There are four ways in which students can graduate with a Political Science degree in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies at York University. There are honours Political Science majors, honours double majors (those who major in Political Science and another subject at the same time), specialized honours majors in Public Policy and Administration and a regular (three-year) majors degree.
Since the study of Political Science revolves around the way the world works in power terms, a background in this discipline is an excellent preparation for many careers that span from teaching to journalism. Some obvious choices are: pursuing graduate degrees in Political Science, Public Administration or Business (MA, MPA or MBA); going into Law (LLB); finding a job in the public service or in a government policy development position; or securing employment in the private sector, in a business-government relations posting, for instance.
There are also other avenues for a Political Science graduate. For example, there is employment in voluntary organizations, in the not-for-profit sector or in non-governmental organizations at home and abroad; there is the possibility of working in, or setting up private research and/or consulting firms; and there is the option of being a writer or finding a job in the publishing scene. Regardless of which route is taken, most graduates have glowing comments about the usefulness of their Political Science courses for their work.
Both private and public employers like to hire Political Science graduates, and liberal arts graduates more generally, because they are creative and innovative. They have honed their analytical, writing, research and interpersonal skills, all of which are necessary for success in employment. As a result, liberal arts graduates have rates of employment that are among the highest of any category of university or college graduate in Canada.
In addition to being eminently employable, liberal arts graduates, and Political Science graduates in particular, have a solid basis for understanding how problems, big and small, can be solved from a political perspective. Overall, Political Science graduates have earned an education that sets the stage for an interesting and full life.
Unsure about your future with a degree in Political Science? In our Alumni section past York University graduates discuss the benefits of a degree in Political Science, and a listing of some of York's successful graduates can help you discover where your future may be.
With the help of different resources at York, I gained professional experience in my field prior to graduating. One of the highlights of my university career was my internship in Uganda, where I worked in fields of development and environment. Besides professional benefits, the internship was also full of adventures and discoveries of new cultures and languages. I even managed to pick up some local languages. Overall, my education at York has helped me to become a type of a person I always wanted be—educated, professional, well traveled, and adventurous.
— Aibakyt Baekova
Alumna, Global Political Studies
