What can I do with a political science degree?

If you are an avid follower of Indian and world politics and love to contribute your opinions to the political scenario around you, getting a professional degree in political science is one of your best choices. The domain holds immense scope for students and graduates in the field, as it allows opportunities that overlap with other study areas, such as sociology, anthropology, economics, history, and public policy. Moreover, a professional degree in political science opens doors to diverse job roles, owing to the ever-changing political landscape globally. This blog dives deeper into the varied political science degree careers and opportunities for graduates. 

Subjects covered in a political science degree

Before talking more about careers with a political science degree, let us first understand what the study program entails. Listed below are the primary subjects that the course curriculum of political science covers:

1. Western political thought: The subject primarily focuses on the history of the Western part of the world and the various issues facing it. 
2. Governance & public policy in India: It explains the importance of good governance in implementing public policies in the country effectively. It also talks in detail about the different governing bodies in India, namely the bureaucracy, judiciary, and local governments. 
3. Interpreting modern India: This subject analyzes the political opinions floating around in the contemporary Indian political scenario.
4. Political sociology of India: It reflects on the events that emerged after India attained independence and became a democratic republic.
5. Political theory: It entails a detailed study of concepts of politics and the history of political ideas and opinions of leaders from the olden times to the present era. 
6. Gender and politics: This area of study examines the relationship that exists between gender and politics in India, focusing research on representation and how the gender of people shapes their participation in political events. 

As the political strategy takes the center stage in Indian and world politics, political science students have a lot to learn from Lok Sabha elections.

Diverse job profiles in Political Science

Graduates with a degree in political science are equipped with the desired skills which they can apply in a variety of career profiles. Some of the top job opportunities for political science grads are:

• Consulting: Political consultants help create a positive image for candidates before the public.
• Data Analytics: Political analysts gather and analyze data and provide interpretations to predict political and socio-economic trends. 
• Media: Political science graduates are eligible to apply for a variety of media roles, including journalism, public relations, and social media management.  
• Business: Students with a degree in political science can also consider some business opportunities such as starting their political consultancy, offering research and analysis for organizations, and providing public relations services to political parties or the government. 
• Finance: Political science graduates can also consider a lucrative career in the finance industry with their key skills in research and analysis of large data sets that come in handy with numbers and finance as well.

Learn more about US Elections 2024.

Career options after a political science degree

We discussed the various political science degree pathways for future career prospects in the section above. Let us now look at the top 5 high-paying job roles for political science graduates in India:

Conclusion

A professional degree in political science is a stepping stone to a lucrative career in diverse job roles, as can be seen from this blog. It is an ideal course for those interested in the world of national and international politics and who wish to contribute to the larger good of society. Sikkim Manipal University offers online BA courses with combinations of Political Science, English, and Sociology. After graduating with the BA program, students can move on to pursuing an online MA in Political Science to gain advanced skills and knowledge in the domain and to step up their career paths.