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THE NATURE OF THE CAREER
 For those who wish to pursue a career in political science itself,
most of the available jobs will continue to be, as they are today, in
the colleges and universities. An advanced degree in political science
is virtually a prerequisite for any of these positions. Other job opportunities
that are available for professional political scientists also require
advanced degrees in almost every instance. These career openings may
be found in professional research organizations, survey research institutes,
and foreign affairs research organizations that operate either privately
or under the sponsorship of the government. Additionally, there are
some opportunities for political scientists on the staffs of committees
of Congress and the state legislatures and within a variety of governmental
agencies.
EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR A POLITICAL SCIENCE CAREER:
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Traditionally, graduate schools of political science required, or at
least strongly preferred, undergraduate majors in political science.
This situation has changed somewhat today; many graduate schools look
with equal favor upon undergraduate majors in other social or behavioral
sciences. Moreover, the acquisition of special skills by undergraduates
in mathematics, statistics, or computers and/or the demonstration of
a particular substantive expertise, such as urban planning, for example,
often weigh in the candidate's favor. In any case, it goes without saying
that those seeking admission to graduate school are expected to present
outstanding undergraduate records.
EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION FOR POLITICAL SCIENCE CAREER:
ADMISSION TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
The American Political Science Association publishes, biannually, A
Guide to Graduate Study in Political Science, which is a useful source
of information on the admission standards, programs, tuition, and fellowships
of the various graduate schools of political science in the United States
and Canada. Beyond this, any student seriously considering application
to graduate school should seek extensive faculty counseling. He or she
will need to learn which schools are particularly well regarded in the
sub-fields of the discipline that are of interest. He or she will also
need to know how each graduate school may influence his or her chances
of future employment. A faculty advisor whom the student trusts is the
best source of aid and comfort as the next stage of an educational career
is contemplated.
A-VOCATIONAL USES OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
Those who consider majoring in political science normally share a deep
interest in the political aspect of our society. Most students of government
are fascinated by the struggle to obtain power; often they have strong
beliefs about contemporary politics. And usually those trained in political
science retain these interests throughout their lives.
As a general proposition, most political science majors do not become
professional political scientists. They go on into various careers such
as those, which have been discussed earlier. Their undergraduate education
should serve them well in their professional lives. These students should
also realize, however, that their political science training can open
doors for them into activities that can be most rewarding on a voluntary
or part-time basis.
One obvious a-vocational use of political science training is in applied
politics. The American political parties are dependent on enormous numbers
of people who are able and willing to staff local organizations, to
manage campaigns, to canvass voters, and to organize finance drivers.
The possible significance of these jobs is now increasing several times
over as the major political parties struggle to democratize their internal
politics. In fact, participation in the very process of party reform
- from the inside - can often be of the greatest interest to those conversant
with political analysis.
A second area in which political science majors may find considerable
satisfaction is in the area of community organization, or organizing
activities in general. The politics of the eighties with its focus on
environmental issues, local planning issues, school-integration issues
and local political reform are going to be shaped to a large extent
by the locally organized groups who understand the political process
in general, and who can deal with the effective pressure points of the
political system in particular. A well-trained political science student
can be a valued asset to such groups. These assertions can also be made
about the value of political science training to those interested in
organizing particular groups of minority populations or in organizing
women's political groups.
A third way to use political science training on a volunteer or part-time
basis is to work with the various "good government" groups
of the community. The league of Women Voters, Common Cause, and their
local and community equivalents will often provide encouragement, and
a good forum for investigative research in politics and policy issues.
The number of topics, which every community needs to have completely
researched, is almost endless.
Finally, it should be noted that there are a wide variety of elected
and appointed political offices, particularly at the local level, which
are not full-time occupations.
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