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The Sociology major is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to be effective agents for change in society; to contribute positively to the quality of life; and to be globally aware.  Beyond studying inherently interesting subject matter - groups, organizations, social relationships, and cultural change - a student majoring in sociologywill develop invaluable skills.

These skills include effective writing, problem-solving, data analysis, teamwork, research design and execution, critical thinking, and oral communication. Sociology majors will find these skills cultivated in every class and reinforced through hands-on internships during the junior or senior year. Thus, a major in sociology provides an excellent foundation for a wide range of career and graduate school pursuits. 

Additional skills that will be marketable for students as they transition into careers include abilities to:

• Identify ethical issues in research;
• Develop evidence-based arguments;
• Understand and explain race, gender, and class influences on individual lives and social structure;
• Evaluate research methods;
• Utilize technologies such as blogging and e-portfolios;
• Form hypotheses;
• Write reports (understandable by non-sociologists);
• Use statistical software;
• Conduct literature reviews & develop reference lists;
• Interpret the results of data gathering.

Individuals trained in sociology have a wide range of careers in which they are able to apply their skills.  Some of these include:  

 Criminology: Federal, state, and/or local law enforcement, corrections agencies, academia, victim services, court services and mediation, offender re-entry programs, juvenile delinquency programs.

Business and advertising: Advertising and marketing firms, nongovernment organizations, academia, consulting, labor relations firms, trade unions.

Medical and health care fields: Government planning & regulatory agencies, local health departments & public health-related non-profit agencies, hospitals & health institutions, citizen advocacy.

Environmental work: Federal and state protection agencies, academia, local public lands management, environmental organizations. 

Gender and sexuality fields: Advocacy for women, girls, and/or GLBT populations, human resources consultant, research, social services, social justice, community organizing.

International work: Nongovernmental work (NGOs), peace and conflict, Peace Corps.

What can you do with a degree in sociology?

Sociology majors can succeed in a variety of professions. Follow these links for more information: 

http://www.asanet.org/cs/root/leftnav/careers_and_jobs/careers_in_sociology

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/online-education-guide/social-science/sociology-major.htm

http://www.usi.edu/libarts/socio/socdegree.asp

"Why Major in Sociology?" - Presented to students in 2010 [.pdf - 13Mb]