5 Concentrations for a Master’s in Political Science

Master's in Political Science Concentrations

• American Politics
• Civil Disobedience
• Comparative Politics
• International Relations
• Law

If you're looking into obtaining a Master's in Political Science, then you likely have a great interest in how the political system works, not just in your own country, but around the world. This degree is multifaceted and always relevant. It also has can help you to find a well-paying job, according to Forbes. However, it can be difficult to choose a concentration. To help you narrow it down, here are five to choose from.

Resource: Top 20 Most Affordable Online Master's in Political Science

1. American Politics

The United States of America is over two hundred years old, but in the grand scheme of things, it's still a fairly new country. Compared to nations in continents such as Europe and Asia, the U.S. is all but a blip on the timeline of history. However, you don't have to be a historian to understand how much of an impact America has made on the world. The American political system of democracy with an elected president and a congress of representatives has endured from the days of the founding fathers. With this concentration, you can evaluate how America's political system has affected its people over time.

2. Civil Disobedience

Revolutions might seem like they come out of nowhere, but they're actually like ticking clocks that have finally gone off. They're sparked not by everyone deciding they want change at once but through a select few gradually making their voices heard until everyone can hear them. This is something that has been part of society for centuries, across different countries and continents, from the French Revolution to the Civil Rights Movement to the Arab Spring. With this concentration, you can evaluate how rebellious movements originate, find their momentum and ultimately meet their fates, either as successes which spark lasting change, or failures which reassert the status quo.

3. Comparative Politics

What is the perfect political system? For prosperous people, it's the one that's allowing them to thrive. Beyond that, there's no perfect system. While we can't expect our entire world population to just switch political systems on a weekly basis until we all find the one that suits us best, we can evaluate each one through thoughtful analysis and comparison. Here, you look at each political system carefully and see how it worked for each country. Why did some countries thrive as monarchies while others thrived as democracies? It's a great way to put your analytic mind to its full potential.

4. International Relations

We live in a highly-populated world of billions of people with 195 countries. Each of these countries has different relationships with one another, some of which are positive, some neutral, and some quite negative. How do countries form alliances or disputes with one another? Are we to expect them to maintain the same relations or are major shifts to ever be expected? How much would our international relations from even a century ago surprise us today? By analyzing the relations between two countries, we can then get a better sense of how conflicts like wars come to fruition.

5. Law

You can reduce all political systems fairly easily by saying they're different forms of maintaining laws. How do laws come to fruition? How does the legal system work in different countries? What laws are needed in order to maintain order? These are just some of the questions you can expect to come up through focusing on law. It allows you to consider your own relationship with the law and view things you might have previously taken for granted in a whole new light. You can truly see how what is legal might not always be connected with what is moral.

These concentrations are just some of the examples of what a Master's in Political Science can do for you. With all of these, you can focus your attention on different aspects of how our world is shaped. They're sure to give you the tools you need to make a huge impression in your professional life.