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Careers in Sociology

Corporate

Sociologists work in a variety of corporate settings as consultants, developers, and CEOs. Corporate sociologists conduct training programs and conduct research for businesses and organizations. In these positions, they propose and evaluate various personnel and industrial relations programs. In addition, some are labor relations experts who serve as mediators of work disputes.

Consulting

Sociologists work in research departments and participate in organizational analysis and development. They conduct research and strategic planning in departments of human resources, industrial relations, public relations, and marketing.

Non-profit

Many of the people who have completed our MA program work in the non-profit sector, and some have even launched their own philanthropic organizations. The interdisciplinary nature of the sociology discipline aids our graduates in the non-profit world.

Resources from the American Sociological Association

“Sociology majors, their parents and educators often ask, 'What can bachelors-level graduates do with their degrees in sociology?' To answer this question, the American Sociological Association's (ASA) Department of Research & Development developed a longitudinal study of students in the class of 2005 who majored in sociology. Students were surveyed three times: in their senior year of college (Phase I), nearly two years after graduation (Phase II), and nearly four years after graduation (Phase III). This survey offers insight into students' views of their experiences as majors and their post-graduation paths, and demonstrates how sociology programs enable these students as they pursue careers, enroll in graduate and professional degree programs, or both.

Our analysis, funded by the National Science Foundation's sociology program, has so far traced the paths students take from undergraduate sociology programs to forging careers, exploring predictors of job satisfaction and the closeness of these jobs to their studies. This research is intended to inform undergraduate sociology curricula, educate current and prospective sociology undergraduates in ways they can use their degree in their future endeavors, and provide a baseline for departmental assessments.” -American Sociological Association