Jobs for Political Science Majors: Where Our Graduates Work

Ever wonder what the careers for political science majors are? Find out what political science majors can do after graduation.

an alum talking with a student

Job Skills Political Science Graduates Bring to the Workforce

Our political science students become experts in the the core set of skills at the heart of our liberal arts education. These skills prepare them for careers in any economic sector. Liberal Arts is everything you (and future employers) care about most:

  • Writing and speaking with confidence and skill
  • Critical thinking 
  • Quantitative skills and data analysis
  • Celebrating human expression through the arts
  • Navigating complex moral and ethical situations
  • Engaging the power of your citizenship
  • Discovering solutions to the pressing issues facing our world

Political Science Graduates: A Breakdown of Alumni Career Paths

Our graduates work in many different sectors of the economy, with the largest percentages working in business/finance, law, government/military, STEM, higher education, and community services/non-profits  

  • Vice President, Bank of America  
  • Exec Vice President, Trustmark National Bank  
  • Sr. Vice President/Wealth Mgmt, Morgan Stanley  
  • Gen. Manager, Crawford & Company  
  • Sr. Vice President, Zurich N. America Surety  
  • Owner/Pres, Management Performance Intl  
  • Manager, Wilson Dodge  
  • Dir. Operations, The Durango Group  
  • Regional Recruiter, Aflac 
  • President, Alamo Management Group 
  • Director of Global Business Partnerships, American Express 
  • Operations Manager, Amazon 
  • Realtor, Ansley Atlanta Real Estate 
  • Assistant Manager, Barnes and Noble 
  • Managing Director/Owner, Collier Insurance 
  • President/Founder, Crain Consulting Inc. 
  • Analyst, Cushman & Wakefield 
  • Senior Solutions Specialist, FedEx 
  • Senior Communications Specialist, FedEx 
  • Manager of Flight Training, FedEx Express 
  • HR Strategic Advisor, FedEx 
  • President, Galtney Enterprises 
  • Analyst, Goldman Sachs & Co 
  • CEO, Infinity Real Estate LLC 
  • Vice President of Sales, ITA Trucks, Sales, and Service 
  • Store Manager, Kaye's Food Market 
  • Business Analyst, KPMG 
  • Customer Service Manager, Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. 
  • President/CEO, Management Performance International 
  • Director, Medfirst Consulting Healthcare Staffing 
  • Senior Vice President/Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley 
  • Data Manager, Napa Auto Parts Headquarters 
  • Senior Manager, Nokia, Inc 
  • General Manager, Nolan Brothers Motor Sales 
  • Sales Manager, Nordstrum 
  • Retired CEO/President, North American Warehouse & Logistic Consulting  
  • Program Acquisition Coordinator, NOVA List Marketing Solutions 
  • Customer Service Manager Office, Depot 
  • Real Estate Developer, Peyton Cottrell Interest Inc. 
  • VP, Premier Property Management 
  • General Counsel, Prospera Financial 
  • Owner, Pure Peru, LLC 
  • Director Marketing & Development, Putnam Mortgage & Finance LLC 
  • Intelligence Analyst, Quality Support, Inc. 
  • Owner, RE/MAX Executive Realty 
  • Branch Manager, Regions Bank 
  • Director, Wine & Spirits, River City Distributing Company 
  • Vice President/Senior Banking Officer, Republic Bank 
  • Analyst, San Antonio Data Processing 
  • Executive Director, Nashville, The Global Chamber 
  • Retail Sales Representative, The Hershey Company 
  • Logistics Analyst, The Home Depot 
  • Manager, Trails and Treads 
  • President, Trak Traders, Inc. 
  • Investigator, Travelers Ins. Co 
  • President, Treger Sauce & Spice Co 
  • Regional Sales Manager, TruGreen 
  • Executive Vice President, Trustmark National Bank 
  • President, Walton International 
  • Business Applications Analyst, Wells Fargo 
  •  

  • Circuit Court Judge 
  • Asst. State Attorney, Baltimore County 
  • Asst District Attorney, Hinds Cty District Atty.
  • Legislative Liaison, MS Atty. General’s Office 
  • MS Attorney General 
  • Federal Judge 
  • Attorney, US Dept of Justice 
  • Chancery Judge 
  • Family & Youth Court Judge, Grenada County 
  • Associate, Baker Botts 
  • Attorney, N. MS Rural Legal Services 
  • Attorney, Baker Donelson 
  • Attorney, Butler Snow
  • Attorney, Phelps Dunbar 
  • Attorney, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings 
  • Attorney, Jones Walker 

  • Special Agents in DEA, Treasury, FBI 
  • Comm. Dev Advisor, Fed Reserve Bank-Cleveland 
  • Senior Manager, FBI 
  • US Senator 
  • Park Ranger, National Park Service 
  • Dir. of Parks & Recreation, Hernando 
  • District Director, US Rep Gregg Harper 
  • Downtown Dev. Coord, Dallas 
  • Project Manager, Dept of Defense 
  • Dir of Analysis, Dept of Homeland Security 
  • Ed. Specialist, MS Dept of Health & Human Svcs. 
  • Policy Deputy Chief, Dept of Defense 
  • Sr Community Affairs Specialist, FDIC
  • Ex Asst. to Comm., Fed Election Comm. 
  • Public Affairs Specialist, FEMA 
  • Gen Counsel, Congressional Agriculture Comm 
  • Political Field Rep, Congressional Campaign
  • Chairman, MS Democratic Party 
  • Staff, US House Armed Services Comm. 
  • Foreign Service Officer, Dept of State 
  • Economist, Joint Legislative Budget Comm 
  • Mississippi State Auditor 
  • Deputy US Marshall 
  • Sr Attorney, MS Dept of Human Services
  • Legislative Assistant, MS Senate 
  • Gaming Engineer, MS Gaming Commission 
  • Asst to Political Dir, Natl Rep. Senate Comm.
  • Watch Officer-Crisis & Operations Group, NATO 
  • Intl & Federal Affairs Advisor, Office of MS Governor 
  • Exec Asst., US Senate Comm on Appropriations 
  • Legislative Correspondent, Senate Office 
  • Policy Dir, US Rep Office 
  • Assistant, Her Majesty Queen-Noor of Jordan 
  • Sentencing Guidelines Specialist, US Probation Office 
  • Victim Assistance Coord, MS Crime Lab 
  • JAG, US Air Force 
  • Intelligence Analyst, US Army 
  • Brigadier General, US Army 
  • Platoon Commander, US Marine Corps 
  • Chief, Starkville Police Dept 
  • Benefit Analyst, PERS of MS

  • Senior Paralegal, Exxon Mobil 
  • Principal Consultant, DataCuts 
  • Owner, Murphy Land & Exploration
  • Attorney, Saudi Aramco 
  • President, Waring Oil 
  • VP State & Local Govt Relations, SAP 
  • Sr VP, The Smith-Free Group 
  • Business Systems Analyst, CoreLogic|FNC
  • General Manager, Bell South 
  • Dir. of Fed Legislative Affairs, Baxter Intl.
  • Manager, Conoco 
  • Senior Analyst, Exxon Mobil
  • Gen. Counsel, Inman Mills 
  • Contract Manager, Lockheed Martin
  • Sr Regional Counsel-N. America, Mary Kay
  • Senior Manager, Nokia 
  • Dir. of Operations/Global Sales, Nissan 
  • Material Manager, Schering-Plough 
  • Engineer, Cummins 
  • Sr Manager Ethics/Bus Conduct, Lockheed Martin 
  • VP of Sales & Marketing, Bianchi USA 
  • President/Founder, Octagon Group LLC 
  • VP of Political, X Strategies LLC 
  • Owner, Tom Bush Consulting 
  • Chief Executive Officer, U S Capitol Consulting, LLC

  • Asst VP of Alumni Relations, Cal. State-Northridge 
  • Political Science Faculty, Michigan State Univ 
  • Law Faculty, Samford University
  • Sr Assoc Business Dean, Texas Christian Univ 
  • Political Science Faculty, UNC-Chapel Hill 
  • Dir. of Small Bus. Dev Center, Univ of Alabama
  • Campus Safety Officer, Univ of Mississippi 
  • Research Coord, Washington U School of Medicine 
  • Dir of Career Services, Delta State U 
  • Student Activities Dir, Hinds Comm College 
  • Assoc VP for Alumni, Univ of Kentucky 

  • Exec Dir, American Institute of Banking 
  • CEO, Bottom Line Recovery Group 
  • Research Consultant, InternBridge 
  • Founder, U Ahead Consulting 
  • President, Wolf River Site Development 
  • Mental Health Counselor, Comm Care Solutions 
  • Corporate Rel., US Chamber of Commerce 
  • Risk Management Dir, MS State Hospital 
  • Dir. of High School Ministries, Central Presb. Church 
  • Minister, First Baptist Church 
  • Career Dev Counselor, MS State Employment Comm. 
  • President, MS Forum on Children & Families 
  • Exec Director, Mississippi Bar Assoc. 
  • Program Counsel, Natl. Assoc. of Attorneys General 
  • Exec Dir, The Wilson Research Foundation 
  • Asst. to Chief of Staff, Republican National Comm. 
  • Exec Director, Louisiana’s Sheriff’s Assoc 

Meet a few Alumni

See some examples of where a political science degree can take you.

Missy  Edwards

Missy Edwards

How did you build a successful lobbying firm?

See Missy ’s Answer
Stephen  Gent

Stephen Gent

Faculty, University of North Carolina

What shaped your choice of political science?

See Stephen ’s Answer
Nicole  Tisdale

Nicole Tisdale

Founder and Principal, Advocacy Blueprints

Talk about your time working at the White House.

See Nicole ’s Answer
Haley R.  Barbour

Haley R. Barbour

Former Governor of Mississippi

What was it like working for the White House?

See Haley R. ’s Answer
Sailer  Perkins

Sailer Perkins

Information Officer, USAID

What made you choose political science?

See Sailer ’s Answer
Ray Mabus

Ray Mabus

Former Governor of Mississippi, Former Secretary of US Navy

What was it like to serve as the United States Secretary of the Navy?

See Ray’s Answer
Tina Mabry

Tina Mabry

Television and film director, producer, and writer

Meet this award-winning graduate in the entertainment industry.

See Tina’s Answer
Jenny  Urban

Jenny Urban

Director of Aviation Relations and Compliance, Clear

What is a day like as an aviation attorney?

See Jenny ’s Answer
Kristi H.  Johnson

Kristi H. Johnson

U.S. District Judge, Southern District of Mississippi

How/when did you know you wanted to be a federal judge?

See Kristi H. ’s Answer
Pearce Crosland

Pearce Crosland

Federal Government Relations, National Restaurant Association

Talk about your time on the Federal Government Relations team at the National Restaurant Association.

See Pearce’s Answer
Steve  McKinney

Steve McKinney

Former President, Atlanta Metropolitan College

How, when, and why did you choose to study political science?

See Steve ’s Answer
Erika  Berry

Erika Berry

Senior Director of Policy, TennesseeCAN

What is the value of studying political science in today’s world?

See Erika ’s Answer