Discover 13 opportunities in political science

With September upon us and campuses around the globe preparing for the coming school year, many recent graduates face a harsh reminder that student life is over and it’s time to plunge headlong into the workforce. Yet, sometimes landing that first career-oriented position can be tough, particularly in today’s economic climate.

Summer schools are ideal locations for not just learning new skills and ideas, but also for networking with your peers and senior figures in your field. Plus they can be a lot of fun! If you have the time over the summer break, spending a week or two at a summer school can be an helpful step along your career path.

Summer schools are ideal locations for not just learning new skills and ideas, but also for networking with your peers and senior figures in your field. Plus they can be a lot of fun! If you have the time over the summer break, spending a week or two at a summer school can be an helpful step along your career path.

The study of politics as a social science has a long and rich history, with many great academic institutions offering courses and research in the discipline. Along with International Relations, the ongoing relevance of Political Science is reflected in the high quality of programs of study and research. Many of the best-known politics departments are located in institutions within the United States, but outstanding departments can also be found in other countries including Australia, Singapore, China, and Japan.

When you're looking for the best institutions for your subject, it's important to consider the standing of not only the institution as a whole, but also the specific department in which you wish to study or research. Although it's a matter of debate what makes the very best academic departments, there are some universally-recognised leaders in each discipline.

Summer schools are a great way to learn and network over the holiday time. You can meet fellow students and senior researchers, learn new methodologies or research specific topics, and practice your presentation and debate skills. Plus you get to travel to a new place or even a new country, to enjoy the summertime in a new place. Make the most of your summer by enrolling on a summer school offered by some of the top universities in the world.

Following our highly discussed list of 30 Top Twitter Feeds in Economics and Finance, we wanted to keep the conversation going by sharing our selection of top Twitter feeds in political science. This list includes academics, researchers, journalists and many others who focus on political science, politics, international relations, public policy and related fields.

Although summer is just getting underway in many parts of the world, fall application season is waiting just around the corner. Whether you’re a recent graduate or a professional looking to step back into academia, finding the right PhD program is not always an easy process. For that reason, it’s important to start reviewing your options early. In a post a few months back we highlighted the global Top 20 Political Science Departments, and in this post we’d like to narrow that list to the graduate level while focusing specifically on Europe and the United States.

While plenty of people both within and outside of academia hold strong opinions regarding which institutions have the best political science departments, there are some schools that stand at the top of everyone’s list. Whether you agree or disagree with rankings, the reality is that they matter for students and professionals alike. As of 2013, 20% of political science professors in the United States earned their PhDs at one of four institutions (note that there are nearly 3,000 universities in the U.S.), which happen to hold the top four spots in U.S. News and World Report Rankings.

As another season of graduate school applications comes to a close, we wanted to offer a few diverse perspectives on the matter for any of you still on the fence, or for those of you planning ahead for next year. Although deadlines for this coming fall have already passed for most schools in North America, potential PhD candidates looking at European, Asian, African or Latin American schools may still have some time to send in an application.