<p>I want to go to graduate school for a Phd in international relations (poli sci). I feel as if everyone who gets this Phd strictly goes into teaching. My dream would be to work for the FBI/CIA etc. Would a Phd in poli sci be a waste of time for this goal? if so, what Phd would be a good option. </p>
<p>Also, this is all assuming i would get into a top10 school.</p>
<p>From the FBI’s web site;
The FBI does not recommend particular courses or schools. Any degrees that develop research and analytical skills are desirable educational backgrounds. For example, a Law degree is a desirable asset because Special Agents are charged with investigating violations of federal laws of the United States; an Accounting degree is also desirable because Special Agents trace financial transactions and review/analyze complex accounting records in criminal investigations; an Engineering degree is desirable because Special Agents often have to critically analyze large amounts of information in order to plan the next steps in an investigation; etc.</p>
<p>If your goal is to get a PhD in political science primarily for working for the FBI or CIA, then yes, I think it’s a waste of time to get one. You can get to the same goal by studying for a master’s, which will take you 4 fewer years (at least).</p>
<p>Were I you, I would study for a master’s that has applications and good job prospects outside of the FBI or CIA. Federal government jobs are hard to come by and getting those coveted special agent positions are even harder, so you want a degree that will get you a job that you can enjoy doing in case you don’t get an FBI/CIA job right away. Accounting and engineering are two fields that will prepare you for those jobs but will also have good job prospects in the civilian world. A law degree…well, if you graduate from a top 15 school near the top of your class and plan to study corporate law, then that might get you a good job. If you wanted to get an MA in political science because you are passionate about the field, you can do that too, but I’m not sure what the job prospects are like otherwise.</p>
<p>You should only get a PhD in political science if you intend to do research and be a scholar in the field, whether that’s in an academic setting or some other place. There are some people with PhDs who end up doing other things, but it’s usually accidental or because they got fed up with academia, lol.</p>
<p>The #1 thing you need to do is acquire is a security clearance and pass a polygraph. Trust me, the CIA/NSA/FBI’s of the world do not care about the brand of your school.</p>
<p>If I took a pic of the parking lot of the No Such Agency (where I work) and showed you all of the license-plate holders and the number of different schools, you would be amazed.</p>