“Political science” is generally defined as the study of governments, political processes, and political behavior. It is a branch of social sciences where the study mainly revolves around analyzing, describing, and predicting political behavior along with political systems. In fact, the best way to describe it is as a science that revolves more around subjective clarifications than hard data. It is a science that helps a person understand the relationships between other individuals, groups, and the state, along with the working procedure of modern government.
Political science as a discipline is relatively new and has gained considerable recognition among young students in the United States in recent years. It mainly includes various subfields such as philosophy and political system theory, political economy, policy studies, international relations, and a collection of other related fields. The main aim of political science is to help a student to make a career in politics and to give him adequate knowledge of political procedure which could be useful.
Students who pursue a career in this branch of the social sciences are generally called political scientists and can lead to exciting careers in federal, state, and local governments; law; business; international organizations and electoral politics.
His job responsibilities mainly revolve around the analysis of different areas of political behavior, including public administration, public opinion, taxes, and voting. Apart from this, they usually conduct research on different public issues and political relations and resources. These investigation procedures can be both within the same country and internationally. However, the research and analysis process frequently includes court rulings, public opinion and decision-making. Added to this, they also recommend solutions and sometimes conduct research to make better decisions on issues that generally affect citizens, businesses and the environment.
employment prospects
The job outlook of this domain actually seems to be very inspiring. In fact, according to the latest study by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for political scientists are expected to increase even more in the coming years. According to some experts, overall employment is also expected to grow as fast as the average for all occupations.
Salary Outlook and Other Benefits
The average earnings of political scientists depend entirely on their education, experience, and geographic position in the organization. The starting salary range for a political scientist averages near $27,000. However, with experience and higher educational success, income can increase further to $65,000 or more. Added to this, any graduate with a political science degree can enjoy a decent income and can earn almost $2,500 more per year than the average person who only has a bachelor’s degree. In addition to this, holders of a bachelor’s degree can also enter the workforce as paralegals or administrative assistants. Furthermore, political scientists employed by colleges and universities even have enough opportunities to increase their income by teaching summer courses, writing books, or doing consulting work. They can even enjoy various benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, paid holidays and vacations, etc. depending on their positions.
Required educational qualification
So by now, if you want to pursue a career in political science or want to grow as a political scientist, you need to have an advanced PhD in political science. If you earn a PhD in political science, you can work as a professor at colleges and universities. More often, these positions lead to significant service to schools, communities, and the nation. In addition to these, there are also bachelor’s and master’s programs in political science. While graduate degrees in political science are respected by all industries, master’s degrees are highly regarded by public and private organizations and by a growing number of numerous non-profit associations.
Today, it is definitely one of the few career options that can provide you with long-term job growth and significant rewards.