If you’ve recently decided that you’re interested in entering the field of politics, you may be wondering what kind of degree or education you’ll need to pursue in order to be taken seriously. While there is no specific major that every politician should have, there are definitely a few that come to mind when thinking of the most essential skills a politician should have. Furthermore, political candidates with extensive educational credentials are typically viewed favorably by voters and senior politicians.
1. Diplomacy
In today’s world, diplomacy is an extremely important quality and skill for a politician to possess. Earning a masters in diplomacy will give you the knowledge needed to be a diplomatic leader that can produce sensible and mutually beneficial solutions for political entities and countries in order to keep the peace and improve general relations between parties. There’s much more strategy involved in diplomacy than meets the eye, which is why there’s an entire college curriculum dedicated to the diplomacy graduate degree.
2. Public Administration
Learning how to address large scale or high impact public issues is something that every aspiring politician should do. A master’s of public administration is a central political academic discipline and learning it will prepare you to implement and manage a wide range of public services. Even if you plan on starting as a lower level civil servant before rising the governmental ranks as a politician, having an MPA will give you the credentials needed to get started.
3. International Relations
If you plan on becoming a politician that deals with issues on a national level, then having a degree in international relations would be ideal. This kind of degree is also a good choice for someone who is considering traveling to another country and becoming an ambassador or holding an overseas government position. If you’re bilingual or have plans of learning another language, an international relations degree would be a nice accompaniment to your newfound set of linguistic skills.
4. Economics
A politician with a solid understanding of economics will be more likely to obtain votes and find favor with other politicians, particularly in branches of government related to finance or economic management. This kind of degree also puts you in an ideal position to become an advisor or to get hired in the corporate world as well. Having a masters of economics on your resume is one sure way to shine in the eyes of hiring managers, especially when you’re looking to land a management level position.
Going for Multiple Degrees at Once
The ideal politician would be someone who has several of the degrees above, or better yet, all of them. Considering the average age of a politician is 57 years old, you’ll probably have plenty of time to continue advancing your career and earning more degrees before becoming a prominent politician. The goal is to have as many credentials under your belt as possible, because you’ll need to uphold an admirable and impressive public image.
Are you aiming to become a politician? What are you doing to make it happen?
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