Psephology

The term ‘Psephology’ is derived from the Greek term ‘psephos’ which means pebble, the Greeks used as ballots and ‘logy denotes a field of study or academic discipline. Hence, Psephology means the scientific study of elections and voting behavior.

Key to Success

To be successful in psephology you should have/ develop:

Ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic.
A very strong desire to succeed
Reasoning ability
Ability to take quick decision
Ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas
Ability to concentrate on a task
Ability to see details at close range
Clear understanding of politics
Ability to analysis and synthesis of information and data

Scope and opportunities

Psephologists keep themselves engaged in studying the election patterns and deviations. They use tools like past election’s facts and figures and public opinion polls to make a conclusion. They are responsible for making analysis of aspects like trends in voting, swings in votes; number of votes polled or percentage of total votes polled translating into the number of seats in the government. They keep researching on percent swing in the votes as it may lead to change in the government. Hence, Psephologists are important in playing a constructive role in any democratic set up.
Lifestyle & Social Status

This career is well above average compared to those of most careers.
It takes more time to get established.
It’s an indoor as well as outdoor activity.

Job Profile

As many television news channels and news magazines devote reams of paper to elections, the Psephologists are paced high with offers during and before elections.
Even, they keep themselves busy by working with media group to write columns and articles related to political science or sociology.
Research agencies and institutions also hire psephologists

Skill sets

Reading Comprehension
Writing
Judgment and Decision Making
Reasoning and analytic skills
Communication skills – both oral and written
Critical Thinking
research and evaluation skills
Persuasion

Work Value

Responsibility
Achievement
Results oriented

Current Job Scenario

As with the growing importance of elections in any democratic set-up, Psephologists are more in demand.

Course Synopsis

Course Options	B.A. Political Science	M.A. Political Science
Academic Eligibility	12th pass in any stream	Any graduate with a flair in statistics
Fees	Rs 5000 – Rs 10000 per year	Rs 5000 – Rs 10000 per year
Expenditure in Metro and Tier-1	Rs. 2 Lakhs to Rs. 2.5 Lakhs	Rs. 2 Lakhs to Rs. 2.5 Lakhs
Expenditure in Tier-2	Rs. 1.25 – Rs. 1.75 Lakhs	Rs. 1.25 – Rs. 1.75 Lakhs
Duration	3 Years	2 Years
Mode	Regular	Regular
Specialization		Political theory, Public policy, National politics, Comparative politics and International relations
Approved	UGC	UGC
Affiliation	Respective Universities	Respective Universities

Career prospect

Entrance Exam

University / Institute Level Exams

LPUNEST

Success stories