A graduate who completes the double degree in Law and Political Science acquires an extensive professional profile.
The professions of lawyer or prosecutor are ones that will no longer be entered directly from an undergraduate degree due to a law going into effect in 2011. Nonetheless, the new degree proposed herein may access the Master’s degree program, which will be required. There are still other missions of great social relevance- among which the judicature represents a good example- which can be accessed by graduates with no other requisites than holding this degree and passing the corresponding selection process. Nevertheless, there are clearly a wide range of professional areas in which the job market itself will demonstrate that postgraduate studies are indispensable.
Together with this profile, the education that graduates receive in the area of Political Science makes them good professionals, able to efficiently adapt to numerous work settings, activities and jobs, because the graduates will have learned:
- Analytical tools to participate in the search for practical and theoretical solutions for political and government problems in our societies
- Tools for the analysis and management of different public policies which are useful for carrying out management and technical positions in public administration
- Practical and theoretical knowledge about the functioning of public administration and government
- Basic capability to carry out work in the international area and within international organizations (the UN, European Union, World Bank, etc.)
- Capacity for reflection and critical analysis about relevant current events
- Use of different methodological procedures to analyze political reality (comparative, analytical, historical…)
- Knowledge of the principal political theories and ideologies, and capacity to recognize them in the discourse and performance of political, economic and social actors
- Capacity to perform quantitative or qualitative research on socio-political phenomena
- Means and ability to guide the private sector in its relations with the public administration and to establish links between the two
- Communication and technical skills for negotiation and conflict resolution
- Tools to interpret electoral processes and results, legislative processes, political conflicts, etc.
- Capacity to form and develop explanations about historical events from a political perspective
- Knowledge and skills that allow fundamental opinions to be formed regarding the governmental activity being carried out
Therefore, in addition to the professional options available to Law graduates, a degree in Political Science opens an additional range of professional possibilities, among which the following are worthy of mention:
Political Analyst: Analyze and interpret data on citizens’ values and attitudes and about the different political actors. Analyze election results, define political settings, and design political strategies and election campaigns for political, social and institutional organizations. Supervise and test quality and reliability of socio-political indicators for the purpose of decision-making.
Public Administration Manager or Technician: Perform tasks of leadership, coordination, management, inspection, control and study, as well as design and make improvement proposals for public administrations, constitutional bodies, and, in general, public organizations operating in the areas of European, national, regional and local government.
Public Policy Analyst: Analyze public policies in the respective phases of problem identification and definition, as well as the formulation and launch of programs and actions. Evaluate public policy and pose alternatives to improve subsequent political performance.
Advisor and Consultant (national and international): Perform advisory and technical assistance functions for public administrations and political institutions; for political organizations which represent different interests (parties, unions…) and NGOs; for private companies in their relations with the public sector; for those public workers and politicians in charge of international and national institutions and companies with international projection. Plan, develop and evaluate cooperation and development projects in other countries. Carry out international observer functions in peace and democratization processes. Mediate in crisis management and conflict resolution.
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