Paul Hensel's Political Science Page

Political Science Departments

If you are considering studying Political Science, these lists might help you identify potential departments for you. If you are considering graduate school, though, the best approach is to talk with faculty at your undergraduate institution, as they may have more insight to offer than just listing hundreds of departments.

APSA List of U.S. Political Science Departments

Graduate School in Political Science

If you want to work in academics -- whether teaching at anything between a community college and an Ivy League university, or doing research at a think tank or government agency -- you will need a graduate degree, most likely a Ph.D.

APSA list of doctoral programs
- Questions to ask when considering a grad school
GradSchools.com lists Political Science masters programs and doctoral programs
US News and World Report ranks Political Science graduate programs (although any unified ranking of all departments -- particularly reputational surveys like this one -- may be misleading if you are considering a particular subfield or specialization)

Careers with a Political Science Degree

Many undergraduates wonder what they can do with a Political Science degree if they do not want to go to graduate school or law school.

APSA Careers in Political Science page
FSU College of Social Sciences, Careers in the Social Sciences
UNT Department of Political Science, Career Resources

Political Science majors develop a number of skills that make them valuable to employers in almost any field, particularly in the areas of critical thinking (questioning evidence and considering multiple perspectives before drawing a conclusion), analytical thinking (drawing conclusions from systematic analysis of evidence), and written communication (expressing thoughts and conclusions in coherent writing). Unlike some trendier majors that prepare students for a single career choice, these types of skills are much more flexible and adaptable, and help to prepare students for a variety of different careers. The following articles offer examples of employers -- many in technical fields where STEM majors, not social science/liberal arts majors, are seen as typical hires -- recognizing the value of these skills:

CNBC (2017) Google Exec, Mark Cuban Agree that These College Majors Are the Most Robot-Resistant ("artificial intelligence will automate many jobs involving technical tasks, such as an accountant's. Jobs that rely more on personal judgement, critical thinking and creativity -- skills more often associated with a liberal arts degree -- are less at risk, he says. 'Knowing how to critically think and assess them from a global perspective I think is going to be more valuable.'")
Forbes (2015), That 'Useless' Liberal Arts Degree Has Become Tech's Hottest Ticket ("software companies are discovering that liberal arts thinking makes them stronger. Engineers may still command the biggest salaries, but at disruptive juggernauts such as Facebook and Uber, the war for talent has moved to nontechnical jobs")
Forbes (2016), What Can You Do With That (Useless) Liberal Arts Degree? A Lot More Than You Think ("Employees hailing from a liberal arts background have honed valuable skills that might be left underdeveloped in other majors. Business value these graduates' critical thinking skills, communication abilities, and creativity. The breadth of focus gives the students knowledge that can help them thrive in a wide variety of fields.")
Seattle Times (2018), "Liberal Arts Degree Delivers Liberal Earnings and Job Satisfaction" ("She realized Google was most concerned that she could write and speak well, think critically and creatively, assess problems from a multitude of vantage points, and analyze trends and data. These are skills forged in the humanities and social sciences - the very subjects our students are currently avoiding.")
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2017), "Putting Your Liberal Arts Degree to Work" ("'Regardless of the industry, we need people who can solve problems, write well, speak well, bring multiple perspectives to decision-making; we need people who are good managers, who are cross-culturally competent,' he says. 'All of that is liberal arts.'")
U.S. News and World Report (2014), "There is Value in Liberal Arts Education, Employers Say" ("employers readily identify the creative, communicative and problem-solving acumen traditionally associated with liberal arts majors as the most valuable attributes of new hires.")
Washington Post (2015), "Tech Companies Are Hiring More Liberal-arts Majors than You Think" ("The philosophy behind liberal arts, which encourages diversity of skills and flexible critical thinking, transfers to the workplace in various forms")
Washington Post (2017), "The Surprising Thing Google Learned about its Employees — And What It Means for Today’s Students" ("among the eight most important qualities of Google's top employees, STEM expertise comes in dead last. The seven top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills: being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others' different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one's colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas.")

Political Science Organizations

American Political Science Association (APSA) (the leading organization for Political Science in the U.S.)
- APSA Sections
International Studies Association (ISA) (the leading organization for international relations/international studies in the world, including many scholars from countries beyond the U.S. and departments beyond Political Science)
- ISA Sections
- Regional ISA Associations:

A few other major organizations (nowhere near a complete list):
- APSA also maintains lists of Domestic/Regional and State-based associations in the U.S., and National and International organizations beyond U.S. borders, as well as lists of Area Studies Organizations. ISA maintains a list of Partner Organizations.
- International Political Science Association (IPSA)
- Latin American Studies Association (LASA)
- Midwest Political Science Association
- Northeastern Political Science Association
- Peace Science Society International
- Southern Political Science Association
- Southwestern Political Science Association
- Western Political Science Association

Political Science-Related Journals

It is beyond the scope of this web site to maintain a complete list of all journals that publish relevant research, but these are many of the leading journals that political scientists read and publish in:

External Funding Sources

External research funding is becoming an increasingly important part of the discipline. This section includes both lists of funding agencies and direct links to some of the more useful agencies that support Political Science research.

APSA List of Grants. Fellowships, and Funding Opportunities
The Foundation Center ("your gateway to philanthropy on the World Wide Web")
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Minerva Research Initiative (from the U.S. Department of Defense)
National Science Foundation
Social Science Research Council
United States Institute of Peace
Woodrow Wilson Center

Paul Hensel's Political Science Page

Paul R. Hensel
University of North Texas

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Related Pages

Political Science Departments

Graduate School in Political Science

Careers with a Political Science Degree

Political Science Organizations

Political Science-Related Journals

External Funding Sources

Paul Hensel's Political Science Page

Paul R. Hensel University of North Texas

Home CV ICOW Teaching Data

Page Index

Related Pages

Political Science Departments

Graduate School in Political Science

Careers with a Political Science Degree

Political Science Organizations

Political Science-Related Journals

External Funding Sources

Paul R. Hensel
University of North Texas