Departmental Career Overview
The Department of Political Science prepares Southern students for a variety of careers. These include government service, business and finance, teaching, law, the media, data analysis, and non-profit management. Our students not only develop the skills needed for success in the workplace, but also the skills needed to be informed and active citizens. In educating our students, it should be noted Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce (2015) found that political science majors earn above the median income for all college majors and are second in earning only to economists in the social sciences.
General Career Assistance
SCSU students have the opportunity to work collaboratively with department faculty to receive career assistance through academic advising sessions, academic coursework, and departmental events throughout the year. Each year the department hosts at least one event bringing alumni to campus to meet with current majors as a method of helping students to find and enter a career. These opportunities are advertised via email to all majors, as well as through the department’s Facebook page and Twitter feed. Additionally, the Office of Career and Professional Development is available to provide various levels of focused career assistance. Students should visit the Office of Career and Professional Development throughout their tenure at Southern.
Internship and Experiential Learning Opportunities
Students gain and apply political science insights through a variety of ways within the Greater New Haven area, the State of Connecticut, New England region, and throughout the United States. A sample of student opportunities include the following:
- Internships – The department has a well-established internship program. Students work with the department’s coordinator to find an internship that meets their specific needs. Frequent placements include public defender's offices in the state, U.S. Congress and Senate offices, the Connecticut General Assembly, and municipal governments. The university also offers the Washington Center Internship program, through which students spend a semester in Washington, D.C.
- Independent Study – Our students have the opportunity to pursue their individual interests and satisfy their curiosity in the discipline through the proposal of an independent study. The Independent study will then be completed under the guidance and supervision of department faculty members.
- Student Research – Political Science students have the opportunity to work collaboratively with current faculty in the completion of a research project. Students will be encouraged to present the results of their research at the university’s undergraduate research conference and to submit their work for presentation at regional conferences like the New England Political Science Association’s Annual Conference, held each spring.
- Volunteer opportunities – Political Science students are actively encouraged to participate in politics and to volunteer with nonprofit organizations and congressional campaigns. The department informs majors of various opportunities through email and its Facebook and Twitter feed. The department’s intern coordinator also aids students seeking volunteer opportunities.
Success Stories of Recent Graduates
Graduates of the Department of Political Science go into a variety of careers or enter graduate programs. Sample graduates have transitioned to the following:
- University of Minnesota Master's in Public Policy Program and City Planner Certification
- University of Syracuse School of Law
- Quinnipiac University School of Law
- University of Connecticut Master's in Public Policy Program
- Program Officer – FreedomHouse.org
- Connecticut Police Academy
- Materials Associate – Pratt and Whitney
- Media Relations Assistant – American Enterprise Institute
- Reunification Specialist at Boys & Girls Village, Inc.
- City of New Haven Assessor Clerk