Political science is known as the scientific study of politics. It is a social science that examines governance and power systems, as well as the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and related constitutions and laws. A political science major can investigate the origins of authority and governments while improving analytical, research, and other abilities. Students who enjoy debating and keeping up with current affairs may be attracted to the major. In other words, students should have a solid understanding of political theories and issues by the time they obtain their degrees and the ability to approach research subjects confidently. After graduation, options include professional or graduate study in fields like law, international relations, medicine, and more. Additionally, political science majors may be able to earn class credit for internships in nongovernmental organizations, legal offices, campaign offices, and other settings.
The Netherlands is a highly well-liked place for education. International students select this stunning country because it has some of Europe's top colleges, good living standards, a welcoming population for foreigners, and one of the world's happiest and safest places to live. The Netherlands is also known for its creative technology and engineering solutions. Moreover, do not worry about language hurdles; over 90% of Dutch people speak English. Bike lanes and the "cycling culture" will also ease transportation, and there are a variety of internships and jobs available to international students. If you would like to study Political Science in the Netherlands, it might be a good choice. The Netherlands offers political science education of high quality. Dutch Political Science teaching programs provide comparative politics, European politics, international relations, political theory, political economy, and public policy, as well as cross-cutting themes, including migration, conflict, democracy and its alternatives, gender and diversity, and transnational politics.
Dutch political science departments are one of the most successful departments in Europe. All of the major theoretical, substantive, and methodological strands of political science are intended to be represented to raise qualified students. Moreover, Dutch schools are outstanding in research in political science subjects, and they provide funding if candidates want to conduct research.
The political science degree prepares majors for a wide range of job choices, from journalism to law, by placing an emphasis on analytical thinking. An in-depth description of just a few of the numerous positions in political science that are open to international students can be found below.
Political Scientist: Suppose you are interested in a career in political science and you enjoyed the course material you studied as a political science major. In that case, you might choose to follow a career as a political scientist. As a profession, a political scientist researches political and governmental behavior in order to support electoral campaigns, research voting trends for lobbyists, and develop models to forecast political movements in the future. However, be ready to put in more time in school if a job in political science interests you. A master's degree in political science will increase an international student's employability. Additionally, in order to teach at the collegiate level, the majority of political scientists get their PhDs.
Attorney: In their college years, many lawyers concentrated in political science since it gave them a thorough understanding of how the legal and governmental systems in the US operate. However, the road to becoming a lawyer is far from over once you graduate. In order to enroll in a three-year graduate law program, international students must take the LSAT (Law School Admission Test). They must also pass the infamous Bar Exam in order to practice law in the United States.
Paralegal: A paralegal role can be right for you if becoming a lawyer seems too difficult, but you are still passionate about a career in the legal field. Similar duties are carried out by a paralegal or legal assistant, including fact-finding, research, and the writing of legal documents. Nevertheless, paralegals cannot practice law, administer legal advice, or trial cases because they are not attorneys. The process of becoming a paralegal is understandably easier because the job is a little less rigorous than that of a lawyer. The majority of paralegal certificate programs last for two years, and when combined with a political science undergraduate degree, you'll be well-equipped to start a paralegal profession!
Journalist: A journalist used to be someone who worked for a newspaper or magazine. These days, news media has exploded online because of the development of the Internet and the popularity of well-known blogs like The Huffington Post. The power of journalism is still undeniable, despite the fact that the medium has undergone a tremendous change recently; whether a journalist is exposing a political scandal, entertaining the public, or touching the heart, their work is of the utmost importance. In other words, politics can be a good source of knowledge for a journalist.
Lobbyist: A lobbyist's job is to influence lawmakers and officials to vote in favor of their benefactors, which can be small groups, private citizens, or public institutions. There are various types of lobbyists as well; direct lobbyists approach politicians directly in an effort to influence them, whereas indirect lobbyists are tasked with the less glamorous task of launching grassroots movements, inspiring the local population to take action, and letting their representatives know what they want. The ability to persuade is a lobbyist's most significant asset, regardless of the type of lobbyist they are or who their client may be. They also need to be skilled at reading political conduct, which calls for a solid foundation in political science. Additionally, lobbyists must be prepared to put in long days and practically nonstop hours during election season. By advocating for foreign interests, it can be the simplest for an international student to establish a foothold in the field.
In order to pursue a promising career, you should have some of the features listed below.
Ability to communicate: Clarify your views in writing and spoken conversation, transform data into knowledge, effectively debate and argue, mediate and engage in conflict negotiation, and critical listening.
Planning and development: gather information, think through issues, put strategies into action, make wise decisions, and display leadership.
Methods and Research: Interpret and analyze data, distinguish between good and bad information, perform fundamental quantitative analysis, use summary statistics, comprehend the fundamentals of a reliable sample survey, effectively use a variety of research sources, including the Internet, use computers with proficiency, design research, summarize findings, test theories and hypotheses.
Analytical Ability: Think "beyond the box," think globally, evaluate policy and offer options, synthesize themes from complicated challenges, interpret data, grasp components of complex problems, see problems from a number of perspectives, and solve problems systematically and rationally.
Group Skills: Develop agreement, work as a team and individually, and communicate well in a diverse community.
These are the characteristics of political science specialists have. Throughout the journey in the major of political science, one can obtain some of the skills by improving themselves. However, some can also be inborn skills.
A political science major can be a good option for you if you want to develop powerful tools for comprehending, advancing, and debating political arguments. You will get the chance to develop as a writer, speaker, and critical thinker in a government program. Additionally, you will get the chance to research a variety of domestic and international political issues, including the European Union, nuclear security, and American public opinion. If these topics somehow attract your attention, you can start the journey. However, if you still have hesitations, you should consider filling out forms and contacting our education advisors so that they can guide you and inform you about your future career.
Bachelor's degree in political science takes three years, and a Master's takes one year to complete.
In the Netherlands, most universities did not situate Political Science as a single subject field to be studied. Thus, Universities combine several subjects, including Political Science, as a Department, such as the Philosophy, Politics and Economics department. However, this does not mean that there is no a Political Science department available in the Netherlands. The University of Amsterdam is the sole, but the best. The department is one of the leading ones in Europe. Its campus is located in Roeterseiland. Its instruction language is English, and International students are also enrolled. If you do not want to focus only on Political Science and study other fields too, here are the options for you;
VU University Amsterdam, Political Science: Global Politics: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam offers a variety of bachelor's and master's degree programs that have received international accreditation, with varying emphasis on the connection between politics and governance, as well as on national and international policy. The instruction language is English, and there are international students, as well.
Utrecht University, Philosophy, Politics and Economics: This study examines political and economic concerns from four distinct angles: philosophy, politics, economics, and history. The instruction language is English, and there are a variety of international students.
Almost all the universities accept applications on the same website; Studielink.nl. Pay attention and carefully review the list of documents because each university has different application criteria. You can get in touch with the student services at your potential university if you have any inquiries or need assistance with your enrollment.
Typically, the necessary documents are:
Students with foreign degrees or those who have studied abroad must have earned the equivalent of the Dutch VWO diploma (pre-university secondary education), with an English component to the final test.
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