<p>I am currently a sophomore in high school and am interested in politics. I plan on majoring in political science or history or even both. What would be a good career to have after the poly sci major? I know many go on to be lawyers and politicians, but what else is a good career path for people with a heavy interest in politics/history?</p>
<p>Policy analyst
Campaign manager
Teacher/(Adjunct) Professor
Consultant
Lobbyist
Starbucks barista</p>
<p>Lawyer
Political Analyst
Lobbyist
Teacher
Law Enforcement
Journalism</p>
<p>Good choice: My choice of major also.</p>
<p>I would say you can do anything. seriously!!!</p>
<p>If you want to go the American government route, either working in campaigns or doing actual government work, a BA or BS in Political Science will suit you fine. If you want to go into international politics, you might want to do some graduate work.</p>
<p>If you go the American route, look for institutions that have a strong American politics program. Most political science programs have some sort of upper-level courses in Congress, the Presidency and whatnot. Those with a stronger program might have courses specifically in public opinion, campaign management and more specific courses. </p>
<p>As for the international route, you need to decide if you want to concentrate more on “international relations” or “comparative politics”. International relations deals with interaction between countries. So you will learn more about things such as war, conflict, government and non-government organizations and theory regarding how these countries interact. While you might learn specifically about a region, you will learn how those countries interact with one another more than the countries themselves.</p>
<p>“Comparative politics” does look at the specific countries. So, if you want to learn about politics inside, let’s say, Russia, and how the Russian Duma develops policy, both foreign and domestic, then you would want to go the comparative route. You might learn about a specific region and the countries in those regions, but will learn less about theory regarding the interaction of those countries. </p>
<p>There are two other less-taken routes that you can go as well. First is political theory. This is learning about the theory of Karl Marx, Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes and others. The second is political methodology, where you will learn how to analyze data and apply it to a political situation. If you go to graduate school, you will more than likely learn some sort of political methodology. Many undergraduate institutions have an introductory course in political methodology called “Political Analysis”. </p>
<p>As far as jobs, American politics is the least competitive, as there are a lot of entry-level jobs in DC and at the state level. Still, American politics is more cut-throat. International politics and comparative politics are more competitive, which usually requires more education. Yes, you can get a job with some NGOs with a BA or BS, but most of the higher-paying jobs require more education. Think of it this way…American politics is the “American dream”, which means you can go as high as you want with as little as possible as long as you work hard. Comparative and International relations is networking, but people want to make sure you have a sharp brain (not to say that people aren’t sharp in American politics).</p>
<p>As for political theory, that route is usually only focused toward those who want to be professors, and jobs are limited. </p>
<p>As for political methodology, you can either go the academic route, or get a job in the private sector. Those that do this in the private sector can make a boatload of money. But you need to be strong in calculus and statistics.</p>
<p>Since you are thinking about it now, you might want to think about what route you want to go. You can do a ton of preparation if you know your direction. If you know you want to do American politics, and already have a political party preference, get involved with your local political party on their campaigns, and meet as many people as possible. If you want to go the international, comparative or political theory route, read as much as you can about what you want to focus on, it will help you prepare for college and give you a strong GPA for graduate school. If you want to focus on methodology, focus on calculus and statistics.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>Undergrads who study political theory likely end up like Philosophy majors, who have the highest LSAT scores of all the majors. Learning how to think rigorously and analytically is great for many career fields, definitely including law.</p>
<p>Also a number of political science majors work in non-profit organizations.</p>
<p>You should have at least one internship to give you experience and to help you see what work you like. Do volunteer (or get paid) to work on a campaign.</p>