What Can I Do With A Major In Sociology

Click here for a printable version of this page.

Overview	Career Titles	Employers	Skills	Salary Information
Graduate Data	Alumni/Intern Profiles	Links of Interest	Additional Information

Overview | Return to top

Sociology has focused especially on social and cultural institutions as they evolved in the technologically advanced societies of the world. Anthropology has been particularly concerned with societies of smaller scale, and has developed sophisticated methods for cross-cultural studies. Both sociology and anthropology endeavor to increase our understanding of the connections between culture, social institutions and individual personality. The field is necessarily very broad, taking account of the studies in many other fields, including economics, political science, history and social philosophy.

Sociology has focused particularly on the development of the most developed societies of the world, and anthropology has been particularly concerned with societies of smaller scale. Both sociology and anthropology endeavor to increase our knowledge of the connection between individual personality, social interaction, culture and social institutions. Amateur understanding of the causes and effects of human beliefs, customs and institutions is essential to the achievement of moral wisdom.

The St. Norbert College program in sociology provides students with the methods and knowledge needed to come to grips with the challenges and problems of rapid social and cultural change. Students will gain an understanding of the emergence of modern society, detailed knowledge of particular social problems (poverty, homelessness, crime or inequalities of opportunity) and research methods (statistics and computer-based data analysis).

Career Titles | Return to top

Academic Advisor/Counselor
Admissions Counselor
Adoption Agent
Advertising Assistant
Advocate
Aging Specialist
Alcohol/ Drug Case Worker
Anthropologist
Archaeologist
Archivist
Art Conservator
Behavioral Science Advisor
Bilingual/Bicultural Program Specialist
Biographer
Career Counselor
Caseworker
Child Welfare Officer
City Planner
Claims Representative
Clergy
Collections Manager
College Professor
Community Development Specialist
Community Planner
Community Relations
Community Service Administrator
Compensation/Benefits
Congressional Aide
Consultant
Consumer Advocate
Convention Organizer
Coroner/Medical Examiner
Correctional Case Worker
Corrections Officer
Cultural Artifact Specialist
Curatorial Assistant
Day Care Worker
Dietitian
Ecotourism Director
Employee Relations Specialist

Employment Recruiter
Ethnologist
Family Service Counselor
Field Archaeologist
Financial Aid Director
Foreign Affairs Officer
Forensic Anthropologist
Foster Care Worker
Foundation Program Manager
Friend of the Court Caseworker
Fund Raiser
Genealogist
Genetic Counselor
Gerontologist
Head Start Program Director
Human Resources Manager
Immigration Inspector
Industrial Psychologist
Insurance Agent/Broker
Labor Relations Representative
Laboratory Assistant
Legislative Aide
Librarian
Linguist
Management Consultant
Management Trainee
Marketing Manager
Marketing Research Analyst
Marriage and Family Therapist
Media Planner
Media Specialist
Medical Anthropologist
Medical Social Worker
Mental Health Worker
Multicultural Program Leader
Museum Education Director
National/State Park Interpreter
News Correspondent
Nutritionist
Paleontologist

Park Service Supervisor/Director
Parole/Probation Officer
Peace Corps Area Director
Peace Corps Volunteer
Physician
Professor
Program Coordinator/Assistant
Program Director
Public Administrator
Public Health Educator
Public Opinion Surveyor
Public Relations Specialist
Recreation Director
Recreation Therapist
Rehabilitation Counselor
Reporter
Research Assistant
Researcher
Resident Assistant
Rural Development Officer
Sales Representative
School Counselor
Secret Service Agent
Social Scientist
Social Service Agency Planner
Social Welfare Examiner
Social Worker
Statistician
Substance Abuse Counselor
Teacher
Technical Writer
Trainer
Translator
Travel Agent
Union Legal Counsel
Urban Planner
Veterans Affairs Specialist
Vocational Teacher
Welfare Counselor
Writer/Editor

Employers | Return to top

Adoption and Child Care Agencies
Advertising and Marketing Firms
Advocacy Groups
Banks
Child Care Services
Churches
Colleges and Universities
Community Organizations
Community Service Agencies
Consulting Firms
Consulting Organizations
Correctional Institutions
Court Systems
Drug Enforcement Administration
Educational Information Services
Environmental Advocacy Groups

Environmental Protection Agency
Family Courts
FBI
Federal, State, And Local Government
Government Agencies
Halfway Houses
Health Agencies
Health And Human Services
Healthcare Organizations
Hospitals and Wellness Centers
Housing and Urban Development
Human Resources
Human Services
Insurance Companies
IRS
Libraries

National Institute Of Aging
National Institutes Of Health
Newspapers, Magazines, News Agencies
Non-Profit Organizations
Nursing Homes and Retirement Communities
Peace Corps
Private Foundations
Public Opinion Research Polls
Religiously-Affiliated Service Organizations
Research Institutes
Retail Stores
United Way Agencies
Veteran’s Administration
Vocational Services
Welfare Department

Skills | Return to top

Ability to understand and improve human relationships
Analyze, synthesize and interpret information
Communication across cultures and languages
Computer skills (data processing & analysis)
Conducting field studies
Critical thinking
Examining data and artifacts
Insight into group dynamics

Interact well with diverse cultures/ groups
Interpersonal communication (oral & written)
Interviewing surveying
Knowledge of community resources
Knowledge of social structures and change
Planning projects
Recognizing cultural differences and similarities

Research and planning
Resolve conflicts
Sampling, gathering and organizing data
Statistical abilities
Summarizing results
Work well under pressure
Writing grant proposals

Salary Information | Return to top

NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Spring 2012 Average Starting Salary:

Sociology Bachelor's Degree: $31,700
Social Work Bachelor's Degree: $33,300

Average Salary of SNC Sociology Graduates:

2009: $30,001 - $35,000
2010: No salary data available
2011: $25,001 - $30,000

For additional salary information, please visit salary.com

Graduate Data | Return to top

The job titles and employers listed below are a sample of the results from the annual St. Norbert College Career Services graduate follow-up survey for the Classes of 2003-2011.

Job Titles

Administrative Assistant
Admissions Counselor
Adoption Coordinator
Assistant Teacher
Care Coordinator
Case Manager
Claims Adjuster
Client Service Representative
Crisis Counselor
Customer Service Representative

Employment Specialist
English Teacher
Group Fitness Instructor
Human Resources Associate
Jewelry Designer
Lead Program Coordinator
Line Therapist
Parent Mentor
Program Assistant
Program Coordinator

Quality Assurance
Quality Insurance Clerk
Special Olympics Outreach Associate
Substitute Teacher
Teacher
Technical Communication Specialist
Therapist
Youth Counselor

Employers

AMEXPC
Alternatives in Psychological Care
AmeriCorps
Ask Now (Canada)
Aurora Bay Care
Boys and Girls Club
Brain Injury Association of MN
Chicago Public Schools
Children's World

Enterprise
Family Services
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Humana
Independent Care Health Plan
Jesuit Volunteer Corps
Kohl's Headquarters
Metra
RFDF Community Living
Schneider National

Self-Employed
Special Olympics
St. Norbert College
State Farm Insurance
United Cerebral Palsy
WI Early Autism Project
YMCA Camp

Graduate Programs

Education
Social Work

Graduate Schools

Dominican University
UW Green Bay
UW Madison

Alumni/Intern Profiles | Return to top

Alumni Profiles
Stacy De Coster
Carie Goral
Sherman Wade
Elizabeth (Liz) O'Connell Wos
Lora Zimmer

Intern Profiles
Teddy Fleming
Mo Gourrier
Joe Stempski
Emma Townsend

Links of Interest | Return to top

Career Information
Anthropology Careers (Listing from Northern Kentucky University)
Careers in Archaeology (Listing from Texas A & M)
Careers in Sociology
Facts on Sociology Careers
Graduate Programs in Anthropology
Graduate Programs in Social Sciences
Graduate Programs in Social Work
Graduate Programs in Sociology
Riley Guide to the Social Sciences
Sociology Careers
Sociology Student Resources

Professional Associations
American Anthropological Association
American Association of Physical Anthropologists
American Counseling Association
American Sociological Association
National Association for the Practice of Anthropology
Society for Applied Anthropology
Sociologists for Women in Society

Jobs & Internships
AcademyHealth
American Anthropological Association’s Career Site
AmeriCorps
Federal Government Jobs
Idealist
Nonprofit Job Opportunities
OnPhilanthropy
PeaceCorps

Additional Information | Return to top

SNC Sociology Department
Major Requirements
Academic Advising
Career Services Job Search Links

Disclaimer: The information included on this page is not all-inclusive. You are encouraged to utilize additional online and print resources when researching majors and careers. Some of the careers listed may require additional education, training, development, licenses and/or certifications. If you feel something should be added, changed, updated or removed, please contact Career Services. The content included on this page will be updated annually each summer. Please contact Career Services if you have any questions about the information on this page or to schedule an appointment.