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Canadian Government & Politics

What Canadian Government & Politics Majors Need to Know

Programs in Canadian Government & Politics build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Canadian Government & Politics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Canadian Government & Politics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Canadian Government & Politics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Canadian Government & Politics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Canadian Government & Politics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Canadian Government & Politics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Canadian Government & Politics graduates include:

• Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher)
• Art Teacher
• World Language Teacher
• High School Coach
• Economics Teacher
• Violin Teacher
• Trigonometry Teacher
• Organ Teacher
• High School Science Teacher
• Art Educator
• Typing Teacher
• Manual Training Teacher
• Language Arts Teacher
• Coach
• Accounting Teacher

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Canadian Government & Politics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	59.7%
Doctoral degree	9.9%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.0%
Master’s degree	6.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	4.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	4.2%
Postsecondary certificate	2.8%
Post-master’s certificate	2.7%
Some college courses	2.2%
Post-doctoral training	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Canadian Government & Politics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Canadian Government & Politics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,510
4 years	$55,642
5 years	$66,446

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $66,446 — roughly 73% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Canadian Government & Politics Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Canadian Government & Politics graduates earn a median of $55,642 four years after completion — roughly 46% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Political Science and Government	45.10
American Government and Politics (United States)	45.1002
Political Economy	45.1004
Political Science and Government, General	45.1001
Political Science and Government, Other	45.1099
Economics, General	45.0601
International Relations and Affairs	45.0901
International Relations and National Security Studies, Other	45.0999
National Security Policy Studies	45.0902
Social Sciences, General	45.0101

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.