Department of Political Science

University of Notre Dame

Graduate, Professional, and Career Opportunities

Like other majors in the College of Arts and Letters, the Political Science major is best understood as part of a liberal education. Although most of our majors go on to professional careers, Political Science is not a pre-professional degree.

A major in Political Science provides students with the background they need to participate in political life as citizens and in some cases as advocates, decision makers, and office holders.

It helps students develop reading, writing, and analytical skills for academic and professional careers, while providing students with the background they need to participate in political life as citizens and in some cases as advocates, decision makers, and office holders. Our most fundamental commitment is to prepare them for a lifetime of learning rather than any particular entry-level job.

For students considering grad school. . .

The intellectual opportunities afforded Political Science majors make them excellent and successful candidates for graduate and professional school. Every lecture attended, each essay written, each project proposed prepares the student of Political Science for further education. After graduation, many of our majors choose to pursue graduate study in law school, public policy, and foreign affairs.

Others choose to work for service organizations, government, or business. Many work for a year or two in Washington, in service activities, or in the private sector before deciding whether to attend graduate or professional school.

Interested in graduate school? 

And for those contemplating employment . . .

A wide variety of employers, including financial and consulting companies as well as government and non-profit agencies, prize the skills possessed by Notre Dame Political Science majors, who are excellent communicators, capable researchers, and knowledgeable citizens of the world.

Notre Dame's Career Center provides a variety of resources that help students organize their search for employment after graduation.  It also hosts a number of large career fairs on campus and in major cities that all students are able to attend.

In addition, the American Political Science Association publishes several booklets regarding this topic. They are:

• "Careers and the Study of Political Science: A Guide for Undergraduates"
• "Storming Washington: An Intern's Guide"