Online Political Science Bachelor’s Degree
Degree seekers interested in pursuing political science jobs can expect to enter a growing, highly competitive job market. Top job sectors in the field continue to enjoy steady and increased growth. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that legal services professions will increase 9% from 2016-2026, a rate consistent with the national average. The BLS also projects that careers in market research analysis, a related field, will experience 23% growth in the same period.
Earning an online political science degree can help learners obtain competitive jobs in campaigning, policy analysis, political office, and local government. Higher degrees in this field tend to result in higher salaries and more opportunities for career advancement.
Why Earn an Online Political Science Degree?
An online political science degree offers learners a convenient, flexible, and affordable format for obtaining higher education. Degree seekers and working professionals pursuing a bachelor's in political science online can tailor their education to fit their schedule thanks to a variety of learning paths, including accelerated, part-time, and full-time options. Flexible online options prove appealing for learners who must balance work, family, and education. Degree seekers can also access the online learning environment and complete assignments at their convenience and with their preferred device.
Those who pursue online liberal studies degrees also save on costs, since they do not have to pay for commuting expenses or room and board. Learners can instead focus on completing their education quickly, ultimately entering the workforce and furthering their careers at a much faster rate.
What Can I Do with a Bachelor's in Political Science?
Online political science programs confer highly versatile degrees rooted in law, sociology, and liberal studies. Students gain valuable skills and knowledge in this course of study, which can translate into a diverse range of potential job opportunities. Earning a political science bachelor's degree online also lays a strong foundation for learners interested in pursuing further education. Many aspiring attorneys, for example, complete a political science program online before proceeding to law school because it provides an excellent starting point for their professional goals.
Skills and Knowledge Gained
Degree seekers interested in earning an online political science degree can expect to acquire an impressive range of core skills and a broadly applicable knowledge base. Learners study the history and philosophy of various forms of governance, including their origin and evolution. Students examine the effects of these systems, as well as the concepts that underpin them, and analyze their use in historical and contemporary contexts. Though this knowledge base remains firmly rooted in the field, degree seekers familiarize themselves with several broad areas throughout their course of study, including law, economics, sociology, history, and geography.
An online political science degree equips learners with transferable aptitudes useful for a variety of profitable political science degree jobs. For example, students gain in analytical thinking, written communication, logical reasoning, problem-solving, and distilling complex information. Online political science programs also foster degree seekers' investigative research and data processing abilities, highly marketable skills applicable in a variety of job sectors. With a bachelor's degree, individuals can pursue a wider array of career opportunities that might not exist for for those with only an associate degree.
Careers and Salary Potential
Earning a political science degree online can prepare learners for a variety of employment opportunities across several job sectors. Industries such as those listed below offer degree seekers ample opportunity for career advancement and increased earning power. Most of these fields rely upon the same set of hard skills promoted by online political science programs. Jobs in these fields exist typically as full-time, office-based positions suitable for analytical thinkers with excellent communication skills and a propensity for creative problem-solving.
Law Firms/Legal Services: Some learners holding an online political science degree pursue careers in law firms or other legal departments. Professionals in this industry advise, represent, and provide general counsel for individuals and other corporate or governmental entities.
Advertising, Branding, and Sales Promotions: Many degree seekers interested in pursuing political science jobs turn to advertising, branding, and sales promotions for successful work. Learners in these fields develop and implement campaigns that generate public interest in a variety of services and products.
Financial Services: This industry allows individuals to put their online political science degree to work as advisors, financial consultants, and auditors. Working professionals in this field manage an organization's fiscal health and make recommendations based on market forces.
Education: Online political science programs also prepare degree seekers for effective careers in the education sector. Many learners work as postsecondary teachers in the field, while others find gainful employment as consultants for textbook publishers and other relevant entities.
Management Consulting: Degree seekers working in this industry find that the best online political science programs offer skills and knowledge directly applicable to a variety of careers. These include management analysts, who help staff reduce costs and increase revenue, and consultants, who assess and improve an organization's efficiency.
Campaign Manager
Annual Median Salary: $54,622
These professionals direct and oversee the daily operations of a political candidate's run for public office. They plan and coordinate campaign activities and public relations initiatives. They also manage the campaign budget, develop candidate platforms, and craft interfacing documents such as position papers.
Government Program Analyst
Annual Median Salary: $62,619
These individuals examine federal and state-level initiatives and develop strategies for their overall improvement. They conduct targeted research on specific projects and consult implementation staff regarding their findings. They also create performance metrics and analyze relevant data to facilitate better policy decisions.
Journalist
Annual Median Salary: $39,490
These professionals work in a variety of media outlets to create news articles, editorials, opinion pieces, and investigative reports for public consumption. Some of these outlets include newspapers, websites, news organizations, and broadcasting entities. Journalists gather and interpret pertinent facts related to current events and political developments.
Intelligence Officer
Annual Median Salary: $84,842
Working as private contractors or employees of governmental defense and intelligence agencies, these professionals collect and analyze intelligence, including photo imagery and data communications. They use this intelligence to identify patterns, develop high-level reports, and make recommendations. They also flag and secure sensitive information on behalf of their employer.
Policy Analyst
Annual Median Salary: $56,353
These individuals examine existing laws and regulations to determine their effectiveness. They also assist government officials in developing new policies. Policy analysts typically oversee and administer policy implementation and generate relevant reporting regarding limits or successes. They often synthesize this information and make recommendations to elected officials based on their findings.
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