Many students enter a sociology major because they’re passionate about the study of society. In addition to being an interesting and engaging discipline, sociology coursework supports students in developing the skills employers are seeking in many industries. Most sociology majors take courses in introductory sociology, theory, statistics and research methods, as well as courses related to inequality and social change.
Which career-readiness skills are gained through a sociology major?
A key aim of the sociology major is to help students develop a sociological imagination, or a way of viewing the world from multiple perspectives. Students gain an understanding of the interconnections between individual people and social institutions such as government, education and healthcare.
In introductory sociology and sociological theory courses, students develop problem-solving skills and improve their ability to look at issues and questions from multiple perspectives. Sociology students also enhance their analytical and quantitative skills in research methods and statistics courses. These courses require students to analyze and evaluate the quality of social scientific data. Plus, these courses give students opportunities to learn statistical techniques and use software, which can be desirable in today’s workforce. Elective courses prompt students to dig deeper into questions about why and how social processes occur. They enhance students’ career-readiness by encouraging problem-solving, interpersonal interactions and strategic planning.
How do sociology programs further enhance students’ employability?
Many sociology programs offer students various forms of experiential learning, including internships, research opportunities and service-learning. For instance, in my capstone course, each student creates their own research or service-based project to address a particular social issue of interest to them. They’ve developed projects to help at-risk youth complete college applications, interviewed experts on race and mental health and increased volunteer support for a local community garden. Experiential learning such as this expands sociology students’ career-readiness skills for post-graduation. Out-of-classroom experiences require students to practice both written and oral communication skills to complete tasks at an internship site, for a research project or for collaboration with a community partner. Plus, to successfully navigate these hands-on formats, students must be able to collaborate with a team and take initiative to complete a project. These are all attributes sought by many employers!
What specific careers are a good fit for a sociology degree?
Being provided with a wide range of transferable career-readiness skills and flexibility in specific areas of study helps sociology students go on to a variety of careers. Two of my former sociology capstone students work as talent recruiters, helping to find and place people in leadership positions in IT and healthcare. Another works as an advocate at a crisis center to support people who have experienced sexual assault. And another works in quality assurance for a sheriff’s office. One final former student works in public affairs, helping political groups and other agencies with their communication strategies.
The sociology major is a well-rounded program that provides students with perspectives and skills that enhance employability for a variety of careers for today and in the future! For more information on careers and tools for career preparation, check out Cengage’s 2024 Graduate Employability Report.
Written by Laura C. Atkins, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology and Associate Dean at Jacksonville University.
Explore our entire sociology discipline page or catalog and check out Professor Atkins’ textbook, “Sociology In Our Times: The Essentials,” 13e.