What can I do with an undergraduate degree in sociology?
This is the eternal question. Students find sociology interesting and insightful but wonder what practical use a degree in this major will have (i.e., how will it get me a job?). The truth is, sociology is quite useful in a number of expanding job fields. Sociology majors such as Ronald Reagan, Michelle Obama, and Rev. Martin Luther King must have been on to something. Our major equips students with the understanding of innovative research and data analysis methods, cultural diversity, small and large group dynamics, and organizational structures, among other marketable skills and knowledge.
Sociology majors develop unparalleled fluency in the key changes of modern society, from globalization to health care to criminal justice to the environment. This knowledge appeals to many employers. Specific jobs obtained by sociology graduates include a social services case worker for abused and neglected children, a research assistant for a consulting firm, or a data analyst for a school district, to name a few. Please see our handout "Sociology: What can I do with this degree?" for more information.https://soc.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/What%20can%20i%20do%20with%20this%20degree.pdf
A sociology major will also provide students with a strong foundation for further graduate study in areas such as law school, social work, counseling, and several other fields. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, our major provides unique tools for engaged citizenship and comprehension of our rapidly accelerating and increasingly complex social world. Such skills are difficult to measure, but are among the most important that higher education can provide. But don't just take our word for it; see this recent national commentary on the value of a sociology degree: