Career Preparation and the Political Science Major: Evidence from Departments

Abstract

We know little about the amount of career preparation offered to students in political science departments. This lack of information is particularly troubling given the state of the current job market and the growth of applied degree programs on university campuses. To address this issue, this article presents the results of a December 2010 survey of 279 political science department chairs that asked questions about the level of career preparation in their respective departments. Based on our empirical findings, we believe that political science departments are not doing enough to address their students' career preparation. Our results demonstrate that most departments rely on voluntary internships and faculty advisers to address career-related issues for political science majors. Only a few departments use required internships, required resumes, specific classes related to career preparation, and social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn to support career preparation. We also found substantial differences in career preparation across department type (BA, MA, and PhD) and between public and private universities, urban and rural universities, and universities with different average SAT scores. Our findings should interest faculty and administrators who are concerned with different approaches to career preparation on college campuses.

The Workplace Relevance of the Liberal Arts Political Science BA and How It Might Be Enhanced: Reflections on an Exploratory Survey of the NGO Sector

“…As Collins, Knotts, and Schiff (2012) have illustrated, this can be accomplished in many ways. They present 11 ideas, including adding to the curriculum required internship and career preparation courses and embedding elements of career preparation in other courses.…”

“…A second strategy, which might be called “resisting the flow,” involves placing greater emphasis in academic programs on the development of skills that respondents did not associate with formal education. As Collins, Knotts, and Schiff (2012) have illustrated, this can be accomplished in many ways. They present 11 ideas, including adding to the curriculum required internship and career preparation courses and embedding elements of career preparation in other courses.…”

Perceptions of Effectiveness and Job Satisfaction of Pre-law Advisors

“…In terms of career advising, some faculty advisors have created innovative approaches to help students think about life after college. For example, some departments offer courses to help students with career-oriented advising in a range of disciplines, including geography (Munski, 1983) and political science (Collins, Knotts, & Schiff, 2012). Nevertheless, the practical steps necessary to apply to a professional school may involve issues not typically covered by a traditional faculty or primary-role advisor.…”

Response to “Empowering Contingent Faculty”

“…After all, that is how legacies are created, and there is a natural expectation that protégés will follow their mentors’ paths. However, Collins, Knotts, and Schiff (2012) found that PhD-granting departments offer less career preparation than BA or MA departments. Everyone must adapt to the new realities, including tenured faculty who never had to deal with the stresses that contingent faculty encounter and who may have little experience in the nonacademic world.…”