Adjunct Political Science professor jobs
Part-time political science teaching positions at universities, community colleges, and online-first institutions across the U.S. Online, remote, and on-campus roles.
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About adjunct political science professor jobs
Adjunct political science professors are part-time faculty hired semester by semester to teach undergraduate or graduate political science courses. Most institutions hire political science adjuncts to cover high-enrollment introductory courses, asynchronous online sections, summer terms, and specialized electives that don't justify a full-time hire.
Common adjunct political science teaching assignments
- American Government
- State and Local Government
- Introduction to Political Science
- International Relations
- Comparative Politics
- Public Policy
Credentials and qualifications
The standard credential for adjunct political science teaching is a master's in political science, public policy, or public administration (PhD preferred at four-year universities; a JD is accepted for some law-and-government courses). Accreditation guidelines generally require at least 18 graduate credit hours in the discipline you're teaching — so a related field is often acceptable if you have enough discipline-specific coursework.
Where to find adjunct political science jobs
The most active employers of adjunct political science faculty are the large online-first universities (SNHU, UMGC, Liberty, Grand Canyon, Walden), community college systems, public university continuing education divisions, and four-year private universities. The listings above pull from all of these.
Frequently asked questions
- What qualifications do I need to teach adjunct political science?
- Most adjunct political science positions require a master's in political science, public policy, or public administration (PhD preferred at four-year universities; a JD is accepted for some law-and-government courses). Community colleges and online universities have more flexibility on credentials; four-year universities and graduate programs are stricter.
- How much do adjunct political science professors earn per course?
- Adjunct political science pay typically falls in the $2,000–$7,000 per 3-credit course range. Community colleges and online-first universities (SNHU, UMGC, Liberty) sit at the lower end ($2,000–$3,500). Four-year university extension programs and graduate-level political science courses pay $3,500–$7,000+.
- What political science courses do adjuncts typically teach?
- The most common adjunct political science teaching assignments are introductory and gen-ed courses with high enrollment: American Government, State and Local Government, Introduction to Political Science, International Relations, and similar undergraduate sections.
- Can I teach adjunct political science online or remote?
- Yes — every major online university (SNHU, UMGC, Western Governors, Liberty, Grand Canyon, Walden) hires online political science adjuncts, and most community colleges and four-year universities now offer asynchronous online sections in political science. Filter the listings above by modality "Online" to see only remote-eligible roles.
- How competitive are adjunct political science positions?
- Competition varies by institution tier. Brand-name universities and tenure-track-adjacent roles are very competitive; online-first universities, community colleges, and continuing education programs maintain large rolling adjunct pools and hire continuously.
Universities hiring political science adjuncts
Institutions with current or recent political science listings on OpenLecture.