Political Science does not have a straightforward career pathway after graduation. Whereas Law and Economics students have the benefit of well-trodden paths to specific professions, Political Science graduates do not – and so it’s only natural that many of them are left asking: what can I do with a degree in Political Science?
MastersAvenue can answer this all-important question. Our team conducted a global survey of some 7.5 million professionals who completed their degrees at one of the world’s top 100 universities. This scale of our study is unmatched – the professionals we surveyed work for some 100,000 different companies, in a huge variety of sectors, in locations right across the world. Such a large dataset provides a unique insight into the most popular career options for graduates in each subject available at graduate school.
One of the major sub-disciplines within Political Science is Political Economy – the study of how political and economic structures interact. With such luminaries as Karl Marx and Adam Smith being counted as Political Economists, it’s not surprising to see that 16.2% of Political Science Graduates entered Business Development – a professional role that involves being able to understand and respond to broader macroeconomic trends. Business Development was a popular choice of career amongst graduates in almost every subject area, reflecting the importance of growth in capitalist societies.
The next most popular destination for Political Science graduates was academia and teaching – with 11.5% deciding upon this career option. As a popular subject at many of the world’s top universities, there is a steady demand for lecturers in this field.
Some 8.7% of the Political Scientists we surveyed as part of a major study of the career destinations of more than 7.5 million graduates, chose to enter Community and Social Services – a domain where political issues directly impact upon the lives of ordinary people.
8.6% of Politics grads opted to take charge of their own professional destinies entirely by becoming entrepreneurs. Setting up your own business requires a lot of the skill of a Business Development executive to judge economic trends, as well as the capacity to understand authority and leadership – both of which a degree in Politics can furnish you with.
Some 7.5% of Politics graduates chose to apply their degree in the realm of Media and Communications – perhaps going into journalism.
Research organisations like think tanks and lobbying groups play a significant role in the political process of democratic countries – the 5.5% of Politics graduates who decide to enter research develop their career in these areas.
As with Business Development and Entrepreneurship, working in the Financial sector requires an adept understanding of economic and political trends. Some 5.4% of the Politics grads we surveyed chose to enter the Financial sector.
Sales requires that you know how people work together and make choices. Such insight is invaluable in the field of Sales, which attracted 5.1% of the Political Science graduates we surveyed.
Study in Australia
Study in Canada
Study in Germany
Study in United Kingdom
Study in USA
Study in Switzerland