I hear a lot of people major in political science or international affairs, but have heard little about anyone majoring in political communication. Is the program small or even good? What are the job prospects? Would it just be better to major in political science and minor (or something like that) in communications?
- “Is the program small…?”
Yes, the Political Communication program is small. Here’s why:
GWU has six majors that they call “limited enrollment” majors; political communication is one of them. Students who are majoring in one of the “limited enrollment” programs have to take very specific and unique courses. Because of the uniqueness of the courses, they aren’t offered in abundance. Therefore, the GWU admins cap off the number of people who they allow to major in those programs, so everybody can get the classes that they need in order to graduate. It’s also important to note that SOMETIMES (though not always), the cap on the number of students in a limited enrollment major can make it harder to gain admission to GW if you apply under that program. If I recall properly, there is an option to apply to a secondary GW college on common app… so I would highly recommend putting down a secondary program of interest just in case it’s a year with lots applying as a political communication majors.
And p.s., in addition to political communication, the other limited enrollment majors are journalism, creative writing, (regular) communication, finance, and global public health.
- “Is the program… even good?”
I can’t comment personally on the strength of the program as I’m not personally a part of it, nor do I know many people who are because of its limited size (though if you’re interested in International Affairs I can chit chat for days). I will say however that GW is a great place to study ANY politically related field due to the networking, internship, and employment opportunities. And that’s a HUUUUGGGGE (trump voice) plus, considering not many political science majors actually end up working in the political field from other schools. My old buddy from high school was a political science major at the U. of Florida. He graduated this spring, and I just saw today via a Facebook post that he landed a marketing sales position.
- “What are the job prospects?”
Due to the uniqueness of the major, your job prospects end up being very similar to most political science majors. I’ve only met one girl who was a political communication major, and she worked alongside poli sci majors in her two internships that she’s done. The main difference will be the knowledge that you gain from the classes you take. And I could hear an argument saying political communications classes may be better situated for gaining employment when compared to poli sci classes. Understanding campaign strategy might be a better skill than understanding important supreme court decisions.
- “Would it just be better to major in political science and minor (or something like that) in communications?”
At the end of the day, you’ll end up applying to internships and jobs alongside poli sci majors, and an employer won’t likely see a huge difference between a resume saying “Major: Political Science” vs. “Major: Political Communication”. So I wouldn’t think about this question in terms of job prospects, but in terms of the classes you’d take and what better suits your interests. Political Science majors take classes on world history, the american government system, comparative politics, and political theory. Political communications majors take classes in journalism, the media, political strategy, and campaign reporting. As far as a minoring in communications, those classes aren’t specifically geared toward politics. You take classes like “Nonverbal behavior” and “Small group communication”. So personally, I don’t think they’re really worth your time based on the interests you’ve showed from your post. Though if you like them, then go for it. Don’t let my personal feeling persuade you on that one.