Political Science

Welcome to the Political Science Community

Majors study political life in the varied contexts in which it occurs—institutions, social movements, power relations, elections, political culture, ideas, and war. The major emphasizes issues central to public life such as democracy, citizenship, participation, inequality, global forces, institutions, and governance. A purpose of the Political Science major is to help educate a reflective and engaged citizenry capable of sharing power and responsibility in a contemporary democracy. The curriculum supports this goal first by developing students’ skills in critical thinking and comprehending complex phenomena. Second, the program emphasizes students’ development of skills in articulating clear, sound, and compelling arguments of their own, based on appropriate evidence, in spoken and written presentation. Third, the program offers opportunities for acquisition of quantitative, qualitative, and interpretive research skills that are applicable to a broad range of careers and intellectual interests.

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10 Jobs That Are Fantastic for Political Science Majors (You Don’t Have to Work in Politics!)

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April 26, 2021

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It might seem like a political science undergraduate degree would prepare you primarily for a career in politics. However, there are four million professionals with poli sci degrees—and their jobs range from attorneys to social workers to financial analysts. If …

By Katherine J. Igoe - The Muse

Expert advice to answer your career questions.

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April 23, 2021

Admission Diversity Fellows Job Opening

Position Name: Admission Diversity Fellows

Mission: The Admission Diversity Fellows are a team of 10 undergraduate students who work for the Undergraduate Office of Admissions, and assist the office with the goal to increase the number of underrepresented students on …

By Adrian Grace

Adrian Grace

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Academic Advising

Peer Advising
Available for Zoom drop-in support, Sp21 Meet Peer Advising

Amy Grieger
Senior Academic Advisor Schedule an Appointment

Shawn Samuels
Academic Advisor Schedule an Appointment

Leah Dodson
Director of Undergraduate Advising, Political Science & Legal Studies Schedule an Appointment

Important: These advising links are for current majors. To declare this major, follow instructions here.

Featured Alumni

Stefanie Costa Leabo’10, Political Science
Chief Data Officer, City of Boston
Boston, MA

Jackson Cote’19, Journalism & Political Science
Breaking/Trending News Reporter, MassLive
Northampton, MA

Trace Dodge’19, Economics & Political Science
Director's Financial Analyst Rotational Program, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Washington, DC

Shannon Emmet’19, Political Science & History
Legislative Aide, MA State Senate Office of State Senator Barry R. Finegold
Somerville, MA

Will Soltero’19, Political Science & Journalism
Communications Consultant, Fireside Campaigns
Washington, DC

Featured Jobs + Internships

Operations Associate
Primary Health Care Performance Initiative
Technical Intern, Humanitarian Relief and Development
Blumont
Business Development Intern, Humanitarian Relief and Development
Blumont
Monitoring and Evaluation Intern, Humanitarian Relief and Development
Blumont
Program Management Intern, Humanitarian Relief and Development
Blumont
2021-2022 Civil Rights Internships for Undergraduates and Law Students
Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
Legislative Aide/Constituent Services
Massachusetts Senate
Foreign Policy Legislative Correspondent
Office of U.S. Senator Christopher A. Coons

Experiential Opportunities

						
									Student Life									

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									SBS Shadows – Spend a Day With an Alum in their Workplace Over Winter Break									

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									SBS Peer Advising Opportunities									

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									Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS)									

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									Undergraduate Research & Engagement Program (UREP), Political Science									

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									Civic Engagement & Service Learning (CESL)									

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Featured Resources

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Resource Categories:Academic Resources Advocacy, Inclusion & Support Programs Career Exploration Tools Experiential Learning Resources Financial Resources Forms & Petitions How-to Guides Internship Credit Process Job & Internship Search Tools Major Declaration Professional Resources Research Opportunities Scholarship Resources Self-Assessment Tools Wellbeing

Pathways:

Career Development CycleShare This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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Career planning is a constantly evolving and revolving cycle.
Whether you are just starting out on your career path, or …

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Focus2: Self-Assessment & Career Planning SolutionsShare This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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Focus2 is an online assessment system that will help you develop a picture of your personal strengths, interests, needs, and …

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What Can I Do With This Major?Share This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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Whether you are exploring multiple majors or searching for information about your chosen field, this site will help you connect …

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SBS Cover Letter: How-To GuideShare This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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The cover letter is your chance to tell your story, highlighting your skills and qualifications through using the STAR method.

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HandshakeShare This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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UMass students use Handshake, the leading career platform used at over 1000 colleges and more than 500,000 employers. Used by …

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Office of Undergraduate Research & Studies (OURS)Share This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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OURS helps students find and access undergraduate research and scholarly opportunities on and off campus, throughout the year.  We serve …

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Office of National Scholarships (ONSA)Share This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA) at UMass helps students (and alumni who are not currently in grad school) …

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Connect UMass: AlumniShare This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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A dynamic platform for personal and professional conversations and growth, Connect UMass links alumni with one another and with current students, creating …

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How to Navigate a Career FairShare This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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Career fair preparation starts by researching the companies you want to meet with, and ends with your follow up.  Having …

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Research Opportunities

Office of Undergraduate Research & Studies (OURS)Share This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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OURS helps students find and access undergraduate research and scholarly opportunities on and off campus, throughout the year.  We serve …

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Office of National Scholarships (ONSA)Share This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA) at UMass helps students (and alumni who are not currently in grad school) …

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Commonwealth Honors CollegeShare This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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The CHC provides a diverse community of academically talented students at UMass Amherst with extensive opportunities for analysis, research, professional …

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Undergraduate Research Engagement Program (UREP), Political Science & Legal StudiesShare This: Share on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on Facebook
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UREP is designed to partner advanced undergraduate political science and legal studies majors with faculty for hands-on, one-on-one research experiences.

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Welcome to the Political Science Community

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Academic Advising

Featured Alumni

Featured Jobs + Internships

Experiential Opportunities

Student Life

SBS Shadows – Spend a Day With an Alum in their Workplace Over Winter Break

SBS Peer Advising Opportunities

Office of Undergraduate Research (OURS)

Undergraduate Research & Engagement Program (UREP), Political Science

Civic Engagement & Service Learning (CESL)

Featured Resources

Research Opportunities

Featured Videos

College of Social & Behavioral Sciences — UMass Amherst Fall Visit Days 2020

Stefanie Costa Leabo’10, Political Science, Chief Data Officer, City of Boston

Natalie Amazan’20, Legal Studies Senior Class Speaker

Introduction to Academic Works from SBS

The B-Corporation Model – Using Business as a Force for Good

SBS in DC Goes Virtual – Summer 2020

Recent Posts

10 Jobs That Are Fantastic for Political Science Majors (You Don’t Have to Work in Politics!)

Admission Diversity Fellows Job Opening

Advice from an Alum: So it’s the end of the semester….

An academic dean’s advice on giving INCs

Advice from an Alum: End of College Cope

2021 Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference (Virtual)