What Can I Do With A Major In Sociology?

Plans, develops and directs programs designed to help meet a community's needs for health, welfare, and social support services. Directs staff, plans budgets, prepares reports, and often directs fund raising activities. May direct programs to help educators, government officials, business leaders, and others in solving social, economic, and environmental problems. May direct sheltered workshops, volunteer agencies, or housing programs.

Educational Requirements

A bachelorís degree in social sciences or a liberal arts degree in public administration is suitable for many different kinds of entry level jobs.

Avg. Maine Salary: $17.90 per/hour

Avg. # Maine Employment 9002

Avg. Starting Salary $18, 700-$24,200

Annual Openings: 312

Projected Growth: 14%

SOCIOLOGIST

Studies human society and social behavior. Examines the groups and social institutions that people form such as families, communities, and religious organizations. Studies the behavior and interaction of groups, traces their origin and growth, and analyzes the influence of group activities on individual members. Also studies the characteristics of social groups, organizations, and institutions; the ways individuals are affected by each other and by the groups to which they belong; and the effect of various traits such as sex. age, or race on a person's daily life. Uses computers to record and analyze data and to prepare reports.

Educational Requirements

Educational attainment among social scientists is significantly higher than for most other occupations. The Ph.D. or equivalent is a minimum for top level posts, with more limited opportunities available for those with a Master's degree.

Avg. Maine Salary: $34.60 per/hour

Avg. # Maine Employment 231

Avg. Starting Salary $28,300 (Masters)
$34,300- $41,100 (Ph.D.)

Annual Openings: 7

Projected Growth: 23.7%

Top

RELATED OCCUPATIONS

Criminology	Urban Planner
Hospital Administrator	Public Administrator
Community Organization Director	City Manager
Booking Agent for Musicians	Research Assistant
College or University Professor	Corrections Officer
Social Welfare Research Worker	Clinical Sociologist

SKILLS

Research Ability	Ability to Interpret Data
Interpersonal Communication	Planning Skills
Public Speaking	Logical Thinking
Creativity	Computer Operations
AnalyticalWriting

Top

SAMPLE JOBS

(taken from past issues of our Career Services Husky Job Board)

Research Assistant II-
Assisting in the continuing follow-up of a multi-disciplinary study, involves interviews with young adults and their mothers.
Qualifications: BS in psychology, sociology, or allied discipline, an understanding of statistics, computer knowledge and ability to maintain confidentiality.

Family Integration Specialist-
Provide supports services to individual children or their family unit in birth homes working on interaction, community and all skills.
Qualifications: Requires a BA plus one-year experience.

Student Human Resources Manager
Implements center disciplinary rules, supervises student human resources, implements and maintains an appropriate and effective behavior management and discipline system, provides staff training in the company behavior management policies provide orientation to new student. Reviews incident reports, acts as a liaison between company an judicial agencies/courts, solicits legal representation for students, maintains files of student behavior management records.
Qualifications: BA/BS in counseling, psychology, sociology, law or related field plus two years experience in youth counseling, or related field OR combination or education and experience.

Behavior Specialist II-
Provides behavior analysis service for children and/or adolescents.
Qualifications: Masters degree in psychology, social sciences or mental health.

Planning and Research Associate I-
Collects, analyzes, and presents data obtained for case reports of occupational disease and injury.
Qualifications: 6-year combination of education, training, and experience providing knowledge of the principles of research and planning. Top

RELATED ACTIVITIES

Top

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

(These resources are located in our Career Resource Centers)

Maine Dept. of Labour and Occupational Outlook Handbook

100 Jobs in Social Changes

Great Jobs for Sociology Majors

Top

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

(For more information see the National Trade and Professional Association
of the United States located in our Career Resource Centers)

American Sociological Association
1722 N St. NW.
Washington, DC
20036-2981

American Association of Suicidology

African Studies Association

American Association of Mental Retardation

American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association

American Society of Geolinguistics

Association for Humanist Sociology

Association for the Sociology of Religion

Association of Black Sociologists

Cheiron: The International Society for the History of Behavioral and Social Sciences

Community Development Society

International Association. of Family Sociology

International Society for the Comparative Studies of Civilizations

International Studies Association

International Transactional Analysis Association

Law and Society Association

National Association for Applies Arts and Sciences

National Association of Human rights Workers

National Association of Neighborhoods

National council on Family Relations

North American Society for the Sociology of Sport

Population Association of America

Rural Sociological Society

Social Science History Association

Society for Applied Sociology

Society for Disability Studies

Society for Social Studies of Science

Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis

Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics

Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues

Society for the Scientific Study of Religion

Society for the Study of Social Problems

Society for Practice Association

Special Interest Group for Computer-Human Interaction

World Population Society

Top

The information on this page was taken from the following sources: CareerWare 98; Maine Dept.of Labor, 94; Occupational Outlook Handbook, 98; National Trade and Professional Associations Of the United States, 97; College Majors and Careers

Website Last Updated August 8, 1999

Send your questions to the staff of Career Services & Cooperative Education at
USM Career Center Website Designed and Maintained by Chris Harriman
Webmaster