Students get a glimpse at "real life" in Careers in PLS class
January 15, 2025 - Karessa Weir
A new course this Fall – Careers in PLS (PLS 392) – gave undergraduate students new opportunities to prepare to take on law school, graduate school, the business world, or just "real life" after college.
The creation of Careers in PLS began when Chayse Hurley, an academic specialist in the department, and Department Chair Jeff Conroy-Krutz brainstormed ways to provide students with a broader sense of the variety of paths that a Political Science degree opens.
A big feature of the course was the opportunity to learn from and connect with PLS majors in various careers. Hurley invited MSU PLS alumni from a wide variety of professions to speak to the class about how to break into a field.
Political Science Pre-Law senior Ava McCoy is planning to get a master’s degree in International Relations and loved hearing from an alumn now at Boston Scientific as they talked about their journey into international affairs, specifically in health care.
“Chayse made it very personal, like no matter what our goal is, she found someone to talk about it,” McCoy said. “All the speakers were great. All PLS grads – some are lawyers, some are not. It really took a lot of weight off our chests.”
Hannah Raymond, Criminal Justice senior, most enjoyed the visit from Anna Cumming, Washtenaw County Friend of the Court, because she hopes to be a public defender. But Raymond felt the true value of the course was how it prepared her to apply to law school.
“I’ve never taken a class like this that prepares me for the future. It forced me to not put some things off, like creating a resume and a LinkedIn profile,” Raymond said. “This class is exactly what I needed right now.”
Riley Jones, a Political Science Pre-Law junior, said the course “demystified” the business world, where she hopes to work someday but had no idea how to navigate.
“All the speakers were helpful and gave me job ideas that I never thought of,” Jones said. “Chayse is an amazing professor. She taught us how to be professionals.”
Hurley was also praised for her patience and ability to work individually with the 24 students in her class. PLS junior Noah Brasseur, who hopes to work in international affairs at an embassy, appreciated the guest speakers and the time Hurley put into their future.
“Chayse helped me get everything in order. The future seemed so nebulous but she explained all the ins and out of what you need to do. It was really helpful,” Brasseur said. “I’m really grateful for this, especially all the networking we were able to do.”
Hurley also works with students on “people skills,” said PLS-Pre Law junior Christina Pilch.
“I loved the class. We went over real world jobs that we could get with a political science degree,” Pilch said. “And the really best part was all the networking we did.”
The experimental course wouldn’t have worked if so many alumni had not been willing to come to campus and work with students, Hurley said.
“Honestly, this year was the result of many people who care about our students coming together. The rich outpouring and honesty our alumni offered to students pushed the class in ways that no single teacher could. The students were also incredible at engaging in a manner that allowed them to make a draw on the alumni. I simply had the opportunity to facilitate this communication and provide space for students to prioritize those practical items that they need to successfully make the transition from college into the professional world, ” Hurley said.
Based on this year’s success, the Department hopes to make the course an annual Fall offering.
“This is a great opportunity for us to connect more of our alumni with our undergraduates,” said Conroy-Krutz. “We look forward to getting more of our alums into the classroom!”