Jobs In Sociology

One question that many Sociology majors (and prospective majors) ask is "What can I do with a degree in Sociology?" The answer is: anything you want! But to be more helpful, the faculty and staff of the Department of Sociology put together some ideas for how a BA in Sociology might help prepare students for future careers. The answer to what Sociology can offer falls into three areas: What do you want to do? What do Sociology majors (or sociologists) do? And what skills from Sociology might be applicable.

What do you want to do? Sociology offers many perspectives and critical thinking skills that are applicable to many careers. What your focus is should be the first question to ask of yourself.

What jobs can majoring in Sociology prepare me for? The critical thinking and broad perspectives of Sociology can be a great preparation for many careers. Sociology majors go into Law, Politics, Education, Journalism, Public Relations, Counseling, and many other fields.

What skills does Sociology provide for me? Many state and private organizations are looking for research skills, our graduates will be competent in this area. Polling organizations, such as Roper and Gallup often have openings all over the world for graduates interested in doing survey work. The US Census and other federal agencies often hire sociologists, as do local groups such as home builders and developers looking for aggregation of surveys, or related work. Data collection and analysis might be relevant to marketing jobs, or work with many non-profit organizations.

More information can be found in the ASA Careers in Sociology handbook, available in the Sociology Department office. The ASA also maintains a careers in sociology webpage.

The Sociology internship program can give you academic credit for volunteer work in the communities of the greater Sacramento region. This can be a great way to prepare yourself for a future job, to investigate what certain jobs entail, and to boost your resume with some on-the-job experience.

The Career Center can also be helpful in thinking about future employment. CSUS Career Center