Skills
Political Science Professor Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in political science professors, and how to build and show them.
What skills do political science professors need?
Political Science Professors need technical skills such as political theory, research methods, and statistics, plus people skills like facilitation and neutrality. They also use tools such as Statistical software and Survey data.
Technical (hard) skills
- Political theory
- Research methods
- Statistics
- Policy analysis
- Writing
- Curriculum design
People (soft) skills
- Facilitation
- Neutrality
- Communication
- Critical thinking
Tools, equipment and technology
- Statistical software
- Survey data
- Learning management systems
- Research databases
- Presentation tools
- Simulation games
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how political science professors put their skills to work:
- How to run a model UN simulation
- How to keep political discussions civil
- How to teach students to read a poll
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Political theory” and “Research methods.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “facilitation,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Ph.D. in political science near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our political science professor glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Political Science Professor training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.