Careers from Philosophy/Political Science Degree?

College Majors
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<p>Well, I won’t say to pick a major that does not interest you whatsoever, but realistically philosophy and political science won’t really lead anywhere except to a position as a waiter at Chili’s. Well, not really, you will need work experience for that. </p>

<p>I fail to see how law school is a great option. There’s a ton of lawyers with over $100k in debt that are unemployed or are making less than $50k. </p>

<p>Philosophy will not help you on the LSAT that much. About 77% of the LSAT is reading, the rest are logic games. The people who are best at these are actually people with quantitative degrees. Just buy Logic Games for Dummies and you’ll get good at them. </p>

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<p>Oh boy. You might want to read some academic articles in Political Science. It is very dry and stupid. Then again I’m not even sure why they call it “science” when much of it is opinion-based. <em>puts flamesuit on</em></p>

<p>I have a BA in History and it sucked. They have very high expectations in a liberal arts college. </p>

<p>And it’s not that if you major in liberal arts you will simply make a little less than other majors. It’s more likely that you won’t have a respectable job at all. A lot of people will make up jobs while ignoring intense competition for said jobs. For example, they’ll tell you you can be a CIA analyst, a foreign service officer, or even allude to some non-existent general government (paper pushing) job. </p>

<p>Government jobs that pay decent are in fields such as accounting, engineering, or even healthcare. We do not, in fact, have an enormous amount of paper pushing government jobs for poli sci grads in this country. </p>

<p>The best advice I can give you is to look at large corporations in your area and look at their job postings. You will see that the postings are sparse. Usually they have zero entry-level positions available. The ones that are available require very specific experience or a fairly unique technical background. There will certainly be nothing for a major in Poli Sci or Philosophy.</p>

<p>Now if my post comes off as a little biased toward liberal arts…</p>

<p>It’s because I am.:smiley: Pick from the following:</p>

<p>Hard science
Accounting
Engineering
Healthcare</p>

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<p>I agree with a lot of the above post. However, that’s because you allude to majors that are forms of specialization. If you want to go into those fields and have immediate job security, then absolutely you’re at a major advantage, especially compared to the clueless liberal arts major who is just in college to be well…in college. </p>

<p>But if that liberal arts major is goal oriented, then I don’t see why the liberal arts major should be discouraged. Students have to get involved with their school’s career services center. They have to experience some co-ops and internships. They can then supplement those things with some practical courses. You can use exaggerations of liberal arts majors who have their faces shoved in Plato all day, and that’s fine. But I don’t think that’s the norm. Students should be cracking down and realizing that they have to be making an effort if they want that first job post-college.</p>

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<p>I’ve been looking at this: [PayScale</a> - How Much Money Does a Lawyer Make](<a href=“http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Attorney_%2F_Lawyer/Salary/by_Years_Experience]PayScale”>Attorney / Lawyer Salary in 2023 | PayScale)</p>

<p>It shows the median salaries of lawyers depending on years of experience. I PLAN to be on the top end of those charts, considering that I’ve wanted to be a lawyer forever (not just to make money). I’ve also been looking at practice LSATs, and even got a perfect score on one of the sections of the practice one that is up on the LSAC website.</p>

<p>I mean, I see how a “practical” degree can help, but I can honestly say that I would hate myself if I went into any of those professions for the rest of my life.</p>

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<p>I just hate when people give the advice, “Major in what you enjoy, because you won’t do well if you major in something you don’t love.”</p>

<p>Personally, I think that is crap advice. Because if you can’t do well in school studying a subject you don’t “love” for 4 years, you aren’t going to make it in life? Just never do things you don’t enjoy?</p>

<p>Because in life, you always have to do things you don’t “love.” That’s while it’s called WORK. You think bosses walk in the room and say, “BigeastBeast, I have this assignment that needs to be done ASAP, the client really needs done right away - but since I know you aren’t passionate about this assignment, you don’t have to do it.”</p>

<p>HELL NO.</p>

<p>I just do the assignment because it’s my job, then move on. </p>

<p>When it comes down to it, work really is something you love. You MAY love the subject it involves (which is my situation, I love politics, current affairs, ect), but few people love the actual work.</p>

<p>So, if studying a subject you don’t “love” for only 4 years is to tough - you better go buy a helmet, because you’re gonna have one long life.</p>

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<p>It’s really simple. If you love a social science like psych, history, econ, or politics, then major in a “natural” science in undergrad. The only real careers you can get in the social sciences require you to go to grad school, and natural science majors have a huge advantage over social science majors when applying to grad school. If your interest is to work in the humanities then your choices are to be a teacher or a writer (both of which are very low paying except for a select few). Humanities are a decent preparation for law school however, but keep in mind that many who attend law school end up regretting it as they sit in a pile of debt and hate their jobs or can’t find one.</p>

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<p>Salaries will continue to go down and unemployment will go up unless the ABA stops letting schools give out so many JDs. </p>

<p>Law school may turn out to be a fine option for you, but consider having a back-up plan. A lot of things will change in three or four years. Maybe you will meet some unemployed lawyers or you will work as a legal assistant in a law firm and hate it. </p>

<p>The other thing is that a liberal arts background actually limits your options as a lawyer. If you have a BS you can do more technical stuff. If you have an accounting degree and a law degree you are super-employable. </p>

<p>I would just urge you to think of college as an investment. Don’t go there for the “experience” and then end up looking desperately for $15/hour jobs when you finish.</p>

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<p>This thread is really kind of annoying seeing as the majority of people on hear probably have never taken a philosophy class and only chose their major by what would make their parents happy. </p>

<p>Philosophy as a major offers you a few things that are highly marketable as well as of personal value. You learn analytical writing and critcal reading skills as well as a broad base of knowledge about how the mind work how we think as well as argumentative writing. I find myself writing more than any of my 5 roommates who major in psych poli sci and some other stuff.
I am a junior and just decided to add the political science major. It will take one extra year to complete and I was already going to have to do a extra semester. I wanted to add some extra understanding for my graduate studies. I plan to get a MPA and plan to work in politics so i thought the major would be necessary. I will go on to law school following my MPA. </p>

<p>My school is 44,000 a year and I get a large majority of it paid for in scholarships for high high school grades and then continued high undergrad grades. My mom cant pay for anything so Im in it on my own as far as finances.</p>

<p>Long story short, pick what you want as a major and enjoy the classes. Personally I enjoy both subjects and my career will use the skills I have learned from both majors. Philosophy really opens your mind and compliments well with Poli Sci which in some sense is more of a application of the thinking of philosophers. Several possible employers have already showed interest in me and I am a junior. Its about marketing yourself and knowing your worth</p>

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<p>why they all major in poli sci and philosophy? because those 2 degrees are a joke, therefore perceived as easy, therefore everyone takes them in hopes of getting into law school. thanks to all of you poli sci/philosophy students everyone and their dog is now going to law school in hopes of becoming the next Calrence Darrow.</p>

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<p>^^^
Have you ever taken philosophy? Or game theory? How about game theory politics? No.
So go ■■■■■ someone who actually cares.</p>

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@BIGeastBEAST So be miserable rather than be happy with a job you’re genuinely interested in… okay.

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