Centering Career Preparation in Political Science

Student career preparation is a critical part of the mission of political science faculty. The collection of articles in this symposium discuss the call for more career preparation work in political science while continuing to emphasize the role that political science plays in teaching core liberal arts skills. The articles offer a variety of innovative strategies for including career preparation in courses, programs, and student experiences. Articles are grouped into three key themes. First, authors explore the importance of teaching students career skills. Second, authors identify political science as a discipline positioned particularly well to integrate career preparation into the curricula. Third, authors discuss models for such an integration, doing so in courses, programs, and co-curricular activities. Taken together, the symposium provides faculty across institutions and roles with a starting point for discerning how career preparation is part of their pedagogical approach.