Online Political Science Degree Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Are you interested in changing the world? Would you like to know more about our nation’s political process and be a part of improving it? If you are interested in a career in government and policy, a political science degree is the credential that can help prepare you for a rewarding career.

You could focus on domestic and international politics, public policy, civil rights or even policy to protect the environment. Or your studies could take you in a completely unexpected direction.

"Political science requires analytic thinking that can be applied to any number of careers, including government, law, nonprofit work, political campaigns, public policy and academia," said Andy Tuholski, PhD, political science adjunct faculty at SNHU.

Political science is the study of government, public policy and all facets of political behavior. A deep understanding of human behavior, the legal system and even media can prepare you for careers like:

• Politician: Perhaps the most obvious career choice with a BA in Political Science, in this role you could create or support laws at the local, state or national level. Politicians do much more than what we see on television. They may serve their communities in a grassroots fashion or advocate for new laws to support their communities. There are many opportunities to serve as a politician and contribute to governing a locale and its residents.
• Lawyer: A BA in Political Science is an excellent foundation for a legal career. The bachelor’s degree is grounded in communication skills, analytical reasoning and public affairs, which makes it a great first step in preparation for law school.
• Education: A bachelor's of political science degree can help prepare you for a rewarding career teaching history, social studies or humanities. Given the strong foundation of the program in courses such as communication and social science, you can develop the versatility you need to succeed as a teacher at the secondary level, or to continue for your master’s degree online, or on campus, or doctoral degree and teach at the post-secondary level. (Note: This degree program does not prepare you to earn teaching licensure or certification.)
• Lobbyist: If rhetoric is your superpower, a career as a lobbyist is for you. A lobbyist is the ultimate influencer, working to convince decision-makers to make choices and take action on behalf of the groups they represent.
• Policy analyst: If you like researching the issues and being at the forefront of policies and legislation, a career as a policy analyst could be for you. You may work for a local, state or federal government office or for a private corporation, putting your research skills to work to help leadership make key decisions.
• Political consultant: Perhaps running for office isn’t for you. There is still a key role that you can play as a strategist, designing campaigns for candidates. You may make decisions on staffing, media coverage and communications. You may even write speeches for your candidate.

Whichever career path you ultimately choose, with a BA in Political Science, you can contribute to changing the world.

Not only can you earn an online political science degree, you can do so at your own pace. Even better, you can earn that BA in political science, or any number of other online degree options, from a highly regarded, fully accredited university.

A bachelor's in political science offers an overview of politics and political parties plus instruction on the legal, financial and media-related elements of the political field. All of this, plus a foundation in general education courses that includes writing, history and statistics, can be done in an exclusively online format. This allows you to complete your degree at your pace and on your schedule.

With Southern New Hampshire University, you can earn credit for what you already know. Our admission counselors and academic advisors can help you receive transfer credit for courses already completed, as well as possible credit for work and life experience.

You'll also have 12 major elective credits as part of the degree program. You can use these credits for a wide range of courses in areas like communication, sociology and criminal justice. You can also choose to apply some of your elective credits toward experiential-learning opportunities or a hands-on internship right where you live.

The beauty of a bachelor of political science degree is that you study a little bit of everything. The degree is grounded in general education courses, including instruction in statistics, writing, sociology and history. From there, you'll study courses in your major, which usually include political theory, analysis and research, international relations and government and politics.

With Southern New Hampshire University, you'll also have 12 credits of major electives to use toward specializing in the areas that most interest you. You may wish to focus on communication, or perhaps criminal justice or public administration. You may also wish to apply some of your major electives to an experiential-learning opportunity or a hands-on internship that you can complete right where you live.

In addition, the BA in Political Science program at SNHU provides you with 24 free elective credits that you can use to pursue other academic interests or perhaps minor in an area like psychology or project management. Or, if you have a significant number of transfer credits, you can apply them as free electives and be well on your way to earning your bachelor's degree.

No matter which area you choose as your focus, a political science degree can help prepare you for a rich and rewarding career that lets you put your writing, research and analytical thinking skills to work for the greater good.

Either degree can help you reach your goals. The key difference between a BA or BS in political science has to do with the focus. If you are more interested in political theory, history and philosophy, a BA might be best for you. If you prefer to focus on economics, math and quantitative methods of research and analysis, then you might wish to consider a BS.

Either way, you could come away with a solid overview of politics in America and abroad, including what it means to run a campaign and manage the financial, legislative and justice-related aspects of public policy.

With Southern New Hampshire University, our BA in Political Science offers opportunities to learn campaign fundraising and finance as well as research methods. You may take courses in statistics and global politics, and every student completes a capstone course. This course is structured to allow you to synthesize all of your knowledge and skills and may result in material for your professional portfolio.

We also offer experiential learning opportunities and an internship as part of your free electives. These courses will provide hands-on, professional learning opportunities. You may also be able to receive credit for prior work or life experiences. There are many ways to customize your degree program to work best for you.

A political science degree is grounded in many vital and transferable skills. Oral and written communication, research and analytical thinking can all help you excel in the career of your choice.

"At its core, political science is the search for explanations about the things we hear, see, and do in the political world every single day," said Rob Mellen Jr., PhD, political science faculty at SNHU. "Whether you seek a career in politics, civil service, the law, teaching or business, developing a strong ability to critically examine the world around you will help you achieve your goals.”

With a bachelor's in political science, you will be prepared for careers like:

• Legislative assistant, where you research, draft and monitor legislation. You may advise policy-makers and make recommendations pertaining to new laws.
• Public relations specialist, where your role will involve creating and maintaining a public image for the candidate, client or organization you represent. You may write press releases and speeches. You may be a spokesperson with the press.
• Marketing research analyst, where you may gather and analyze data to support the client, candidate or organization for whom you work. You can become an expert on your particular market and understand who may vote for a particular candidate and why.
• Political speechwriter, where your role could be to research and write speeches for politicians and political candidates. Many senior-level officials have full-time speechwriters on staff to provide this expert-level service.
• Political consultant, where you may help manage a campaign, design marketing and public relations efforts for political candidates, or conduct market research.

A bachelor’s degree in political science is also excellent preparation for a legal career.

With a median annual salary of $132,350 per year in 2023, career prospects for political scientists are promising, but you'll likely need at least a master's degree, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.¹

Employment for political scientists is predicted to grow 7% from 2022 through 2032.¹ While there will be strong competition in this career field, the opportunities to use your political science degree are many.

You can put your bachelor's degree to use in one of these exciting careers:

• Political strategist. Support a candidate by hiring staff, designing a social media campaign or writing speeches.
• Policy analyst. Write or recommend policy. You may advise high-level government officials or organizational leadership. You'd likely use research and analytical skills to make recommendations for laws.
• Speechwriter. Use your knowledge of government to write speeches for politicians, political candidates, government officials or other people in positions of leadership.

With every year that goes by, national interest in politics increases. More than ever, residents across the country and the world are interested in being a part of the political process. Becoming an expert in politics positions you to be at the forefront of this new national interest.

Thanks to the wide-ranging courses you can take to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, you will be ready for a career in many areas, such as law, economics, education, sociology and urban planning. No matter which area you choose, you can be ready to help change the world.