Political Science Guide to Student Progress

For those students who wish to attend law or graduate school immediately after graduation, it is especially important to complete any significant extracurricular activities by the fall of one’s senior year so that they can be noted on your applications and in your letters of recommendation.

Law school applications will be made in the fall semester of your final year. The application will require letters of recommendation from three professors (full-time faculty, not adjunct faculty), and you will need to have taken the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) by the end of the fall semester. The application will also require a personal statement, and you may be able to complete other activities not listed below that will help you write such a statement. For example, if your goal is to become a lawyer specializing in the environment, a record of environmental-oriented service activity or a science minor could give your personal statement credibility. Be sure to discuss such possibilities early on with your faculty advisors.

First and Second Years

• Register for the Political Science department’s VSpace site (see Erik Trump).
• Complete as many of the Political Science required foundation courses as possible.
• Introduce yourself to the Pre-Law advisor (Robert Lane). Look at sample personal statements. Discuss ways to make yourself an attractive law school candidate.
• Introduce yourself to your other professors. Seek advice about fulfilling your law school dreams.
• Consider taking Robert Lane’s “Law School Preparation” course (1 credit) in (fall of your second year).
• Once you have completed 40 credits, consider applying for a Roberts Fellowship (leadership training and travel). Applications are made in winter semester.
• If you will be a true junior in the fall, consider applying (winter semester) for Robert Lane’s annual fall trip to the Chicago Law School Advisors Conference. The trip is paid for by scholarship and offers a great opportunity to get information from law school representatives and visit Chicago-area law schools.

Third Year

• Consider taking Robert Lane’s “Law School Preparation” course (offered in fall only).
• Meet with Pre-Law advisor and get advice about studying for the LSAT. Study!
• Meet with professors from whom you plan to seek letters of recommendation. Talk to them about your law school plans and solicit their advice.
• Get a “graduation audit” from the Advising Office and meet with the Political Science department chair to make sure that you can graduate on time (late fall).
• Complete an internship with an elected representative (may do in spring or summer).
• Consider a one-credit internship (PS396) in a legal setting. See Robert Lane.
• Apply for Robert Lane’s Chicago trip (winter).
• If you are prepared, take the LSAT during the summer.

Fourth Year

• Begin the law school application process at the start of the fall semester.
• Meet with Robert Lane to review the application process.
• Take the LSAT (be end of fall semester)
• Solicit letters of recommendation from your professors.
• Take courses that will develop your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.
• Plan to apply to law schools after graduation? Solicit letters of recommendation before you graduate.
• Apply for graduation (at the Registrar’s Office) in the fall semester.

There are several kinds of graduate schools at which you might continue your education. Master’s programs (2 years) may serve as preparation for Ph.D. programs, or they may have a professional focus that will lead to employment (e.g., Public Administration, Public Policy, Urban Planning, International Affairs, Education, or Campaign Management programs). Typically, these two-year programs are less competitive to enter, but offer less in the way of financial aid. Five-year Ph.D. programs are much more competitive and require high grades, high Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and strong letters of recommendation. The latter are quite important and mean that you will need to have positively impressed several of your professors. If you are a strong candidate, you will generally receive financial support (tuition and a modest living stipend) from Ph.D. programs. In terms of extra-curricular activities, they will be most useful if they are academic-related. Take courses that will develop your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills.

First and Second Years

• Meet with the department chair (Julie Keil) in the fall semester and again in the winter to plan your course of study. It is especially important that you take as many courses as possible from full-time faculty members ( not adjuncts), and the chair can direct you toward the appropriate sections.
• Complete as many of the Political Science required foundation courses as possible.
• Introduce yourself to your professors; meet with them during their office hours.
• Join a political science club by talking to Kevin Lorentz. 
• Look for opportunities to participate in academic-related activities that will demonstrate your writing skills, intellectual abilities, or commitment to higher education (e.g., writing for a department newsletter, Honors Program, student debates, etc.). Check regularly with faculty about such opportunities.
• Written a good paper? Ask your professor to nominate it for a university writing award. Even papers from General Education courses are eligible. Apply for any writing awards that you see!
• If you plan to study international politics at the graduate level, consider a foreign language minor.
• If your interest is in international politics, explore study-abroad opportunities (start looking into these during your second year). The department of Political Science offers spring study-abroad courses every other year; talk to the department chair about these.
• If your interest is in international politics, contact Stewart French and join the Model United Nations student organization.

Third Year

• Meet with your professors and get advice about studying for the GRE. Study!
• Meet with your professors, talk to them about your graduate school plans, and solicit their advice.
• Research graduate programs that might interest you.
• Get a “graduation audit” from the Advising Office and meet with the Political Science department chair to make sure that you can graduate on time (late fall).
• Consider applying to the Foundation or the Student Creativity Institute for a grant to support a research or other academic-related project (fall and winter).
• Talk with your faculty advisors about possible opportunities to present an academic paper at a local or regional conference.
• Take upper division courses from a range of professors. Remember that you will need three letters of recommendation by the end of the fall semester of your senior year.
• Written a good paper? Ask your professor to nominate it for a university writing award.
• Complete an internship with an elected representative (may do in spring or summer).
• If you are prepared, take the GRE during the summer.

Fourth Year

• Begin the graduate school application process at the start of the fall semester.
• Meet with a faculty advisor to review the application process. Make sure that you have one or two professors review your graduate school “statement of purpose” several times .
• Solicit letters of recommendation from your professors.
• Plan to apply to schools after graduation? Solicit your letters of recommendation before you graduate.
• Apply for graduation (at the Registrar’s Office) in the fall semester.

Political Science is a classic “liberal arts” degree that emphasizes reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. These skills are attractive to many prospective employers. Recent graduates have found full-time employment in areas such as financial services, insurance, and retail management. Extra-curricular activities, including internships, can demonstrate to prospective employers that you have leadership skills, professional training, or a strong work ethic.

First and Second Years

• Complete as many of the Political Science required foundation courses as possible.
• Introduce yourself to the department chair (Julie Keil).
• Join some student organizations. Any political science faculty member can help you identify groups that would reflect your interests. These could include the College Democrats, the College Republicans, Model United Nations, the Student Association, and a host of others.
• Prepare a resume. Work with a faculty advisor to give it a professional look. Make a plan for how you can develop it.
• Develop a network of friends and contacts. Be social!

Third Year

• Consider a study abroad experience, or participate in one of the department’s travel opportunities.
• Get a “graduation audit” from the Advising Office and meet with the Political Science department chair to make sure that you can graduate on time (late fall).
• Complete an internship with a local, state, or federal elected representative (may do in spring or summer).
• Start to haunt the Career Planning and Placement office. Familiarize yourself with employment listings. Attend any workshops that will polish your interviewing skills.
• Attend the Career Planning and Placement job fair (fall or winter).
• Speak with faculty advisors about minors that might support your post-graduation plans.

Fourth Year

• Develop a professional wardrobe for interviewing.
• Attend the Career Planning and Placement job fairs (fall and winter).
• Ask professors or other professionals if you may list them as references on your resume.
• Use the department’s alumni network to locate job leads.
• Apply for graduation (at the Registrar’s Office) in the fall semester.

If you hope to work in politics after graduation, your extracurricular work will be critical. We recommend that you complete at least one internship and volunteer for as many campaigns as possible if you wish to work for an elected official or become one yourself. To become a public administrator, you must take an internship class through your major. Here is a suggested course of action by year while majoring in political science or public administration. 

First Year

• Take our foundational introductory political science classes.
• Meet with our Internship Director, Dr. Jesse Donahue, jdonahue@svsu.edu  if you are majoring in political science.
• Meet with professor Nicol mlnicol@svsu.edu if you are majoring in public administration. 
• Attend an internship informational meeting in the fall or winter semesters. 
• Follow the Political Science Department's Facebook and Instagram sites to learn about internship opportunities. 
• Read the Political Science Department Canvas Announcements page weekly. 

Second Year and Third Years

• Take our upper division courses in American institutions and policy for content knowledge.
• Political Science students should plan to completed an internship at least one of these years. 
• Meet with Dr. Donahue to set up an internship any semester for the following semester. Political Science majors will receive course credit in the public policy category if they take PS 496 "Field Work in Public Affairs." 

Advice for each year:

First and Second Years

• Complete as many of the Political Science required foundation courses as possible.
• Introduce yourself to the department chair (Julie Keil).
• These could include the College Democrats, the College Republicans, the Student Association, and a host of others.
• Volunteer on an election campaign (even in your first year). You can receive credit through the PS 496 Internship course.
• Complete an internship with a local or state elected official (spring or summer of second year).
• Prepare a resume. Work with a faculty advisor.
• Develop a network of friends and contacts. Be social!

Third Year

• Get a “graduation audit” from the Advising Office and meet with the Political Science department chair to make sure that you can graduate on time (late fall).
• Complete an internship with a state or federal elected representative (may do in spring or summer).
• If possible, complete an internship in Lansing or Washington, DC (spring or summer).

Fourth Year

• If you do not already have a post-graduation employment opportunity in place, meet with the Career Advising office as a resource.
• Take courses that will develop your political skills. 
• Apply for graduation (at the Registrar’s Office) in the fall semester.