1127 Park Street -- Grinnell, IA 50112-1690
Phone 641-269-4940; FAX 641-269-4946
Contact Us
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1127 Park Street -- Grinnell, IA 50112-1690 Phone 641-269-4940; FAX 641-269-4946 Contact Us |
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American
Studies
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Political Science
Choosing your major was one of the most significant decisions of your college career. Your passion for political science is one you share with your peers, professors, and alumni/ae. Students choose to major in political science for different reasons. Read some of the reasons alumni/ae chose a political science major: "I chose political science as a major because I was interested in the material and because I knew I wanted to do something in the public sector." "I majored in political science because I was interested in government and public service at the time and still am. It was a good choice for me because I liked the courses and the professors." "I
majored in political science because I enjoyed the professors
in that department and I found the topics - systems of government
and power - interesting." "My
dad had been a political science major. At the time I chose to
major in political science, I was interested in the political
process and in environmental protection. I thought I might go
to law school. An internship during my semester in London, arranged
by Wayne Moyer, steered me along the environmental law path." You will use the skills you develop as a political science major every day in whatever environment you decide to work. Alumni/ae and faculty offer their thoughts about the kinds of skills a major in political science will provide: "As part of my overall liberal arts education, political science developed my communication and written skills." "Political science developed a particular type of critical thinking skill that helped me see a different layer of our society, and it also developed my writing and critical reading skills." "My major helped me with my writing ability and gave me basic analytical thinking skills. I also enjoyed learning topics in political science; I liked learning about Machiavelli." "For this job in particular (reporter), learning to pay attention and to follow how things are intertwined is very important. I learned not to take things at face value." Political science majors have selected a wide variety of careers from attorney to public relations director, from journalist to legislative assistant. As you can see from the following list of alumni/ae job titles of political science majors, you are not your major! Alumni/ae
Job Titles How will
you decide what kind of career to pursue? Will it follow your
major? In what way? Both alumni/ae and faculty emphasize the
importance of researching different kinds of careers. There are many ways to research career fields of interest to you. The most common way is to complete an internship. Alumni/ae who have held internships or participated in career previews have lots of advice to offer. Here are some samples of previous political science majors who have completed internships in a variety of areas: "I did an internship in the Iowa Governor's Office in the summer which was really interesting." "I did two useful internships - one with the Newton Daily News and one with Roll Call in D.C. when I was on the Washington Technology Semester." "Internships are a great thing. When you're out of school, you do have to pay your dues a bit. Do something that you are really interested in when you're first out - even if the pay is low. It paid off for me." "Get to know your professors and advisor; they end up being important contacts. Develop your ability to write and speak clearly. Pursue what you're interested in and you'll enjoy it." "Establish good relationships with your professors; get involved in other activities, too. I strongly recommend the Peace Corps. It makes everything you learn so much more real and gives you insight into the way people work. I loved Grinnell but the two years of Peace Corps really pulled it all together. Take it easy and be kind to yourself. Twenty-two is still young and we have this expectation that we'll change the world by the time we're thirty." "Majoring in the social sciences forces you to think on your feet. In my career I've covered a lot of subjects and had to learn quickly." "Internships or individual projects where you pick a specific area are very useful. I did an independent project on environmental air pollution on the US/Canadian border. I was able to discover whether my interests lay in this area. If you do an internship, pick your internship carefully and you can gain some practical experience." If you are thinking about graduate school, there are graduate programs in the field of political science as well as other professional degree programs. These links provide more information about the different paths you can follow: graduate school, jobs, or other paths. The following are first-hand accounts of the experiences of alumni/ae after Grinnell who have graduated with a political science major: "I knew I wanted to do public policy and decided to go into the public sector (as opposed to the non-profit sector). My first job was with a very poor non-profit doing member education." "I've had a nice roundabout track to my career. Transportation was an interest and in graduate school (public affairs) I had an opportunity to work on transportation." "I'm at a point where I want to start choosing my career. I used to let ideology rule my direction. My first jobs out of college: a temporary, a law-firm intern, and a sandwich shop worker." "Being a reporter was always at the back of my mind. To get my first full-time job as a reporter I applied to every publication known to man." "I
knew I wanted to do environmental work. When I was in law school,
I could've gone into consumer protection or child welfare work;
I knew I wanted a public interest job. A Sierra Club internship
during law school led me to my work in Indian law." Of course, Grinnell's Political Science Department provides advising as you consider questions about your major, internships, gaining experience, and making career decisions. The departmental web page also offers detailed information about the political science major, outlines requirements for its completion, and lists courses. |
| Back to CDO Home Page | Career Development Office (career@grinnell.edu) Steve Langerud, Director 1127 Park Street -- P.O. Box 805 Grinnell, IA 50112 |
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