Your degree in Political Science, Public Administration 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, public administration or 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.
Careers in Political Science and Public Affairs
Career resources
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.
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.
This detailed site enables searching for jobs with the U.S. Federal Government and provides information about how to apply.
The U.S. State Department has numerous internship and job opportunities, and their websites have information about jobs in other, related, federal agencies.
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.
Model United Nations
Interested in international politics and affairs? Have you ever wondered how countries negotiate in formal settings? How do they persuade other countries to go along with their proposals? How much informal politicking goes on behind the formal presentations and votes? How effective are they at ameliorating critical problems such as famines and civil war? Find out and learn by participating in the Model UN Club, and by taking our IAFF300 Model United Nations course. Students in the Model UN course have the option of participating in the regional Model UN Conference that takes place late Spring, annually, in San Francisco. Thanks to the generosity of the Judy Nowland & Harry M. Chase, Jr. Scholarship Endowment, we have funds to pay students’ travel expenses.
For more information, contact Nicholas Seltzer.
Pi Sigma Alpha
Pi Sigma Alpha is the national honor society for political science. Founded in 1920 at the University of Texas, its purpose is to stimulate scholarship and intelligent interests in political science. The Delta Xi chapter was established at the University of Nevada, Reno in 1964 and has inducted more than 900 members. Members enjoy the recognition of their achievement, the opportunity to participate in national conferences and leadership opportunities within the organization.
For more information, contact Nicholas Seltzer.