What can you do with a sociology degree?
As a sociology graduate, you will have developed a range of skills that employers will be looking for upon graduation, such as communication and the gathering and analysis of information. There are various career paths you can take with a sociology degree, such as welfare, education, social research and local and central government. However, some of these roles will require additional qualifications. Other popular career choices included in the field of marketing, HR, business, advertising and public relations.
Career options
Natural career paths following a sociology degree:
- Youth worker
- Community development worker
- Secondary school teacher
- Further education teacher
- Higher education lecturer
- Housing manager/officer
- Marketing Executive
- Police officer
- Policy officer
- Social researcher
Transferable skills career paths:
- Civil Service administrator
- Family support worker
- Special educational needs coordinator (SENCO)
- Newspaper journalist
- Probation officer
- Public relations officer
- Social worker
- Charity officer
- Human resources officer
- International aid/development worker
- Life coach
Many employers will accept applications from students that have studied various degrees.
Work experience
Those wanting a career with sociology skills should investigate doing an industry placement – pre-entry work is valued highly. Your careers department at your university should be able to help you identify these.
These may include opportunities within the following:
- Working with vulnerable people
- Schools
- Community Education
- Local councils
- Social work departments
If your university course does not offer a placement year, you may want to consider doing part-time, summer or voluntary work. To give yourself a head start, you can reach out to local businesses to see if there is a need for the skills you have already developed throughout your degree and the opportunity to learn and grow.
If you are interested in a career in law or the Civil Service, doing an internship will allow for a more structured work experience and give you real insight into what a role in this field would entail. Competition for these places is rife, so do your research and identify the skills and experience that will make you stand out.
Any kind of pre-entry experience will give your application an advantage. It will also help you to develop the essential skills needed to succeed in the industry. Employers value work experience very highly, and it will also allow you to network and build a list of contacts who may become useful in the future.
Typical employers
The skills you will develop through a sociology degree are in demand across various sectors.
Typical employers of sociology students include:
- The NHS
- Charitable, counselling and voluntary organisations
- Media companies
- Marketing and PR firms
- Schools, colleges and universities
- The local and central government
- Law firms
- Social and market research organisations.
- Police and probation services
Below are some of the job titles you earn with a sociology degree:
- Solicitor
- Charities administrator
- Health service executive
- Human resources officer
- Journalist
- Marketing Assistant
- Political party research officer
- Public affairs consultant (lobbyist)
- Retail manager
- School teacher
- Civil Service administrator
Skills for your CV
Studying sociology equips you with various sought-after skills by employers, such as communication, interpersonal, problem-solving, and analytical abilities.
You learn how to design and conduct research studies, collect and analyse data, and interpret findings.
Sociology encourages you to think critically, analyse complex social issues, and evaluate different perspectives and arguments.
You develop the ability to examine and interpret social phenomena, data, and patterns to draw meaningful conclusions. Sociology involves writing reports, essays, and presenting findings, helping you enhance your written and oral communication skills.
Studying sociology involves working with diverse groups of people, conducting interviews, and engaging in group discussions, which improves your interpersonal and teamwork skills.
Sociologists are trained to identify and address social problems, develop innovative solutions, and make informed decisions.
These skills are highly transferable and can be applied in various fields, including research, social services, education, policy analysis, human resources, advocacy, and more.
Further study
It’s not uncommon for geography graduates to continue their studies with a postgraduate degree. This is usually because they want to specialise in a particular area, such as social policy, political sociology or social research. On the other hand, numerous courses are accessible that can lead you into diverse professional domains, such as:
- Journalism
- Teaching
- Community Education
- Counselling
- Counselling
- Law
- Social work
What are sociology graduates doing?
Due to the flexibility of a sociology degree, graduates hold a real mix of professions. The ten most common occupations pursued by sociology graduates include welfare and housing associate professionals, protective service occupations, teaching professionals, teaching and childcare support occupations, admin, sales, marketing and related associate professionals.
Related Courses
The UWS BA (Hons) in Social Sciences focuses on the central themes of social justice, power and inequalities. The first two years of this degree equip you with a firm grounding in the essential disciplines of politics, policy and sociology.
Investigating social and political change, you will explore how we understand society and how we can improve it, developing your critical thinking alongside a wide range of research and transferable skills highly valued by the public, private and voluntary sectors.
If you fancy learning about the inner workings of the mind and human behaviour, then TEG’s BSc Psychology degree is for you.
You’ll study the human mind and associated behaviour and develop key skills in collecting, analysing and interpreting data – which will allow you to apply your knowledge in research and investigation processes to solve problems in real-world settings.
TEG’s BSc Psychology is accredited by the British Psychological Society, which provides the basis for Graduate Registration.
