All careers

Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

What you’d do

  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as classical political thought, international relations, and democracy and citizenship.
  • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.

Skills that matter

  • Speaking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Learning
  • Active Listening
  • Instructing
  • Writing

How to get there

Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

Also called

  • Associate Professor
  • Political Science Instructor
  • Political Science Professor
  • Professor
  • Adjunct Professor
  • Assistant Professor

Related careers

See all careers

  • Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary

    Teach courses in sociology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • Law Teachers, Postsecondary

    Teach courses in law. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • Political Scientists

    Study the origin, development, and operation of political systems. May study topics, such as public opinion, political decisionmaking, and…

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • History Teachers, Postsecondary

    Teach courses in human history and historiography. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of…

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

    Teach courses in economics. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher

  • Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary

    Teach courses pertaining to the culture and development of an area, an ethnic group, or any other group, such as Latin American studies…

    Extensive preparation: most need graduate school, such as a master's degree or higher