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Sociology Student Organizations

Alpha Kappa Delta members display their membership certificates

Alpha Kappa Delta

Student and sociology faculty member converse at a resource fair

Sociology Club

Sociology Professional Organizations

American Sociological Association logo

American Sociological Association

ASA’s mission is to serve sociologists in their work, advance sociology as a science and profession, and promote the contributions and use of sociology to society.

Join ASA
International Sociological Association logo

International Sociological Association

The International Sociological Association (ISA), founded in 1949 under the auspices of UNESCO, is a non-profit association for scientific purposes. It is a member of the International Science Council.

Join ISA

Sociology Research Resources

What can I do with a sociology degree?

Believe it or not, there are many careers out there for sociology majors. Below, you will find areas of job interest, employers who hire in that area, and strategies (including classes to take, experience to gain, interviewing, etc.) to get that job.

close-up photo of a leaf and photo of a healthcare worker at a computer wearing a face maskEnvironment & Society

Employers

  • Waste Management Firms
  • Health Agencies
  • Local Planning Agencies
  • Environmental Advocacy Groups
  • National Advocacy Groups
  • Environmental Periodicals
  • Federal Government
  • Regional, State, & Local Agencies
  • Consulting Firms

Strategies

  • Take courses in general and urban ecology, statistics and public speaking.
  • Learn skills in communication networking, electronic mail and analytical writing.
  • Gain experience via part-time or internships and volunteer work.
  • Obtain graduate degree for advancement.

photo of a judge's gavel and photo of police in riot gearCriminal Justice

Employers

  • Correction Institutions
  • Court Systems
  • Federal, State, & Local Government
  • Law Enforcement Agencies

Strategies

  • Emphasize research methods, statistics and computer skills.
  • Gain essential practical experience via part-time, internships and volunteer work.
  • Learn skills in communication networking and electronic mail.
  • Obtain graduate degree for advancement.

photo of man typing on a computer and photo of a computer screen with data plotted on itDemography

Employers

  • Companies and Organizations doing demographic forecasting and population studies
  • Companies compiling market research data
  • Consulting firms
  • Business and Industry
  • International, Federal and State Agencies
  • Government and Regional Planning Departments
  • Colleges and Universities
  • Foundations
  • Advertising and Marketing Firms
  • Private Research Firms

Strategies

  • Take courses in social research methods, statistics, computer applications, population, social movements, calculus and foreign language.
  • Develop good communication skills.
  • Gain essential practical experience via part-time, internships and volunteer work.
  • Learn skills in communication networking and electronic mail.
  • Obtain graduate degree for advancement.

photo of masked healthcare workers forming hearts with their hands and photo of children sitting on the ground outside in a circle raising their handsHuman Services

Employers

  • Advocacy Groups
  • Federal, State and Local Government
  • United Way Agencies/Local Branches of National Non-Profit Organizations
  • Religiously-Affiliated Service Organizations
  • Adoption and Child Care Agencies
  • Public and Private Nursing Homes
  • Hospitals

Strategies

  • Learn skills in communication networking and electronic mail.
  • Concentrate course work in area of interest.
  • Pursue excellent academic record.
  • Emphasize research methods, statistics and computer skills.
  • Obtain counseling courses and experience for counseling and case worker positions.
  • Acquire related experience.
  • Obtain graduate degree for advancement.
  • Consider business minor or double major for positions in administration, and master's in health care administration for advancement.
  • May need master's degree in social work.

photo of a student pointing at something in a notebook and photo of two adults reviewing a contract on a clipboardBusiness

Employers

  • Research Departments/Firms
  • Personnel/Industrial Relations Departments
  • Marketing/Management Firms
  • Organizational Planning Departments/Firms
  • International Business Manufacturing Firms
  • Advertising Firms
  • Consumer Research/Public Relations Firms
  • Insurance/Real Estate Companies
  • Publishing Firms
  • Consulting Firms

Strategies

  • Focus on an occupational area: personnel, industrial relations, management, marketing or public relations.
  • Take courses in labor relations, industrial psychology, sociology of work, personnel management, public speaking, writing, social psychology and human/social interaction.
  • Gain related experience.
  • Learn skills in communication networking and electronic mail. 
  • Obtain graduate degree for advancement.
  • Stress work experience, social skills, public speaking, writing skills, statistics and research training when interviewing.

photo of elementary teacher standing at the front of the class and photo of a student seated in class raising her handEducation

Employers

  • Public and Private Schools
  • Colleges and Universities

Strategies

  • Obtain certification/licensing to teach grades K-12.
  • Volunteer as a tutor.
  • Obtain Ph.D. to teach and for advanced research positions in colleges and universities.
  • Secure strong personal recommendations.
  • Learn skills in communication networking and electronic mail.
  • Take courses in sociology of education, social psychology and developmental psychology.

photo of papers with charts and graphs on them and photo of a person pointing with a pencil at a donut graphSocial Science Research

Employers

  • Federal Government
  • National Headquarters of Non-Profit Organizations
  • Firms conducting social, market, or statistical research
  • Public Relations Firms
  • Professional Periodicals
  • Newspapers and Magazines
  • Social Service Agencies
  • Hospitals
  • Business and Industry
  • Labor Unions
  • Professional Sociologists
  • Universities
  • Religious Organizations
  • Public Opinion Research Polls

Strategies

  • Learn federal government job application process.
  • Develop strong quantitative, statistical, writing, informational gathering and assimilating skills.
  • Take courses in research methods and statistics.
  • Learn skills in communication networking and electronic mail.
  • Acquire related experience.
  • Obtain graduate degree for advancement and specialized areas.

photo of volunteers carrying donation boxes of food and medicine and photo of three speakers giving a panel presentationCommunity Relations

Employers

  • Federal, State and Local Government
  • National headquarters & local branches of non-profit organizations
  • Private Social Service Organizations
  • Religiously Affiliated Service Organizations
  • Child Care Agencies

Strategies

  • Learn federal, state and local government job application process.
  • Obtain experience in counseling, advocacy or administration.
  • Acquire knowledge of community problems and government resources.
  • Gain volunteer experience.
  • Take courses in public speaking, inequality, social classes, race relations, gender, social psychology, social/human interaction.
  • Learn skills in communication networking and electronic mail.

photo of man in a wheelchair sitting at a table with two females and photo of a man in professional attire reviewing papers at a deskGovernment

Employers

  • Public Assistance Agencies
  • Federal, State, Local and County Government

Strategies

  • Learn federal, state and local government job application process.
  • Learn skills in communication networking and electronic mail.
  • Obtain experience in research and evaluation.
  • Acquire skills in survey and evaluation research, and specialties in such fields as medical/health sociology, aging, criminal justice, demography and family.
  • Gain experience via co-op programs and volunteer work.
  • Obtain graduate degree for advancement.

This list was originally prepared by the Career Planning staff, Career Services at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. It has been updated and altered by USI Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice Studies to better fit the needs of USI sociology students.


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