Careers in politics

What kind of job can politics graduates do?

To help you get an idea of the sort of career you could have in politics, we've put together a list of job titles of some of our recent graduates. They include:

• Parliamentary Researcher
• Civil Servant
• Policy Internship
• Media Monitor (Research)
• Lobbyist
• Public Relations

Some of our students have gone on to work in the Scottish and UK Parliaments as MSPs and MPs, committee clerks and researchers too. Others now work in journalism for media organisations like the BBC, ITV, Sky, The Guardian, The Times and The Herald.

A politics degree can also help you embark on a career in the civil service, within public sector companies like Scottish Water or Scottish Enterprise, or local government. Our international outlook has given our students the opportunity to work with the European Union along with obtaining research positions in international higher education institutions.

Teaching is also an option. With a degree in politics, you can go on to teach Modern Studies and Politics.

Bear in mind that you have the option of combining politics, at undergraduate level, with another subject within the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, or Strathclyde Business School, which can help widen your career options.

How much can you earn in politics?

£22,000 is the average salary of our graduates six months after finishing the course. The typical salary range is from £18,000 to £29,000.

What skills will you need?

If you're looking for a career in politics, there are a few key skills you'll need to have under your belt.

Here are some of the skills you'll gain while sudying politics here:

• applying concepts, theories and methods used in the study of politics and international relations to the analysis of global political ideas, institutions and practices 
• demonstrating knowledge and understanding of different political systems, the nature and distribution of power in them along with the social, economic, historical and cultural contexts within which they operate, and the relationships between them
• evaluating different interpretations of world political issues and events
• understanding the nature and significance of politics as a global activity

You'll also gain the ability to:

• gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from secondary and primary sources
• Identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems
• construct reasoned argument, based on relevant information and critical judgement
• manage and reflect onyour learning and make use of constructive feedback
• gain effective, fluent communication in speech and writing
• use information technology to retrieve and present information, including statistical or numerical data 
• work independently, demonstrate initiative, self-organisation and time-management
• collaborate with others to achieve common goals

What next?

If you're beginning to think about your career in politics, simply get in touch with our careers service and they'll be happy to help.