The Value of a Political Science Education at Utah State University

By Brian Steed, Political Science Instructor

From 1994 to 1999, I invested a great deal of time and energy in obtaining both a Bachelors and Masters degree in Political Science from Utah State Univeristy.  On a cool Spring morning in 1999, I proudly walked from the Quad to the Spectrum feeling eager to graduate on to the next phase of life.  In the time since, I have been asked on various occasions why I chose to invest almost six years studying political science at Utah State University.  People have inquired, “what is the value of those degrees?”  My experience has shown that the answer to this question is twofold:  1) Political Science has given me an understanding and helps me contextualize world, national, and local events; and 2) Political Science taught me how to think and research complex questions.  Both of these skills have proved invaluable.

1)Studying political science at U.S.U. helped me understand and contextualize world, national, and local events.  Understanding politics is important.   Political arenas are everywhere.  From the shared dorm room, to the interoffice, to the PTA, politics can be found at a variety of levels and throughout a myriad of settings.  Gaining a better understanding of how individuals behave in such arenas enables participants to understand and even predict outcomes.   In a more formalized context, the study of politics inevitably involves the study of government.   Quality of life can be dramatically improved by effective government and dramatically worsened by ineffective government.  One need look no further than the daily news to realize the profound impact governmental decisions may have on our lives.  The economic decisions currently facing our nation are at their core governed by political choices.  Indeed, the same could be said of responses to terrorism, environmental change, and numerous other global, national, and local threats.  Accordingly, political science enables individuals to be informed participants in an increasingly complex world.

2) Political Science taught me how to think and research.  Because political questions are often complex, they require substantive thought and the ability to dig deeper to find additional information.  No skills could be more important in today’s workforce.  The ability to think critically is in critical demand.  The skills I gained here made me very competitive in pursuing a legal education and working as a lawyer.  In law school, I found that I had a comparative advantage in articulating ideas and performing research to those who came from different academic backgrounds.  I credit these skills to the professors at Utah State who made me complete difficult assigned readings, research projects, and participate in classroom discussion.  I have found these same skills have served me quite well in my current studies toward obtaining a PhD.  As noted above, I am confident that these skills will travel to virtually any employment or future academic endeavor chosen by the political science graduate.

All told, I have found that the skills I developed through studying political science at Utah State University have served me quite well.  I further know that my experience is not singular.  My friends and colleagues who graduated from political science are currently working in a broad spectrum of jobs in government, business, law, non-profit organizations, and academia.  As we approach another (likely cool) Spring morning, where eager graduates line up eager to greet their futures, I am confident that the graduates of the class of 2009 will experience that same measure of success I know is capable for Utah State political science students.