Any political scientists here?

[galadrium]

Or at least people who majored or are majoring in political science in college. I am almost finished with my degree and plan to get a masters degree. Any thoughts about the field?

[solinvictus]

1. Poli Science

It was my minor and I work in insurance sales. Academia is a dying field as more universities are content to have adjuncts.

[galadrium]

2. yeah im noticing that.

I really dont plan to work in academia, I want to work in public opinion research, and be a political polster.... I guess if that doesn't work out I can always do market research.

[solinvictus]

3. Research

Unless you have a good line in, welcome to temp work. My wife did it a couple of years and the work, at best, seasonal.

[BostonTeaParty04]

7. Statistics is the glue that will get ya there.....

have your very own PO firm...

seriously.

[NMDemDist2]

4. My neighbor has a poly sci degree

He is a substitute teacher and plays jazz at nite.

[galadrium]

5. Man, you guys are killing me...lol

Does anybody have any good news about poli sci? I know poli sci is not a very profitable field, but I really want a job I like, doing things I am interested in. Does anybody have any good news?

[tigereye]

20. my brother has a degree in poli sci

he was a legislative aide to several congressmen for many years and lived in DC. Now he is a lobbyist back home and it seems to work well. So don't despair, he has made an interesting life for himself!

[BostonTeaParty04]

6. yep.. majored in it.

My primary job qualification was: "I am really fun to talk to! Great co-worker."

Advice: get some credentials in economics! A minor in statistics would be primo. And parade yourself in front of some think tanks. Wish that's what I had done...

The only real insurance: get a grad degree from YALE.

[galadrium]

9. I wish i could, but

My dad didn't go there, my last name isn't Bush, and I don't have much money.

[haele]

8. My dad majored in Poly-Sci back in the early '60's...

(at the UC system, of all places!). The various wingnut policies of the late Johnson era made him think of changing though (he's a die-hard radical moderate - i.e., a pragmatist), and he switched his major to Far East History and got a teaching certificate to go along with it so he'd actually have something to do - since he wasn't wing-nut enough to get himself associated with a think tank.

From what I've experienced, my opinion is that Poly-Sci is very much a weird meld of history, economics, and cultural anthropology - very good if you want to get into some sort of diplomatic field or are associated with some sort of organization that works the various micro-cultures that have political influence within our society, such as the various facets of aid or social service organizations, "justice" or the military. And Poly-Sci majors tend to be heavily concentrated in jobs that deal with nuances of social tweaking and predictions of situational outcomes, rather than just education, service, or basic commerce.

Of course, it is also a field that can attract egoists, true believers, and other members of the cosmic carnival grab-bag. If you do go into that field, you'll have to learn to deal with them.

Haele

[Jack Rabbit]

10. BA, San Francisco State U, 1975

!!

[galadrium]

11. Are you still in the field?

did you use it as a springboard to law school... i know thats a popular thing to do also.

[Jack Rabbit]

23. I am now a computer programmer

When I graduated, there was a severe recession in progress (of course, there was a Republican in the White House). I joined the army to sit out the recession. There were six college graduates in my basic training unit.

The method to my madness was to get the GI Bill and go to grad school. Instead, I got married to a lady I met in Korea and had two children by her over 20 years. I never made it to grad school.

I used my rights under the GI Bill once, to buy a house. The house was sold as part of the divorce settlement several years ago.

Computer programming was a skill I picked up in my last year in the service. They needed somebody they could train to write FORTRAN programs at Ft. Huachuca. I knew what a standard deviation was from my study of statistics, so I was it.

[Misinformed01]

12. My BA in Political Science was absofreakinlutely useless in 1991.

I have however recovered nicely.

My thoughts on the field? BAs are STILL worthless, get an MA or greater and teach.

Personally I'd recommend you switch over to Urban Planning, Neighborhood Planning, Geographical Planning (GIS) or an MPA.

[JanMichael]

13. PS~ It was I, JanMichael, that posted under Misinformed1's name.

It's about 7 beers into a 6-pack and I didn't realize that she was still logged on...

[Wickerman]

14. Lol

glad you didn't major in math! :thumbsup:

finish off that 8 pak on me

:beer:

[JanMichael]

15. The truly sad thing is that now I'm a (type of, real fuzzy stuff) auditor!

Bwahahaha!...

Wait...I musta missed something:shrug:

[Wickerman]

16. hey, me too

in a different kind of language - evaluator. And I suck at math.

[JanMichael]

17. Really? What field?

Mine is easy though, it's gummint stuff.

[amandae]

18. Working on my M.A. in Poli. Sci.

Not sure what I'm going to do with it. I do have to say that I enjoy the classes though. From one of my classes right now, I've learned that as a field, Political Science is still trying to define itself and some could see it easily as a mess.

I'd love to do something with my degree and the knowledge I'm gaining .... just don't know what that's going to be yet ....

Good luck to you! If you love to learn and aren't someone who really cares about how much your degree is going to earn you when you're out, you've found the right educational path!

Although, on a side note. The occupational outlook listed Political Scientists as the most highly paid of the social scientists (Econ., Anthropology, Sociology, etc.), and the gap was a salary that was almost twice the other professions. I'm assuming they looked only at those holding PhDs in Poli. Sci. Regardless, do you think that we're paid more (when we find those types of jobs) because people will pay us more to tell them what they want to hear and, especially in politics, there is a market for that?? Food for thought ....

:hi:

[MAlibdem]

19. Ok, I'm think Economics-PoliSci Double Major myself

Anyone think this is a good idea?

It's either that or Econ-PreLaw or something...not that I need prelaw to go to law school.

[huellewig]

21. Go for it..

I have a degree in econ and teach high school. The pay sucks. The kids suck. But hot chicks hang out in the teachers lounge.. :)

[MAlibdem]

22. ahhh...one of those teachers...

I had one as my Soccer & Lax coach freshman and sophomore year. I swear he had sex with senior girls in his office. Definitely did after school. And DEF DEF did out of school/after he left our school.