Political Science – Bachelor’s Degree Program (BA)
Earn your Political Science degree from the University of Montana
Earn your degree in political science at UM and learn to analyze current and past political events at the local to the global levels.
Politics influence almost every facet of our lives — from economics and education, to health care and the natural environment. As a political science major, you’ll learn to assess the strengths and limitations of governing bodies, gain a deeper understanding of policy making, and develop leadership skills that will serve you in diverse careers.
Our political science degree is hands-on and career focused, with unique opportunities for internships, research and experiential learning. It’s also a degree you can easily tailor to your interests: many of our students double major, and you can choose from concentrations in American politics, public administration and policy, international relations and comparative politics, and public law.
in departmental scholarships awarded to 17 of our students in 2022
of UM political science majors participate in an internship related to politics, policy or law, earning course credits.
of our graduates said the political science program helped them develop analytical and critical thinking skills
Other degree options for political science at UM
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – Concentration in American Politics
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – Concentration in Public Administration and Public Policy
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science – Concentration in Public Law
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science Education
Minor in Political Science Education
Master of Arts in Political Science
What can you do with a political science degree?
Political science is a versatile degree you can apply to many different careers. Our recent graduates include a Montana state representative, the chief of staff for a United States senator, a Washington D.C. lobbyist, and a military officer. Others have become attorneys, researchers, policy analysts and advocates, campaign professionals, and teachers. Many work in our local and state governments, nonprofit organizations, and businesses here in Montana.
Our graduates achieve great things in many fields. Over the last four years, seven of the sixteen UM Distinguished Alumni graduated from the political science department. They include a judge, the head of a major DC lobby, a key figure in environmental policy in the western US, and the founder and CEO of a major Australian grocery chain.
With four concentrations (called “options”), our program is easy to customize to your interests, and we find every opportunity we can to help students tailor their studies for the career they want. In recent years, more than half of our graduating seniors have double-majored or completed at least one minor. We even offer a combined political science and history major for those planning to teach social studies in middle schools and high schools.
What is political science?
Political science is the study of power - how individuals and institutions exercise, seek, and resist power, and how nations and communities are governed. It examines governments, public policy and political behavior. It’s a field that dates back more than 2,000 years with the works of Plato and Aristotle, who called it the “study of the state.” But political science in today’s world also encompasses a broader scope of issues — from civil rights to climate change, to globalization and other critical current issues. The goal of political science ultimately is to understand what drives global politics and how political systems can be utilized to best serve the needs of people.
Political science jobs
What can you do with a political science degree? These careers are just a few of your options:
- Lobbyist
- Lawyer
- Diplomat
- Research and Advocacy Staff in US and International Nonprofits
- Researcher
- Policy Analyst
- Policy Advocate
- Foreign service officer
- Political scientist
- Journalist
- Teacher
- Business executive, researcher, and consultant
- Political consultant and campaign organizer
- Government official
Political science salaries
How much you earn with a degree in political science will vary significantly from job to job. However, graduates with a political science bachelor’s degree earn an average salary of $63,000 — according to Payscale.com.
Experiential learning in the political science degree
Develop real-world skills through hands-on learning when you major in political science at UM. In addition to internships and research opportunities, many of our political science courses include experiential learning components that help you build skills in research, writing, public speaking and negotiation.
Montana Model United Nations
UM is home to the Montana Model UN conference and award-winning travelling team — a great opportunity for political science majors with global interests to develop their leadership skills and prepare for careers in international affairs and public policy.
Each fall, our students staff a two-day conference for 250+ high school students from Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Each spring, 12 students represent UM at the National Model UN collegiate conference in New York. Learn more about UM’s Montana Model UN.
Internships and field experiences for political science majors
More than half of our undergraduate students participate and earn course credit in an internship related to politics, policy or law, working in organizations such as:
- The White House
- US senators’ offices
- US Senate Finance Committee
- US embassies
- World Affairs Council of Montana
- Montana State legislature
- County Department of Public Health
- City of Missoula and Missoula County
- Public Interest organizations
- Election campaigns and get-out-the-vote campaigns
- US House and Senate district field offices in Montana
UM’s Baucus Leaders program and other scholarships provide financial support for student internships.
Study abroad for political science majors
Take your study of politics overseas. Our study abroad programs offer exciting opportunities to experience new cultures and make connections around the globe. UM has agreements with many international universities where UM students can study for a semester or year paying only their regular UM tuition and fees. Learn more about study abroad opportunities at the University of Montana.
Career development in the political science major
At UM, we are here to provide you with the opportunities and support to hit the ground running when you graduate — to help you succeed in your career as well as in the classroom. There are so many ways to get involved and make new professional connections, and our political science majors are often leading the way.
Our students pursue leadership roles on campus and in the Missoula community — serving as presidents, executive officers and senators in the student government. They lead campus political clubs and the Political Science Honor Society. Our political science majors have even successfully run for state and local elected offices (one of our recent graduates is currently a Montana State House Representative).
Political science scholarships
Each year, we award tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to reward political science majors with a range of interests, accomplishments and activities both on campus and in the community — including incoming UM students who excelled in the Montana Model UN High School Conference.
Our majors are competitive for national and international scholarships – UM’s last two Truman Scholars were political science majors including a winner last year, and this year two students were finalists for the Mitchell and Rhodes scholarships, and one of our political science majors was awarded a prestigious Marshall Scholarship.
Learn more about scholarship opportunities for majors in political science.
Political science degree requirements
Our curriculum explores American government and politics, international relations, comparative politics, political theory, public law, and public administration and public policy. You’ll study across these fields, with four options to specialize. The political science degree at UM also includes a special writing course, and optional courses such as a three-week summer course about the theory and practice of wilderness policy, in which you’ll delve into issues of land management, recreation, wildfire and wildlife and tribal wilderness, finishing with a pack mule trip into a local wilderness area.
View all classes for the bachelor’s in political science degree at the University of Montana.