I didn’t get into my top choice so I have committed to VCU. I am worried that I won’t be academically challenged and the low graduation rate kind of threw me off. So now I am looking for ways to make myself stand out after graduation to employers or top graduate programs.
I know I want to major in Political Science because it has always interested me but I don’t know exactly what career I want. So basically here are my choices.
1 : I can do a Bachelor's degree in Political Science with a concentration in one of the following: Civil rights, Comparative politics, Human security, International relations, Political theory and methodology, Politics and government, Public policy and administration, U.S. government
I’m leaning towards international relations but not sure if that would be the most useful 
OR
2: Accelerated Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Political Science and Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.). This is a program in which highly qualified undergraduate students can earn both degrees in a minimum of five years by taking approved graduate-level courses during the senior year of their undergraduate programs.
So like I said I am looking to really challenge myself. I have always had A’s in high school and I really thought I was going to end up at a ‘prestigous’ school but that didnt work out, so I want to make the best out of the education I will get at VCU.
Which path would you advise? If I go with path #1 I want to take up a Minor…any suggestions for that? (no journalism)
Are you positive right now that an MPA is the path you want to take? I doubt it. I’d go with option #1. Whatever concentration appeals to you. Take some stats or programming to show employers that you’re technically competent. Study a foreign language to at least a high intermediate level while in uni. GPA is important. EC’s that pertain to your career goals (show leadership). Try to identify an interest/focus within politics that you can call your own. Intern as much as you can afford to. Study abroad if possible. Intern abroad if possible. Do a senior research project. Use your profs for connections. Network your face off and don’t rely on your profs/relatives/alumni network/diploma to get you where you want to go. Work for a few years. Decide whether a grad degree would pay off and figure out the subject matter at that point.
This was so helpful. Thank you 
I went straight to law school with my poli sci degree. Although there was no concentration formally, I took many classes in foreign politics. I liked cold war studies, but I guess that’s history now, not poli sci, lol.
If you are interested in international relations, a poli sci degree can put you in a good position to apply to the State Department or even the CIA. A foreign language would help, too.
I never took any math or stats in college and haven’t really needed any in my career, but if you have the type of mind that inclines that way, it can’t hurt.
VCU’s graduation rate isn’t that low. It’s also a public university with a higher average age (21-22) and more part-time students (11%) than other universities, so the comparatively lower graduation rate is likely because non-traditional students and part-time students are less likely to graduate. That doesn’t mean that you, personally, have a lower likelihood of graduating; if you are a traditional-aged student from a middle-class or higher family who has adequate resources for you to attend VCU without working more than ~15 hours a week, you’ll likely be fine.
To answer the question…I don’t really think it matters that much which path you take, honestly. You have plenty of time to make a decision about this, but here’s a high level overview of my thoughts.
First of all, the concentration that you choose for the major doesn’t matter so much. It really just depends on your interests and career goals. None will necessarily be “better” or “more useful” than the others for jobs. Political theory and methodology would be ideal if you wanted an MA or PhD in political science later; public policy and administration sounds like a good primer for an MPA or MPP program and international relations for an MIA program. But those are just suggestions; you could really do whatever you want since none of those programs require any specific course sequence or concentration.
The accelerated BA shaves one year off (potentially) of getting an MPA the traditional way, which really isn’t a lot of time in the grand scheme of things. You also may decide that you want to get an MPA from a more highly-ranked or well-connected MPA program, or a completely different degree entirely. However, getting it at VCU may be more cost-effective in the long run, and depending on the kind of career you want, going to a highly-ranked MPA program may not be necessary.
If you take a minor, whatever minor you take would be up to you based on your interests. You could minor in a foreign language to develop skills in that area; you could minor in computer science to focus on national security and cybersecurity; you could minor in math or statistics to focus on political science research methodology; you could minor in philosophy and study political philosophy and ethics…so on and so forth. It really depends on your interests.