“WHAT CAN I DO WITH A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN SOCIOLOGY?”
A National Survey of Seniors
Majoring in Sociology
(
Findings from Three Waves of ASA’s
Bachelor’s and Beyond Research Project
2005-2009
Top Job-Related Skills Gained by
SOC majors
• Understanding of people’s experiences as they vary
by race, class, &/or gender
• Sensitivity to effect of culture & society on the
personal lives of individuals
• Ability to view issues & problems from alternative
perspectives
• Ability to develop evidence-based arguments & use
available data to take informed position on an issue
• Critical thinking and analytical skills that aid in
problem-solving
Job-Related Skills & Job-Hunting
• GOV’T JOBS
• www.usajobs.gov
• --can narrow search by city, state, zip code, gov’t
agency name, or occupation
• --useful occupation keywords: Administrative
support; administration; management; human
resources; social services; social sciences
• --reasonable expectations: G-5 = entry level jobs for
those w/ college degree; “foot in the door” jobs
• State job websites: for ex., JobCenterofWisconsin.com
• NON-PROFIT JOBS
• www.idealist.org: search by occupational categories
• www.cof.org (Council on Foundations: a org. serving
foundations that make grants)
Job application letter & resume
• BEGIN CAREER PLANNING NOW!
• --use course electives wisely
--contemplate utility of an internship
• --develop relationships with those whom you plan to
ask for letters of recommendation
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Application letter & resume: MODIFY, MODIFY!
--should fit job specifics
--highlight skills most relevant to job
--highlight coursework most relevant to job
Resume
YOUR NAME
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Address:
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Seeking …. (type of job that you are seeking)
__________________________________________________________
KEY SKILLS
__________________________________________________________
EDUCATION
Name of high school; year of graduation
Name of college(s) attended; years of attendance; degree awarded
Major &, if applicable, Minors
Relevant coursework:
____________________________________________________________
JOB EXPERIENCE
____________________________________________________________
REFERENCES
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Phone:
Email:
Seeking a Competitive Advantage
• Only one in 18 undergraduate sociology
majors completes a Master’s degree
• Value of MA degree to career advancement in
many different fields; NOT just for those on
path to PhDs and professorships!
• Grad School admissions: 3.0 GPA, decent
score on GRE, & 3 letters of recommendation
• Financial cost of graduate school
• Career Planning in grad school: picking your
electives wisely; selecting a thesis topic
Most Common Jobs of SOC Majors
• Social services: 27%
• --BA level: eligibility case worker; educ. outreach
personnel; support staff in social service
agencies
• MA advancement opportunity: Directors of non-profit
organizations; caseworker supervisors in gov’t agencies
• Administrative Support: 16%
• --BA level: administrative assistant; lower-level management
• Administration/Management: 15%
• Mid & upper-level management in gov’t agencies; non-profit
directors
• Opportunity optimized with a MA
Some Anecdotal Info on UW Sociology
Majors
• Post-BA professional programs: Dunlap; Jacobs; Wing
• Best “tracking info” is on grads of our MA program
• Administration—Educational: Muecke (PhD),
Rottweiller (PhD)
• PhD/Professors—Armstrong, Asiedu, Bentel, Coon,
Dommaraju, Dunham, Fertig, Koeber, Melichar,
Stuhlsatz, & Yoshida
• Research Analysts: Butler, Dorssom, Hahn, JacobsenAshman (PhD), Johnston (PhD), Kasper-Wolfe, &
Rohde
• Social Service agencies/non-profits: Eastman; Prehn
• Program Directors: Berg; Utz