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Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in political science, international affairs, and international relations. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
    • Participate in campus and community events.
    • Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
    • Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
    • Act as advisers to student organizations.
    • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
    • Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
    • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
    • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
    • Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
    • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
    • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
    • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
    • Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
    • Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
    • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as classical political thought, international relations, and democracy and citizenship.
    • Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
    • Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
    • Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.
    • Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
    • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
    • Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
    • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
    • Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
    • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
    • Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.
    • Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks.
    • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
    • Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.

    Skills

    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    Abilities

    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.

    Knowledge

    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    Education

    Education
    Doctoral or professional degree
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    82990/yr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    380
    Yearly Projected Openings
    40

    Personality

    Social: People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Social Orientation
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Cooperation

    Tools

    • Compact disk players or recorders
    • Desktop computers
    • Digital camcorders or video cameras
    • Digital cameras
    • Digital video disk players or recorders
    • Epidiascopes
    • High capacity removable media drives
    • Inkjet printers
    • Laser fax machine
    • Laser printers
    • Liquid crystal display projector
    • MP3 players or recorders
    • Microphone stand
    • Microphones
    • Multimedia projectors
    • Notebook computers
    • Overhead projectors
    • Photocopiers
    • Portable data input terminals
    • Projection screens or displays
    • Scanners
    • Scientific calculator
    • Slide projectors
    • Special purpose telephones
    • Tablet computers
    • Teleconference equipment
    • Televisions
    • Touch screen monitors
    • Videoconferencing systems

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Calendar and scheduling software
    • Computer based training software
    • Data mining software
    • Development environment software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Information retrieval or search software
    • Internet browser software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Optical character reader OCR or scanning software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software