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Article
What Can I Do with This Class? Building Employment-Related Skills in International Relations Courses
Journal of Political Science Education (2018)
  • Bidisha Biswas, Western Washington University
  • Virginia Haufler, University of Maryland, College Park
Abstract
Critics contend that current college graduates lack necessary skills for the workplace. What are the aptitudes that employers seek? How can classroom instruction and assessment help develop these capacities, particularly in an international relations class? Numerous surveys of employers indicate they value cross-cutting "soft" skills -- such as critical thinking, teamwork, and communication. Contrary to the views of critics, these skills are often taught in political science courses. Unfortunately, we are rarely explicit about stating the skills as learning outcomes or linking them directly to assignments. We argue that instructors should be more intentional in proposing learning outcomes and assessments that link academic content to the specific skills that will be useful for students' future professional lives.
Keywords
  • Employment related skills,
  • College graduates,
  • International relations classes
Publication Date
November 17, 2018
DOI
10.1080/15512169.2018.1515634
Citation Information
Bidisha Biswas & Virginia Haufler (2018): What Can I Do with This Class? Building Employment-Related Skills in International Relations Courses, Journal of Political Science Education, DOI: 10.1080/15512169.2018.1515634