{"id":4090,"date":"2012-08-12T23:43:19","date_gmt":"2012-08-12T23:43:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/?page_id=4090"},"modified":"2025-12-09T21:06:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T21:06:03","slug":"careers-in-sociology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/sociology\/student-resources\/careers-in-sociology\/","title":{"rendered":"Careers in Sociology"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Six
Six alumni\u2014including (from left to right) Tony Hudson, Britt Pennington, Ellen Sachs, Robert Harper, Ashley Johnson, and Karina Genis\u2014speak with current sociology majors about their careers and how their sociology degree helps them in the work they do.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sociology: A World of Opportunities<\/h2>\n

Sociology provides many distinctive perspectives on the world, generating new ideas and critiquing the old.* The field also offers a range of research techniques that can be applied to virtually any aspect of social life: street crime and delinquency, corporate downsizing, how people express emotions, welfare or education reform, how families differ and flourish, or problems of peace and war.<\/p>\n

Because sociology addresses the most challenging issues of our time, it is a rapidly expanding field whose potential is increasingly tapped by those who craft policies and create programs. Sociologists understand social inequality, patterns of behavior, forces for social change and resistance, and how social systems work. Sociology is an exciting discipline with expanding opportunities for a wide range of career paths.<\/p>\n

Most people who think of themselves as \u201csociologists\u201d or have the word \u201csociologist\u201d in their job title, have graduate training, but BAs in sociology apply the sociological perspective to a wide variety of jobs in such sectors as business, the health professions, the criminal justice system, social services, and government.<\/p>\n

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* This material is adapted from a sociology careers booklet available from the American Sociological Association. In addition, students are encouraged to explore the What Can I Do With a Sociology Major?<\/a> page which is also available through the Strommen Center for Meaningful Work<\/a> at Augsburg University.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat can I do with a B.A. in sociology?\u201d<\/h2>\n

As a strong liberal arts major, sociology provides several answers to this important question:<\/p>\n

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  • The undergraduate degree provides a strong liberal arts preparation for entry level positions throughout the business, social service, and government worlds. Employers look for people with the skills that an undergraduate education in sociology provides.<\/li>\n
  • Since its subject matter is intrinsically fascinating, sociology offers valuable preparation for careers in journalism, politics, public relations, business, or public administration\u2014fields that involve investigative skills and working with diverse groups.<\/li>\n
  • A B.A. in sociology is excellent preparation for future graduate work in sociology in order to become a professor, researcher, or applied sociologist.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Many students choose sociology because they see it as a broad liberal arts base for professions such as law, education, medicine, social work, and counseling. Sociology provides a rich fund of knowledge that directly pertains to each of these fields.<\/p>\n

    To learn more about how a sociology major helped prepare students for careers in all kinds of different fields, check out this podcast in which sociology graduates of all levels\u2014B.A., M.A., and Ph.D.\u2014discuss the career paths they’ve taken and how sociology helped them get there:<\/p>\n