You can choose to do many things with a Political Science degree, however, the most obvious career choice is to become a Political Scientist. In some instances, you may obtain an entry-level position within this field with an online Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, however, most likely, you will need and want to earn a master’s degree, as well.
What does a Political Scientist do? As we know, the process of a scientist involves an inquiry paired with a curiosity to accumulate information or resolve an issue. The Political Scientist’s responsibilities are similar. They take on a specific issue, such as our economic policy and how it effects our government. They gather data, process it, as a scientist would, to come up with a viable solution or a feasible study that is often published in book form or in an academic journal.
In addition, there are several ways the Political Scientist may choose to honor their field of expertise. With your online Bachelor’s degree in Political Science as a stepping stone, perhaps you would like to eventually throw your hat into the political arena. Positions such as Mayor or any other elected official puts you in the middle of the political process, or your interest may lie in becoming a Lobbyist for a particular cause. If you have the passion to make a difference in the community you live in, direct action is the way to go. If you are interested in consulting on political matters that you have researched and analyzed, you may offer your services to election offices or corporations.
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Government employment, within the field of political science, involves sharing your research with local, state or federal levels. Working through the political commentary aspect would involve studying the popular issues of the day and expressing your opinion, derived from your research and analysis, and relaying your findings to the public through various media outlets, for example, through television, the internet, newspapers or radio.
While earning your online Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, you will learn about American government, in which some Political Scientist choose to specialize in as they study the individual organizations that make up our government. Comparative politics is studied to compare differences in each country’s democracies, in order to analyze the best use of our institutions. In the field of economics, you will learn how government money is regulated and within the topic of international relations, the focus is upon foreign policy and national security. If you are interested in human rights, the study of political theory and philosophy will help you understand the way our government effects our society.
The Political Scientist offers their opinions on government, political issues and the process solely on scientific information that they obtain through their own research and analysis. Their personal opinions or political party preference is not allowed to sway their research and results. They must be objective and impartial, always, and their conclusions must be based on scientific evidence.
As previously stated, earning your online Bachelor’s degree in Political Science is a necessary step in becoming a Political Scientist, however, the knowledge you will gain from the program will be informative, beneficial and crucial to your next adventure of earning your master’s degree. If you are interested in this field, please see our choices for the Top 20 Online Schools for Bachelor’s in Political Science degree programs.