Your degree in political science or international affairs can open many doors for career paths. The key is preparation and persistence in your exploration and search for jobs. Be sure to look into internship options on our internships page. Get help putting together your résumé from the University of Nevada, Reno Career Studio. Talk to faculty and those who are in the career paths you are interested in. Explore the websites below that have links to job boards in fields related to political science and international affairs. These resources have descriptions of careers and advice on getting where you want to go, or discovering a new route you hadn't thought of. This list does not constitute a formal endorsement nor guarantee of results.
Career Corner
Political Science, International Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Information and Job Boards
You might find it helpful to start by looking at the American Political Science Association. This site explains different opportunities for political science and policy students.
This website has free resources on jobs in the federal government, including information on pathway programs and advice on applying to federal positions.
O*Net is a U.S. Department of Labor sponsored website that has complied data and information of jobs across the United States. It is not a resource to apply for jobs, but to find information about job descriptions, duties and benefits.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has collected data on different statistics of jobs in the United states. Students can find data on trends of employment rates in different fields as well as statistics regarding employment habits. This is a helpful resource for exploring the realities of different types of jobs.
The American Political Science Association (APSA) has a database of job listings that are primarily in higher education and of those, primarily for positions as professors, lecturers, or instructors, which typically require a Ph.D. APSA eJobs is available to members of the APSA; there are reduced fees for students.
This APSIA is a comprehensive resource for international affairs students that explains different fields students can work. Each field includes information on the field, how to enter the field, links with additional resources and potential example employers.
The Balance Careers is a company that has some informational articles on applying for jobs. This section of their website gives a free short summary of 10 different jobs someone with a political science degree can purse along with salary and job outlook.
Princeton Review allows you to search for a career and find articles that give in-depth explanations of what a day-to-day in a particular job entails. It also gives the realities of what qualifications and experience you need.
The student experience
Research opportunities for students
We have a number of faculty members engaged in individual and collaborative research efforts, which are widely published by academic presses and in political science journals. Students have the opportunity to work with faculty members in areas of research including American politics, comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public administration and policy.
Internships for experience
Political science internships allow students to broaden their exploration of political life by augmenting coursework with real-life experience. Political science internships offer students the opportunity to explore potential careers in the field, network, apply coursework, build their résumé and receive academic credit. Internship opportunities are available at the local, state, national and international levels in various public, non-profit and private organizations.