Skip redundant pieces

Sociology

Occupational Possibilities

Through study of social relations and society, sociology majors develop skills applicable to a wide range of occupations. The list below is only a sample of these suitable careers for majors in sociology, selected from national data and from Major Options by Nicholas Basta (1991, New York: The Stonesong Press), which is available for use at University Career & Employment Services. Some occupations, such as job counselor, may require specialized skills or additional training. Additional graduate study is generally required for listings marked with a *.

Health and Human Services

  • *Social worker
  • *Public health educator
  • Advocate (e.g. children, ethnic group members, aging)
  • *Genetic counselor
  • *Physician
  • *Transplant registry database manager
  • Job counselor
  • *Health-service administrator

Business and Industry

  • *Actuary
  • *Industrial psychologist
  • Employment recruiter
  • Loan officer/bank employee
  • *Union legal counsel
  • Environmental impact assessment researcher
  • Travel agent/guide
  • Journalist
  • Human resources manager
  • Management consultant
  • Advertising account executive
  • Art director
  • Salesperson
  • Executive search consultant
  • Hotel manager

Government and Public Sector

  • Friend of the Court caseworker
  • *Bureau of Indian Affairs researcher
  • National/state park interpreter
  • International agency representative
  • *Attorney
  • Congressional committee staff director
  • *Coroner/medical examiner
  • Head Start program director
  • State/federal government policy analyst
  • *Public administrator
  • Urban planner

Education and Research

  • *Archaeologist
  • Bilingual/bicultural program specialist
  • Museum education director
  • *Academic advisor/counselor
  • Teacher of English as a second language (ESL)
  • *Computer simulation model designer
  • *College administrator
  • *Compensation analyst
  • *Collections manager
  • Foundation program manager
  • Marketing researcher
  • Media planner
  • Corporate trainer
  • Demographer
  • Editor
  • Vocational teacher (of adults)

 

back to top

Skills and Abilities

Students of sociology develop general and technical skills and abilities applicable to diverse occupational paths. While many continue education in graduate, medical, or law school, many other possibilities exist. The representative skills below may be used in a variety of careers. For example, cross-cultural observational skills may be equally useful for a foundation project manager, a corporate recruiter, and a freelance journalist.

Communication

  • Summarizing results
  • Writing clearly
  • Presenting/defending a position
  • Communicating across cultures/languages
  • Understanding societal development

Analysis

  • Gathering and organizing data
  • Examining data
  • Conducting field studies
  • Applying non-intrusive methods
  • Computer modeling
  • Reaching new conclusions through comparative study
  • Utilizing statistical applications

Project Development

  • Planning long-term projects
  • Recruiting/coordinating research subjects
  • Writing grant proposals
  • Evaluating
  • Maintaining records
  • Developing project designs

 

 Interpersonal Relations
  • Interviewing
  • Understanding group dynamics
  • Observing human interactions
  • Recognizing cultural differences/similarities
  • Surveying and sampling
  • Identifying value systems

Career Planning and Resources

 

Internships

 

Job Search

back to top

For More Information

...about careers, graduate and professional schools, internships, professional associations, or job descriptions contact:

University Career Center
110 Burge Union
(785) 864-3624

For information about majors and concentrations in sociology:

Sociology Department
716 Fraser Hall
(785) 864-4111 or (785) 864-9400

back to top