Many children dream of growing up to be a senator, or governor, or the president, or to join the ranks of public servants who ensure the smooth functioning of governments around the globe. Many of these students major in political science, which makes it one of the most popular majors, alongside computer science, engineering, biology, and business.
Of course, there are a lot of political science programs in the US; most colleges offer one, or something similar. With that much choice, students want to know which are the best. This is hard to measure and quantify, but in this article we’re going to explore what makes a political science program great, and then explore some specific poli-sci programs which are widely regarded to be the best at preparing students for future careers. Let’s get started!
What Makes a Good Political Science Program?
There are many many metrics by which a program can be measured, but here we run into other problems. The first is that many of these are nebulous, such as academic rigor and reputation. For hard data, political science is an outlier. Many majors you can directly look at career outcomes data by comparing salaries, but most public service jobs are not high paying. Money is not the reason most people go into politics.
Instead, when looking at these programs, we try to consider the following:
- Career outcomes. If a program sends a particularly high number of students to public service, then they must be doing something right.
- Graduate admissions success. Many students interested in public service continue on to get masters degrees or enroll in law school. How successful a college is at preparing students for these is important.
- Student opportunities. Partnerships, internship opportunities, special research programs; all the things outside of classwork which prepare you for your chosen career.
Of course, some consideration is also given to general prestige and academic rigor. We all pretend that the prestige of a school doesn’t really matter, but in some fields, especially politics, it very much does.
Public Policy Majors
We also want to include a quick note on public policy majors. These are akin to political science, but are more focused on the meat of how public policy works, rather than the more theoretical side embraced by political science. Both are rigorous and rewarding majors, and both can do a good job at preparing you for a job in government.
Public policy is, however, a far less popular major, and offered by far fewer colleges. As it is slightly less common, it can be a good choice of major for students who would otherwise apply for political science, as you are much more likely to stand out applying for public policy.
Top Colleges for Political Science
This is not a definitive list, and there are many schools which do a great job at preparing students for careers in politics that will not make this list. We cannot go over every school however, and so will instead give a sampling of top programs. These are presented in alphabetical order, with one exception.
Georgetown University
Georgetown is uniquely positioned to be a great school to study political science, and we mean that literally. Located in Washington DC, mere miles from the halls of power of the US government, Georgetown has a long tradition of training great public servants, and has many connections with government that other schools do not.
We should note that Georgetown does not technically have a major labeled political science. They do have an entire undergraduate college dedicated to foreign service, and majors in government, international politics, political economy, and public policy. Georgetown simply offers many more options, and many more specialized options, than pretty much any other college when it comes to preparing for a career in government.
The opportunities for research, internships, and the chance to make connections with like minded students are all part of the experience. Living in DC is a perk as well, and many students stay after graduation. Georgetown does perhaps take student government too seriously when compared to other schools, but is that really a surprise?
The rest of the schools we will be discussing are in alphabetical order, for your convenience.
Columbia
Located in the heart of New York City, Columbia’s political science program allows students to focus on politics alone, or to combine their studies with economics or statistics. All students choose to specialize in one of four possible subfields: American Politics, International Relations, Comparative Politics, or Political Theory.
There are a number of prizes and fellowships available to political science students. These range from cash prizes in recognition of exemplary essays to research fellowships. There are additional research opportunities in the department, and students are encouraged to complete research under the guidance of a professor. Columbia has connections with local politics in New York, and its law school regularly secures clerkships with constitutional judges.
Dartmouth
Dartmouth’s political science program offers four potential specialties: American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. You can also combine your studies with economics, philosophy, or both at once, for a more nuanced approach to governance.
Dartmouth is famously somewhat isolated, but they still provide extensive opportunities to students for research and internships. Many of these need to take place off campus, but their summer internship opportunities and connections are extensive. There are a select number of grants available to political science students as well. Most of these are to fund research, or to defray costs associated with research, such as attending conferences.
Harvard
Harvard has something of a reputation for turning out politicians, to the extent that there is an entire Wikipedia article listing all of them. Not all of this may be attributed to Harvard however; students like JFK and FDR had some other connections to politics even before enrolling in the school. That said, Harvard’s reputation and connections give you a lot of options as a student of politics.
The program itself offers all students the chance to complete an honors thesis based on original research, and has five optional specialties for students who want to focus their studies on a particular area. Their research and internships opportunities allow you to make connections within and outside of Harvard itself. Harvard also benefits from its name and alumni network, especially for its law school. Students who want to be on the Supreme Court, or amongst the higher echelon of judges, frequently attend Harvard law school. Undergraduates at Harvard have a slight edge in applications to this school as well.
Stanford
Located on the far side of the country from the nation’s capital, Stanford nonetheless has a strong tradition in political science, and boasts a significant collection of politicians amongst its alumni. The major itself lets students decide what areas they want to focus on, and allows all students the option of completing a degree with honors. The honors program requires students undertake original research, and complete an honors thesis.
Students interested in pursuing research in political science may also take part in the summer research college. This program provides a stipend, and allows students to assist faculty members with their research projects. For more on what their students do post graduation, they maintain a featured alumni page.
University of Pennsylvania
Political science majors at Penn choose to focus in one of four areas: International Relations, American Politics, Comparative Politics, and Political Theory. While they aren’t quite as well known as Harvard and Yale, their ranks of alumni demonstrate that they’ve been turning out dedicated and competent civil servants since the founding of the United States.
Beyond just coursework, students are encouraged to take part in research under faculty guidance. While they are located somewhat of a commute from the capital, the Penn in Washington program allows students to spend a semester studying and interning in Washington DC. While this program is not exclusive to political science majors, it is of great interest to many of them, because what better place to learn about politics than the room where it happens?
Yale
With a remarkable alumni track record, Yale has turned out a startling number of politicians. While some had other help getting into politics, what they learned at Yale definitely helped along the way. The major is the second largest at Yale, and offers students both advanced academic opportunities, and support for outside projects. All students in the major are required to complete a senior thesis, this can be done over a semester or a full year of study.
On top of the connections you make at Yale as an undergraduate, students from Yale are more likely to end up at Yale or Harvard law schools. These law schools are the top feeders for the SUpreme Court, and are some of the top centers for constitutional law. While attending Yale as an undergraduate does not guarantee you will make it into one of these law schools, it does position you well to apply.
Final Thoughts
Politics is complicated, and everyone has a strong opinion on it. That said, the operations of government require far more than just politicians, and hundreds of dedicated civil servants help keep the wheels spinning. While you can receive training for these positions from many top universities, some schools by their connections and options provide a better foundation for those interested in a career in politics.
We hope that this article has given you a solid foundation in understanding what some of these programs are, and what makes a political science program good. Of course, the ones we listed here are far from the only viable political science programs, and there are many great ones we did not cover. If you want help applying for a political science program, or in trying to make your application stand out for one of the most popular majors out there, schedule a free consultation today. We have a long experience helping students follow their educational dreams, and are always happy to hear from you.
