CAREER DIRECTIONS
Political Science

• National Government
• State and Local Government
• Internships/Field Experience
• Teaching, Research, Graduate Work
• Law
• Law Enforcement

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Graduates with training in political science often occupy administrative positions in the civil service, which offers the advantage of an established promotional system. NDSU works with regional colleges in conducting student internships for the study of the federal government in North Dakota, Minnesota and Washington, D.C.

STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The greatest expansion in government is currently taking place at the state and local level. Political science students at NDSU may gain experience in this area by participating in internships in Fargo, Moorehead, and Bismarck.

INTERNSHIP / FIELD EXPERIENCE

The Department of Criminal Justice and Political Science is able to place students in local, state and national government, where they can experience first-hand the functioning of government. The department has available a Professional-Degree Program, whereby students can prepare for careers in government service and in management with political party organizations. To assist students in preparing for such careers, an internship program has been initiated.

TEACHING, REASEARCH, AND GRADUATE WORK

Political science offers an excellent background for graduate work. In a study of Graduate Record Examination scores, it was found that of all the social sciences, students of political science scored highest on the verbal ability test. Opportunities for continuing research and graduate work for political science students are available at NDSU in our Graduate Program. Teaching assistantships are also available.

LAW

Many students interested in attending law school elect political science as an undergraduate major. Political science provides an analytical and substantive background relevant to the study of law. The department offers a special program of pre-law advisement. Students considering law may participate in the Student Advocate Program, which is a body of student advisors capable of assisting other students in dealing with the problems of apartment rentals, medical and auto insurance claims, traffic citations, and consumer complaints. The student advocates also offer referral information regarding the local Small Claims' Court, Legal Aid Office, and Lawyer Referral Service. The law profession in Fargo-Moorhead makes possible the observation of about 100 lawyers. Law schools that political science graduates have attended include: U of North Dakota, U of Minnesota, U of Washington, Northwestern, Duke, George Washington, and others. The Department of Criminal Justice & Political Science works closely with the Pre-Law Club, which is designed to provide students with information about law schools, entrance examinations, and career opportunities in the field of law.

LAW-ENFORCEMENT

Law-enforcement agencies are now making an effort to hire more people trained at the university level. The Department of Criminal Justice & Political Science cooperates with other departments to offer training to students interested in entering the field and in continuing education for law-enforcement officials.

LINKS

• NDSU's Career Center is an obvious first step!
  
• American Political Science Association's Guide to Jobs Online has a lot of information for graduate students.
  
• Charles Helm has an excellent website on Political Science Careers.
  
• DePaul University's Department of Political Science is also excellent.
  
• Indiana University of Pennsylvania also has some information.
  

Webmaster:marsha.allahar@ndsu.edu (701) 231-8567 Last Modified: July 16, 2007