Political science, what kind of study is it?

Political science analyzes the current affair and measures the effect that public policy has in local community. In addition, students study skills of research, composition and analysis, and are prepared to gain experience in the area they are growing. If a student wishes to learn areas such as foreign policy, international politics or environmental politics in depth, political science will be a good choice.

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"What would I mainly learn in political science?"

Through undergraduate program of political science, students acquire practical skills such as critical thinking, research and analysis capabilities. Such skills help students work in various fields such as government, corporate or NGO. If a student is interested in studying multiple methods of how politics affect local community, economics, etc., he/she can have interested in political science major. When the student earns the degree in political science, the student will be equipped with skills and experiences necessary to analyze the latest event and politics of a country, local community and the world. The student is able to design a research project and forecast trend and effect of public policy.

"Political science, why is it promising?"

According to US Bureau of Labor Statistics, graduates with political science degrees show 23% job growth rate by 2026. As economics and technology develop, present and future society show less and less clear boundaries between countries. In such times, connections between countries need to be well understood, and more problems need to be solved in the direction of mutual benefit. Therefore, it is expected that demand for political science graduates will increase continuously. A thesis with a title ‘The Future of Employment’ has digitized 702 job groups for their possibility to be replaced with future technology. Political scientists are rated as career ranked at top 18%. As so, it is a career that is hard to replace with future technology, which requires human judgment.

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「Jobs for political science major」

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Political science majors usually work in following job groups.

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▪︎ Survey Researcher

Measures polls, designs and executes survey, analyzes survey data, and prepares report

▪︎ Market Research Analyst

Studies and researches market, and analyzes information of sales potential of certain service or goods

▪︎ Political Scientist

Analyzes political system, and researches political ideology, policy and trends

▪︎ Legal Assistant

Provides support service for lawyers and other legal experts such as legal research, document preparation and material composition

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「Average salary of political science majors」

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Average salary of political science majors is around $117,570. If working for government-related organization, maximum salary can be higher than $126,000. For those working in education service sector, they earn on average $70,430. Average job growth rate in this sector is at 3% by 2026 which is lower than national average. However, job prospect is open per industry. Further, if a graduate wishes to work as an expert such as a social scientist, the sector shows rapid growth rate of 11% by 2026.

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TOP 3 colleges for political science major

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HARVARD UNIVERSITY

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ㆍExpected tuition : $50,420

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ㆍFounded in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest higher education institute in US. Located in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, it has more than 20,000 applicants including undergraduate and graduate schools. Harvard has more than 360,000 alumni all over the world. Harvard University strives for excellence in education, training and research, and to develop leaders in various fields who will change the world.

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ㆍSchool feature : Political science program of Harvard University can be selected at graduate course. Students are provided with excellent professors in political science and curriculum infused with historic, institutional and philosophical approach. They will be given opportunities to define and research their own question for politics, government and foreign policy throughout the entire course. They can freely utilize the research center and resources of the school for their study.

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ㆍClass curriculum are as follows.

- Comparative politics

- International relation

- Political thinking and history

- US Government

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PRINCETONUNIVERSITY

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ㆍExpected tuition :

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ㆍPrinceton is one of the oldest and most famous schools in US. It was founded in 1746 and moved to current location in New Jersey in 1896. Princeton provides undergraduate and graduate courses in humanities, social science, natural science and engineering, and it offers various professional certificates

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ㆍSchool feature : Undergraduate political science program of Princeton University has 4 core areas of US politics, comparative politics, international relation and political theory. The program heavily focuses on lectures on quantitative analysis, political economics and political strategy. Graduate program provides wide range of expert education and offers curriculum of which students can study major sub-sectors of political science (US politics, comparative politics, international relation and political theory) as well as technique and quantitative analysis.

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ㆍMajor curriculum are as follows.

- Introduction to Comparative Politics

- International Relations

- Modern Political Theory

- Conservative/Radical Political Thought

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SCIENCES PO

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ㆍExpected tuition : €10,250

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ㆍSciences Po is the oldest social science college in France and it has 7 multi-cultural campuses in France. Founded in 1872, it has produced excellent talents for public and private sectors for 140 years. Sciences Po Undergraduate College offers 3-year bachelor program, which includes 1-year study abroad at one of 470 partnering schools. 7 graduate schools offer 30 master degrees and 5 PhD programs. In addition, the school provides more than 26 double-majors with international partners. Students receive wide range of education in various areas in humanities and social science sectors. It emphasizes over citizen education, language, arts and digital education, and professional training and extracurricular activities are stressed along with course program.

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ㆍSciences Po has 14,000 enrollments and half of them are international students from 150 countries. To attract top students from all over the world, Sciences Po offers program conducted only in English in undergraduate and graduate programs. To enroll in the program, fluency in French is not required.

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List of colleges with political science majors

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