Careers

With a B.A. in Political Science, your career options are as diverse as your interests. Many graduates go on to law school and become attorneys or judges, while others build careers in government as policy analysts, legislative aides, or diplomats. Some work in international organizations or NGOs as human rights advocates, development specialists, or program managers. Others thrive in the private sector as consultants, corporate strategists, or public affairs professionals. Still more enter journalism, political communications, or campaign management, shaping how ideas reach the public. Along the way, the skills you develop—research, writing, critical thinking, and leadership—make you a strong candidate in nearly any field. If you want a degree that connects your passion for politics with real-world impact and marketable career paths, political science is the right choice. Studies on employer preferences show that the writing and research skills and creative thinking abilities fostered by a political science degree are widely sought in the contemporary job market.

Niche: "The national average salary for political science and government graduates in the United States is $85,000 per year. Those in the top 10 percent make over $235,000 a year, while the bottom 10 percent make under $29,100 a year. While salary ranges can vary by role, industry, and location, political science and government graduates typically make between $50,000 and $144,000 per year."
 

Political Science majors from Cal State LA are regularly admitted to national and regional law schools. In recent years, students have been accepted to such institutions as Boston College, Chapman University, Columbia University, DePaul University, Loyola Marymount University Law School, New York University, Pepperdine, Southwestern, University of La Verne, UC Davis, UC Law San Francisco, University of Chicago, Yale University, University of San Diego, and the University of Santa Clara. 

Our students have been accepted for graduate training (for MA or PhD degrees) at a wide range of institutions, including Arizona State University, Brown University, Claremont Graduate School, Columbia University, Emory University, Princeton, Florida State University, George Washington University, the London School of Economics, the New School (NYC), Princeton University, Purdue University, University of Hawaii, UC Santa Barbara, UC Riverside, University of Southern California, and University of Texas at Austin. 

Cal State LA graduates have occupied important positions in the public sector at the federal, state, and local levels. At least eight graduates of Cal State LA have served as members of the United States House of Representatives. One of our alumni, Sasha Perez (BA in 2016), is currently the youngest member of the California State Senate. Another graduate, Salvador Melendez (BA in 2013), is currently the Mayor of Montebello, and when elected to the Montebello City Council in 2019 was the youngest councilmember in Montebello's history. 

You can learn more about political science careers at the website of the American Political Science Association and on College Express. Students are encouraged to consult with department faculty about their plans for after graduation. 

Occupations