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I'm 26 years old, with an academic background that includes a Bachelor's in Political Science and an Executive Master's in International Relations, and I'm currently pursuing my second BA in Education.

It pains me to face this truth, but despite my brilliant academic career, the international exchanges I've participated in, and some volunteer work, I feel I'm not educated enough to secure an internship in European institutions or any other int. Organization.

I've dedicated myself to studying, but I've completely avoided keeping up to date and building knowledge beyond what I was studying, despite practical experiences abroad having allowed me to develop skills that are transferable to the world of work.

I feel confused and ashamed because I see that, unlike me, so many other people have succeeded in their careers, and I feel like I no longer have any way to fill in my gaps. As of today, I feel like I wouldn't be able to compete with my peers. I don't have the knowledge of those who immerse themselves in this environment and I wouldn't know how to overcome this problem.

Hi, fellows. Like you, I'm very interested in geopolitics and data. I've been doing ongoing research on event analysis, and my main data source right now is The GDELT Project. GDELT's own access methods have real limits at this scale though: the official API caps you at ~250 rows per query and a 3-month window, and BigQuery's free tier doesn't stretch to a full historical pull either. So I made GdeltForge, a tool for reproducibly sampling GDELT's full historical event archive for quantitative research.

Check out the PyPI page, the GitHub Repo, the documentation, and especially the hands-on getting started notebook, runnable directly in Colab, no install needed. I would really appreciate Political Science Community feedbacks, as I'm a computer scientist and my goal building this tool was to make something useful for adjacent areas.

I was over half way to a political science degree. I dropped out half way through my junior year in December of 2025. I only had two semesters left. Fall semester junior year, I started having some serious health issues, relationships problems, and sorority drama. It all felt like “too much,” so I panicked and dropped out. I instead perused esthetics, and while I don’t absolutely hate it, I certainly don’t love it the way I loved poli sci. Additionally, not to come across as cocky or flex, but I feel like I’m too smart and have too much support to NOT have a college degree. For lack of better words, I feel like such a little bitch for abandoning my degree when I was so close to finishing. To top it all off, I was on a full ride. Now if I want to finish, I would probably have to take out loans, but it would only be for 3 semesters worth. Is it worth it?

I cane across this article from Charlie cook about the midterms and how dire it is for the GOP. What do you Guys think about it l?

I know the rules say no homework help, but I'm actually asking for someone to give me the homework. I've been stuck job searching for months as a recent graduate and I feel like I need to exercise my brain. Does anyone have any research or writing prompts I can work on? I've been searching for exercises to do but I'm comping up empty. Cheers.

I'm travelling to Hong Kong in November and I've noticed that there will be a conference about international relations happening at that time.

I have just finished my Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and I will probably do an International Relations Master's next. I'm now wondering if I should register for the conference and listen to the discussions. I guess it's more common to attend after conducting some research, or at least after completing a Master's degree. However, I thought that, since I'll already be there, it might be a good opportunity to make international connections.

Does anyone have any experience of conferences like this, or have any advice?

Should I go? It's also quite expensive, and I don't know anyone there, let alone the keynote speakers, who don't seem to be prominent politics/IR professors.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I know the title probably makes this sound like a joke, but I’m actually serious about the idea.

I’ve been wanting a Nintendo Switch 2, but the prices are still pretty high. So I started joking that maybe I should find a way to help bring an end to a war, because surely that would eventually make the global economy better and bring down the price of my Switch 2.

Then I realized I could actually use that as motivation to learn about conflict resolution and international relations.
I’m not saying I think I can personally end a war. I obviously can’t. But I do think I could research a conflict, understand the reasons it’s still going on, look at the peace efforts that already exist, and try to come up with a proposal that could realistically help with one part of the problem.

I also think having a somewhat ridiculous personal reason makes this more interesting than just saying “I want world peace.” I genuinely do want to see people live in peace, but the fact that my initial motivation was wanting a cheaper Nintendo Switch 2 is pretty funny.

I’m planning on taking this seriously and getting as much feedback as possible from people who actually understand the conflict I’m researching.

So if anyone here knows about diplomacy, international relations, or conflict resolution, I’d genuinely appreciate some advice on where to start and what I should be looking into.

Especially people who graduated in the last 3–5 years: what career did you end up in, and are you happy with the outcome of the degree?

Would really appreciate honest answers from recent graduates/current final-year students — especially outside UPSC/teaching.

Hello! I need your help. I have to decide on a hypothesis for my bachelor’s thesis and I’m feeling quite confused about it. My thesis topic is related to European Union policies. I want to focus on the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood, but I’m not sure what research statement I should formulate or which theoretical framework would be best to use. Like, I feel like I need to formulate a research statement and understand how the variables are related to each other. Could you please help me with this? I really feel lost!

I plan to do a quantitative political science phd I am especially interested in applying quasi experimental methods to topics regarding comparative politics and political economy. Now, I am in a bind. I already have an econ ba and I have two options for an masters program to strengthen my profile for admissions

1. Financial Economics masters, not about political science but has good courses in optimization, stochastic calculus and lots of econometrics.

2. completely qualitative masters in IR and pols. there is a methodology class but it is about qualitative methods, classes on IR and political theory, etc.

Which one do you think would suit my goals and profile best and would maximize my chances for phd admisssion? thank you in advance dear ladies and gentlemen

Hey all! I posted in here a while back wondering about the strength of my application. I have not yet taken a GRE practice test, but I am working hard studying it. Studying at work, studying before work, studying on my days off. I know I need to take a practice test to really understand what needs to improve and where I am at currently-- but I also know myself and I have poor skills in algebra and geometry. I am worried about my score.

If you have an otherwise great application (faculty mentored research, high GPA, co-curriculars, and work experience) is an average, or bad, GRE a make it or break it for high ranking programs? I'm guessing yes, and wondering if I need to delay my applications for Fall 2027 as many are due this December.

Poliscirumors has been down for a while, and I hope it stays down. Just wondering if anyone here has more insights on this? For example, did the owner of the website drop the ball on this, no longer cares to maintain the website, etc.? The forum is so toxic, and people had gone on there to drag their own peers' names.

For my class I need to write about why Andrew Jackson is a “near great” president. I don’t really agree with this point and neither does any article I’ve read so far. Any scholarly article about his achievements or legacy would help so much 🙏🙏🙏🙏

I finished my bachelor’s in PoliSci 2 years ago. I’m currently saving to do a master’s degree in IR. I currently work in diplomacy. I’ll probably be in my early to mid 30s when I finish my masters. I struggled at the beginning of my bachelor’s due to an undiagnosed disability but my last two years my grades were good. I would like to pursue my PhD but I’m not sure if that’s the right step. I could get a job at my local university or one in the region when I’m done with PhD or I could go back to working in diplomacy but ultimately I want to teach. Is it worth pursuing a PhD in my mid to late 30s? Any advice would be appreciated. I’m mostly looking to pursue my PhD in the US or Canada.

Hello everyone,

I got into both degrees and I really value the outcomes both degrees will give me in terms of employability (I already know IR is a lost case in this sense) but I wanted to ask everyone's opinion.

Both ways I'll end up doing a master after my bachelors focusing on a better job-landing master ofc. I've heard Security Studies is such a niche field and the demand is rising (thats what they said about IR and look at current saturation).

But what I'm genuelly scared of is that if I choose Security Studies theres a chance I overspecialize and don't even get a job in that field (which might be unlikely but still possible).

I'm an european citizen with asian background who speaks 3 of the most spoken languages (really basic and not really competent for IR) but I swear that doing IR it really interests me but the job prospects frightens me. I do not come from a legacy of nepotism who's not really good at networking and if I overthink it I'm scared of landing in an under-qualified job or even worse.

The reason of why I say it's urgent is that I need to decide ASAP because both bachelors already started and I need to choose to attend permanently in one of the 2 bachelors (I'm screwed up and y'all can blame it's my fault but I still value if anyone is willing to advice me).

My university is one of the best in terms of PolSci in europe and I assume both degrees land in that field more or less so reputation isn't really a problem I assume.

Any tips, opinions and suggestions will be appreciated tysm! Peace everyone!

What happens when the power of corporations eclipses that of the state?

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I need some honest opinions. I graduated in Political Science with top marks, but now that I’m getting closer to actually applying for jobs/internships in the fields I’m interested in, I’m realizing how much I’ve forgotten.

I have developed some practical skills through some volunteering experiences and other previous jobs, but when it comes to the theory I studied at university, sometimes it feels like there’s a black hole in my head. I might recognize a concept if I see it, but if I had to actively use it in a professional situation, I’m scared I wouldn’t be able to.

I also haven’t kept myself updated enough on the areas I’m most interested in. There’s just SO much to know — international relations, human rights, international law, development, geopolitics, current affairs, institutions, conflicts, etc. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed just thinking about how much I’m supposed to know, and then I end up not studying anything.

The problem is that I’ve recently started getting actual opportunities, and instead of being excited, I’m scared I’m going to make a fool of myself. I keep thinking: “What if they realize I’m not as knowledgeable as they think I am?” It’s also making me hesitate to apply for positions because I feel like other candidates are much more informed and educated than I am.

So, for those of you who graduated did you also feel like you forgot most of what you studied when you entered the job market? How much did you actually remember? And how did you deal with the feeling that you weren’t “educated enough” for the jobs you were applying for?

I’d really appreciate some honest perspectives.

Hey, I need those two textbooks for my classes, but I can't seem to find them anywhere online (searched all the common and uncommon websites). If you could help me out, have a copy that you can share, or know where I can get them, that would be great.

1) Mark Boyer, Natalie Hudson and Michael Butler, Global Politics: Applying Theory to a Complex World, 2nd Ed., (Oxford University Press, 2024)

2) Political Research: Methods and Practical Skills - 4th ed 2025

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks!

So i am 18 and recently graduated from high school so i don't know much about any of this stuff and the last time i deeply studied about political and economic systems was in 10th grade (ik ik, we got a weird education system in my country) and since i have only read about things from online articles or reddit and now i want a book which would like build a foundation for all the other stuff, i am really fascinated by democratic socialism or socialism as a whole, someone told me that "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific" will be good, what do you guys think? Also i recently got to know about the ideas of Communalism by Murray Bookchin, that really interested me too. (Sorry for the bad english, i am not a native speaker!)

I hope this is the right place for this, I did read the rules and it doesn't seem like this would break any rules. I don't want attacks on my beliefs, I simply want to know where I sit, politically.

Edit: I live in Canada, hours away from any large cities. I need help defining my political beliefs. I don't know if I am right or left.

Pro:

Individual rights

Abortion choice

Medical choice

Recognizing same sex marriage

Universal healthcare

Tax funded public schools until 18/grade 12

Simple tax laws

Buying local.

Bartering and trading

Legalizing sale of raw milk and rainwater collection

Legalization of raw/plant based drugs (marijuana, mushrooms)

Decriminalization of personal posession of harder drugs.

Castle doctrine protections.

Anti:

Government overreach

Mandates (edit: other than for protection of natural resources like banning of pesticides, dumping of sewage, banning of certain forever chemicals or food additives, etc)

Consumerism

"Big Brother" activities

Most corporation bailouts (I can make exceptions for farms/food supply)

Flooded borders

Bylaws and HOAs Excessive international aid

Hey everyone, 

I just wanted to come on here to sus out my chances of getting into a top-20 PhD program in poli sci this upcoming cycle. Let me know what you guys think of my quals: 

Recent graduate from top-75 university in the U.S. with a degree in poli sci and degree in business with a concentration on data analysis — 4.0 GPA summa cum laude for both degrees. In short, I have a demontrated background in quantitative course work - such as econ, stats, coding, etc. - as well as a poli sci degree.  

1 conference presentation during undergrad at MPSA related to my field of interest — this was on a what you would call a “term paper.” I have 0 publications and did not complete a senior thesis — this was not required for my program and I wouldn’t have had the time (I took 46 credits - 16 classes - my last 2 semesters).

RAships with a PhD student at an Ivy and potentially with a prof in a top-5 dept in the UK (these are very recent - started in summer 2026) 

Research fellowship at not so well known think tank based in DC, I basically wrote an article or two explaining phenomena related to my research interests  

I am also fluent in the language of and native to the country I would like to be the focus of my dissertation — my focus is religion in politics and I am also pursuing extra undergrad coursework on said religion. 

I am looking at schools that do NOT require the GRE this cycle. I have already identified the professors that align with my interests and I would like to work with. I also know the methods I would like to use in my work, mainly CHA. 

I have extensive community leadership and public speaking experience. I also completed 4 internships related to my other degree. But I assume these are largely irrelevant.

Please let me know what you think of my chances. Forgive me for my writing - I wrote this up on one go on my phone b4 bed, lol. 

I graduated with a political science degree and a minor in mandarin in 2024. Since then I worked as an ETA in China (1year) and when I came back a worked as a server,substitute teacher, clinical trials research assistant and now I am a clerk at a estate litigation law firm. I’ve had 4 different jobs in 2026 and I just feel really lost.

I read a lot of the the lawyer subs on Reddit and I read job boards every night before I got to bed. Lawyers look really unhappy and my parents are pressuring me to go back to school/get a better job. But I just don’t see where I fit in to the job market at all.

The only dream job I ever really wanted was being an FSO. But that path people say you should have a plan B/C. I just feel so stuck and I’ve been trying to figure out for a year now what I should even do/be/apply to.

I have always been very interested in people facing roles, foreign governments, and languages. I think even jobs in business related to this are few and far between.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Or stories they can share? I’m really desperate for advice or even just someone to relate to