banker, market
research, etc.
International - U.S. State Department, Peace Corps volunteer, U.S.
Embassy, United Nations, etc.
Journalism - Newspaper editor, Local
television news, Press officer, trade association newsletter editor,
etc.
Campaigns and Polling - Campaign manager,
issue analyst, Federal Elections Commission, direct mail marketing firm,
etc.
We have a variety of our graduates employed all over the world.
Some examples of jobs are: Community Relations Specialist for the
Charlotte Area Transit Authority, Finance Director
for the City of Rock Hill, college professor
at Western Carolina University, office manager for
Southeast Valve, Inc., civil rights
attorney, paralegal, and an investigator for the Department of Defense.
The American Political Science Association has more information at
QuickLinks for Students | APSA.
MA/Ph.D. Careers:
Graduate degrees in political science are valued
by all employment sectors mentioned above. The Ph.D. is the most
advanced degree and is awarded in a variety of fields.
Master's degrees in political science are valued
by public and private agencies and a growing number of nonprofit
associations or NGOs. Many people enter graduate school
immediately after they finish their undergraduate degree. Some
choose to work and gain job experience. Trying different things
and figuring out your aptitudes and preferences is rarely time
wasted. Dr. Michael Lipscomb serves as the Graduate School advisor
to our majors interested in pursuing an advanced degree. We host a
large amount of information on various grad school programs in the
department office, Political Science reading room and the third floor
hallway bulletin board. For an example of possible programs,
please check
www.apsanet.org/opps/grad,
www.naspaa.org
or www.apsia.org. Many
people who earn a Ph.D. in political science work as professors in
colleges and universities - teaching and writing about politics.
These positions often lead to important service in schools, communities
and the nation. All of our full-time faculty possess Ph.D.s in
political science. For the best resource on this career option,
they would be the ones to question. We have a few graduates each
year that go on to Ph.D. programs all over the world. Our most
recent May graduate was accepted to the Ph.D. program at Ohio State
University with full funding. Another one of our students recently
completed her MA at Appalachian State University and was accepted at the
University of South Carolina for a Ph.D. One place to explore this
possible career path is QuickLinks
for Students | APSA. Navigating
Education and Career Choices:
Choosing a college/university or finding a job in
any discipline, including political science, requires a significant
amount of research, planning and preparation. APSA sponsors a number of
programs that help students navigate these choices. 
MENTORING
Coming soon. New program on mentoring.
INTERNSHIPS
Guide to internships in Washington DC. Also, applicable to internships
elsewhere.
FUNDING
GRADUATE
EDUCATION
PS
ESSAYS
Review essays published in PS: Political Science & Politics
from political scientists discussing career challenges.
RALPH
BUNCHE SUMMER INSTITUTE
For minority students interested in graduate study. Summer prior to
senior year. Winthrop has been honored to send four students to the
Ralph Bunche Summer Institute in the past five years. Please see
Dr. Adolphus Belk for additional information.
MINORITY
IDENTIFICATION PROJECT
For minority students interested in graduate study. APSA provides names
to 50+ graduate programs to actively recruit students.
MINORITY
FELLOWS PROGRAM
Fellowship for graduate study for minority students
*The
American Political Science Association (APSA) is our national
professional association. Its websites contain a wealth of information,
which can also be obtained, by request, in printed format. Almost all of
the information on this webpage comes from the APSA's publication,
"Careers and the Study of Political Science", 6th edition.
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