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Important: These advising links are for current majors. To declare this major, follow instructions here.
The Department of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts has a strong tradition of providing undergraduate instruction of the highest quality. Whether you are just taking a class or two, or are planning to major in Political Science, you will find that the Department and its faculty are committed to undergraduate teaching and students. We offer a wide range of classes, from lecture-based instruction to smaller seminars, as well as internships and Honors courses. The diversity of the faculty means that the Department is able to offer a broad range of courses every semester.
Undergraduate program options include a Bachelor’s degree, a minor, the International Relations certificate, and the Data Analytics for Public Policy and Legal Studies letter of specialization.
We’ve built this webpage to serve as a dynamic hub for semester updates, event information, and useful advising links. The colorful buttons above offer quick links to the Political Science department website where a wealth of detailed program information is housed. Other buttons can connect you to academic, experiential, and career supports. If you have time, it’s worth exploring all of pages of this SBS Pathways website as your interests develop and change. We hope it will play an active role in your student success.
The SBS career team is here for you all summer, and we know that many of you have decided to hold off on your job search until after graduation. You can schedule appointments with us for up to six months …
SBS Academic Dean Brousseau-Pereira has this guide to help you think through the decision.
SBS Seniors – congratulations on your upcoming graduation! YOU DID IT! What an accomplishment! Now it’s time to tell us – what are your plans?
Are you still figuring it out? Let us know!
Have you been accepted to grad …
Important: These advising links are for current majors. To declare this major, follow instructions here.
UMass’ powerful scholarship application system. Log on with your net ID and password to get started.
The central academic support unit for undergraduate students.
We work with undergrad, grad, staff, post-doc, and faculty writers at any stage of the writing process: brainstorming and outlining, …
These weekly newsletters, grounded in the understanding that “No one is born knowing how to ‘do college,'” offer a wealth …
For any student interested in Education Abroad.
Success coaching is a personalized service to promote progression towards your desired outcomes. CMASS Coaches use a holistic, intersectional and …
Our faculty teach a wide variety of courses focusing on race, ethnicity, racism, inequality, social justice, and related issues. Students …
Students interested in pursuing departmental honors should seek out opportunities to work closely with faculty in small seminars and on …
UREP is designed to partner advanced undergraduate political science and legal studies majors with faculty for hands-on, one-on-one research experiences.
OURS has created a short Research Readiness Moodle course that provides information about getting involved in research and guides you …
The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA) at UMass helps students (and alumni who are not currently in grad school) …
OURS helps students find and access undergraduate research and scholarly opportunities on and off campus, throughout the year. We serve …
The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans. The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation. Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students. The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2020 was 60%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.
The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans. The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation. Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students. The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2021 was just shy of 60%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.
SBS graduates pursue a range of plans after graduation, including employment, continuing education, and volunteering/service, among others. This graph depicts what recent SBS graduates tell us they are doing within six months after graduation.
Students in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences at UMass Amherst build the skills employers seek, such as critical and analytical thinking, creative problem solving, communication, cultural awareness, and more. This makes our students highly attractive candidates for a wide variety of roles with an even wider range of employers and industries. The list of employers featured here is based on information reported by students or employers to SBS, or employment data that is made publicly available by students. The list is formulated based on the most-commonly reported hiring employers. Generally, the first ten on the list have hired multiple students, and after that, employers who have hired at least one SBS grad are listed in alphabetical order. Survey data indicated that a minimum of 360+ distinct employers hired UMass students in 2021.
Starting salary data is self-reported by the new graduates and is not a required field on the survey, so this data is incomplete with regard to salary ranges. Keep in mind that salaries for volunteer/service roles are, by their nature, low, and skew the averages lower. There are also students making significantly more than the average. Both cost of living (based on geographic location), and chosen industry have a significant impact on starting salaries. These data do not include information on benefits such as health insurance, tuition reimbursement, bonuses, and other important factors in a student's employment decision making process.
A majority of students in the College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, as with the University as a whole, are residents of Massachusetts. While the majority of our graduates choose to stay in Massachusetts for their first post-graduate jobs, many others accept positions all across the country, and around the world. Common first destination locations are Washington, D.C., New York City, California, and the other New England states.
The list below provides a look at the most-commonly reported graduate schools in which SBS graduates are enrolled. While many SBS graduates choose to stay at UMass Amherst for their graduate education, many others attend universities across the country and around the world.
The variety of fields of study selected by SBS graduates is a good indication of their diverse interests, and their desire to both expand and deepen their understanding of their area of interest.
We don’t have enough student data to show you these results.