Careers
Study Political Science. Do Anything.
What can I do with a Political Science major?
Our graduates are able to work in a wide variety of fields due largely to the skills they learn here. Skills that include performing research, analyzing data, problem solving, articulating complex thoughts and theories, and writing clearly and concisely.
Many of our graduates go on to graduate or professional school right away or after working in the field. We have recent graduates working in the State Department, in Congress as legislative assistants, serving in the Peace Corps, clerking for judges, producing Broadway shows, teaching high school, working on Wall Street, and in just about every profession you can think of.
Skills you'll learn
- Ability to articulate complex thoughts and theories
- Effective oral communication
- Strong writing
- Team Work
- Critical thinking and analytical reasoning
- Ability to apply knowledge to real-world settings
- Ethical judgment and decision making
- Ability to analyze and solve problems with people from different backgrounds
Kaitlin Sullivan '10
Product Policy Manager, Facebook
"A lot of the job involves critical thinking. It’s taking what seems like an overwhelming issue, breaking it down, and addressing each part.”
Sullivan majored in political science and minored in philosophy, politics and economics. After graduating, she completed two years of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps.
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Kaitlin Sullivan '10
Product Policy Manager, Facebook
"A lot of the job involves critical thinking. It’s taking what seems like an overwhelming issue, breaking it down, and addressing each part.”
Sullivan majored in political science and minored in philosophy, politics and economics. After graduating, she completed two years of service with Jesuit Volunteer Corps.
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Patrick Vassel '07
Associate Director of 'Hamilton'
"It’s the way you reason, the way you argue, the way you research. Those things have been tremendously useful in all of my directing, but certainly on Hamilton.”
He majored in political science, intending to work in Washington, D.C., and completed a minor in the Hesburgh Program in Public Service. To round out his education, he also took courses in peace studies and film, television, and theatre.
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Mallory Brown '06
Principal at Egon Zehnder
"At Notre Dame, you very quickly learned how to make an argument and see the holes in the argument,”
A political science major and a German minor in the College of Arts and Letters, Brown has spent her entire career with Egon Zehnder, a global management consulting and executive search firm.
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Bill Dirksen ’82
Vice President of Ford Motor Company
“The liberal education I received at Notre Dame really taught me how to learn, how to analyze, and, at the most fundamental level, how to problem-solve.
And that’s what most businesses are looking for—people who know how to solve problems.”
Dirksen, who majored in economics and government major in the College of Arts and Letters, is now vice president of labor affairs at Ford Motor Company. He is responsible for global labor relations, negotiating with unions that represent about three-fourths of Ford’s 200,000 employees.
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Katie Fallon ’98
SVP at Hilton Worldwide, Former White House Director
“It's very easy to lose track of how to form arguments in a way that can really change minds. At Notre Dame, this ability is really drilled into you from day one."
Prior to her present position at Hilton Worldwide, Fallon was the director of legislative affairs at the White House for President Barack Obama, working to improve the relationship between Congress and the Office of the President.
98% of recent Notre Dame Political Science majors found full-time employment, enrolled in graduate school, entered service programs, served in the military or launched independent projects within six months of graduation.
Further Reading
Source: Outcomes data comes from Notre Dame Center for Career Development's first destination reports 2012–2016.